I took my children to the park the other day and stood reminiscing about childhood memories of my mum taking me.  Now that I am ‘all grown up’ it’s all too easy to forget the simple pleasures of life, those simple things.  It’s so important to make time to break out and be ourselves with our family, our friends and our God.  Summer offers us a perfect opportunity.

2 Corinthians 4:8-11 

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.

Life can sometimes be seen as one big playground! Do you remember as a child that sense of anticipation of visiting the park, the expectation of what lie in store; the variety, the challenges, the effort, all part of the fun!  Oh yes! 

‘Blessed be your name when the suns shining down on me…’

The Swing.  The harder you push the higher you go! Nothing more thrilling than your stomach lurching over as you reach the top and swing back down again.  But how different it is in the adult world; the rolling of your stomach in anxiety over an issue doesn’t have the same thrill. Making sure you have the right ‘push’ from those around; enough to help you reach new heights but that they’ll pull you back from danger (yes that moment when something or someone unexpectedly jumps into your path!).

The Slide: I remember standing at the top and looking out at the view…seeing everything from a different perspective.  ‘Anticipation’ was the key to climbing again, rung by rung up into the clouds; never looking down.  Then the thrill of the speed of plummeting downwards, wind in your face with the end of the slide quickly approaching and going so fast that you catapult off the end! But in the grown up world, what happens when you know the inevitable is ahead and you have no control over the ‘how?’ and ‘when?’, let alone tackling the ‘why?’.  Having a guiding hand to control the speed of life and someone to catch you when you fall can make all the difference.

The Roundabout:  Spinning round till everything becomes a whir!  Giddy with giggles and the world keeps on spinning even when the game has stopped.  The effort required to get up to speed is worth the moments of headiness!  Try and jump off when the roundabout is spinning out of control you’ll soon be nursing scrapped knees. But what if the world is spinning out of control and you just want to get off?  How do we slow it down?  Sticking a foot out could be a dangerous game.  Only the help of ‘another’ can really set a new pace and get the balance right.

The tunnel:  Whether climbing or whizzing through, the joy of the tunnel is the light at the end!  The minute the darkness of the tunnel creeps in, there is an instant urge to find your way out. But as a child, the joy of catapulting out of the other end or the relief of climbing your way out into the fresh air!  If you’ve been through a dark tunnel you’ll know what it is like when you are in it.  The reality is that if you can’t see where the light is then you really need someone to help shed some light along the way. A journey shared, is a journey halved!

‘Blessed be your name when I’m found in the dessert place. When I walk through the wilderness Blessed be your name’.

What about the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’? We can’t go round it, we can’t go under it, we can’t go over it …so…we have to go through it!’  When we can’t avoid the challenges and we can’t make a shortcut in the journey then that’s the time to invite Christ into that journey with us; to guide, to sustain, to fulfil our true destiny.  Maybe, what we need to accept sometimes is that we are taking the scenic route to our destination and all the challenges that come with that.  The blind corners where you need to slow the speed, the gradient road which requires you to climb upwards in a lower gear, the width restriction making you suck in your breath, the waterlogged puddles you drive through either proceeding with care or at speed to create a cascade of water which would make Bridget Jones cower! Christ encourages us to just keep going forwards. 

‘Though there is pain in the offering.  Blessed be your name’.

‘Playground days’ may well not happen as often as they did; we may spend more time in the playground of life. But our father God is with us in it. If we keep our eyes on Him rather than our circumstance then he’ll help us negotiate the ups and downs. All we need to do is hold on to His guiding hand.

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved. 

Our household suffer from some difficulties which I suspect are similar to other families but are not uttered! Sometimes we can feel alone and isolated in dealing with these issues, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you in the hope that someone out there might be able to offer a sensible solution or at least help us feel less alone in our plight…

Odd socks

I don’t know how it happens but we have a monstrous amount of odd socks.  I can’t possibly wear them odd and so it leaves me with a pile of odd socks to have to sort on a regular basis.  But everything recently has become too much!

I think what happens is that socks, very often, glue themselves to the inside of the machine so you remove the washing but you might leave one glued to the top so it gets separated from its counterpart. You then hang washing on the line and once it is dry it may make it’s way back to the drawer…however now you have an odd sock. You find the other one and that gets processed separately but by then you’ve got this odd sock in the bedroom and you think “Oh I must have forgotten to wash this one” so you put back in the wash! So the two remain separate forever. Did you know that according to research we will lose over 1,200 socks in our lifetime…Let me assure you if you don’t feel you’ve lost that many socks then come to the Lucas household because that’s where they will be!

Next on my list are shopping bags:

It seems that a bag is not just for Christmas but for life. Every time I visit my a supermarket I am offered a ‘Bag For Life’.  But this ‘Bag For Life’ thing just doesn’t seem to work for me. They just seem to multiply when my back is turned!

In truth when my hubby or I pop off to the supermarket, despite having prepared a bag with several bags inside to take with us, it gets left behind.  Then we have to go through that whole routine where the assistant asks you if you would like a Bag For Life; we say, “no thank you because I have several at home already”. Then we stagger with arms laden from the supermarket trying to convince ourselves ‘I’ve got this!’

Lastly Hangers: 

Isn’t it true that one day your wardrobe is nice and orderly, the next mounds of misshapen metal is spilling out onto your bedroom floor. I have lots of spare hangers (which I don’t want to chuck out because hangers are always breaking and need replacing and there are different hangers for different clothes of course). I have tried storing them in bags, but they all get caught up with each other and then I end up having a huge fight with them to get one out. I have also tried hanging them in the wardrobe but there isn’t really enough room for them and their untidiness! When there is so much debris in the way it feels like the hanger I really need has completely disappeared into the ether never to see the light of day again.

Masterpiece in the mess…

The reality is…I don’t DO mess. A tidy house is a tidy mind for me. But lately God has been challenging me to let Him more into the daily mess of life where He can make the difference. The message really is ‘Let God turn the mess into a masterpiece’. I was recently reminded of a time when my children were younger and those odd socks were used to create sock puppets…in fact an entire family of them. What followed was a rainy afternoons worth of entertainment! Sticking and gluing, silly voices and stories that became more and more elaborate…a masterpiece in the mess.

‘Bags for life’ which were used to house numerous raffle prizes to raise much needed funds for a variety of charitable causes; containing a flurry of baskets filled to the brim with goodies and covered in cellophane and ribbon. Bringing purpose to the participants and joy to the recipients…a masterpiece in the mess.

Then finding the vacuum was blocked and needing something to clear it or knocking something down the back of a radiator or a unit and carrying out a rescue operation; the humble wire hanger! Rejuvenating the power of the vacuum and reuniting a lost item to the owner…a masterpiece in the mess.

The good news is God ‘does’ mess … and my tidiness can sometimes get in the way of seeing Him at work…So rather than jump to action or be frustrated that the circumstances of life are not all that I think they should be…maybe hand it over to Him and let Him make a masterpiece in the mess.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

It’s just like riding a bike

Yes you’ve heard the phrase!

Whatever the task, once you’ve learnt the skill

then it’s easy days!

Well… I never learnt…

Well not quite,  I weren’t taught!

Me mum couldn’t balance but it wasn’t her fault!

Dad hadn’t the time,

Then it was up to me (and my cousin!)

to get my feet on the pedals at the age of …13!

Unfortunately the kids and husband too

can testify to the fact that, even now, my pedalling won’t do

The steering is off, the breaks overused

and my ear piercing screams can be heard by a few!

(In my humble opinion I think we are hard wired to walk

and run but not to ride a bike!)

But I’ve witnessed amazing things from my experience (my hubby) a father who taught his kids to ride a bike with a patience that holds no bounds.  I’ve seen this father gauge when his children are ready to come off the stabilisers…with his perfect timing know that they are ready for the challenge of moving on to the next stage of their development.  Carefully choosing a flat, smooth surface as an ideal starting point but knowing that the learner, will eventually, need to master all kinds of terrain. No matter what the surface though let’s be honest once those stabilisers are off then it becomes a challenge for both balance and steering!

Time for that first command ‘Do not fear’…

As mum I pride myself on making sure the kids are fully prepare: helmet on, knee pads, elbow pads, seat adjusted, double-checking every aspect. Then once all the right safety measures in place… This is where the most amazing thing happens! We’ve all seen it.  The scoot and run!  The most sacrificial of maneoveurs as a father grabs the seat with his right hand and the left hand is on the handle bars, steering.  Running in step with each push of the peddle.

The word “uphold” in this verse means “to hold up or grasp; to support.” The idea is similar to the word “undergird” which means “to make secure underneath.” We are upheld by His “righteous right hand.”

This is our father Gods hand of promise. The father is there in position holding on, back aching, life giving, supporting, encouraging, cheerleading…keeping his children moving forward to be released into freedom! BUT don’t ever expect the learning process to be crash free! To be “dismayed” means “to be broken and filled with fear.” It literally means, “To look around anxiously as one does in a state of alarm.” Let’s face it at one time or another, most of us have been gripped with fear.

We have been afraid of:

• What people think.
• What people might do.
• The past catching up with our present.
• Our current circumstances.
• What the future might hold.
• Ourselves.

Plus a whole range of other ‘stuff’!  The list could go on..

Yet there is a hope because we have the choice to lean on God to strengthen us. I love what Corrie ten Boom once said: “In times of fear I don’t wrestle, I nestle.” Remember He is with us and we can have confidence that he will supernaturally strengthen us for all He calls us to do.

So when those falls happen…which inevitably they will…The father will be running beside the child, untangle them, dust them off and administer some TLC and that all important dose of sympathy…and in the very next breathe…utter the words ‘Get back on, try again, you can do it!’  The father commands his child ‘Do not fear! Do not be dismayed’.  So when you’re filled with fear, remember this truth and declare it out loud: I will not live in fear because He is here!

Let us be more childlike that despite the fear or challenges ahead be sure that God will give us the courage and desire to keep moving forwards and we can confidently hold onto the promise that the Father is always by our side. So we can get to the point where we are able to freewheel in abandonment!

• 

Finally…

I was sitting outside a community centre,  not so long ago, waiting for class to finish and I overheard a small child talking to her dad (while riding along on her bike beside him) she said ‘Daddy look at this’ and he replied ‘hey baby someone’s got some skills’.  It really impacted me…I’d like to think is just how the Father God delights in us as we trust in Him.

Epilogue

Our father God gives us

two commands to obey:

• Do not fear

• Do not be dismayed

When I give up…I’ve had enough…I’ve not got what it takes..

The Father God won’t hesitate nor laugh at my mistakes…

The reasons I can trust him are made so very clear

He says ‘I am your God … I am with you…I’m here

• I will strengthen you • I will help you • my right hand will steady the way

I will run beside you every single day’.

Cheerleader, supporter…never leaves your side

You see when I protest, shriek, scream or cry

He’s the one in whom I can confide.

Father God beside you and all around

My prayer for us is may we,

in Father God be found.

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved. 

Now to readers’ who know me, this may come as no surprise but I like shoes!  I have had to exercise self-control on several occasions in order to stop myself from purchasing, even when I am tempted.  The shoe cupboard in our house is an Aladdins cave…full to the brim of a wide variety of styles, and colours, for an extensive collection of purposes and occasions!  A shoe is more than a shoe…it can be a statement.  It communicates how I feel about the world and even more about how I feel about myself.  Having got rid of several pairs of shoes in a recent spring clean I then felt fully justified in purchase 3 more pairs in a ‘not to be missed’ sale.  Then I started to think…maybe this behaviour of mine says more about my soul than my sole? 

The truth is that we all walk different paths and we are at different points along our journey. But one thing we have in common is that by wearing the right shoes for that journey, the sole may remain intact for longer. However it doesn’t matter how great your shoes are, if they don’t fit then your growth will be limited.  If they are worn at the bottom then even the cardboard placed inside to cover up the holes won’t do the job during the storm of life to stop the leaks getting in.

So what about you…where will your shoes take you? 

Are looking at the shoes you are wearing right now in a different way?

Are they comfortable and feel just right?

Or are causing you discomfort and are just too tight?

Are you finding they bite or put up a fight?

Or has the sole worn out and they’ve lost some of their height?

Or are your old shoes last weeks news?

and now you need to choose a new pair of shoes?

Do your shoes say to the world “just do it” or

 “live life to the full cause there’s not much to it”?

Do your shoes allow you to walk, play, and run?

Or are they all sparkle and meant just for fun?

In the grand scheme of things, the one thing that matters

Is that your sole stays intact and not left in tatters.

Looking after your sole is the key to your goals

But is the wear and tear taking its toll?

The big question the shoemaker asks is

‘Well, does the shoe fit?’

Fairytale shoes…

I’m sure we have all heard the story of Cinderella and the glass slippers that made the fairy tale dream come true or the story of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, whose pretty red shoes helped her find her way when she confessed in her heart that ‘there’s no place like home’.  But this is a different story of the girl and the shoemaker. 

From a very young age the girl had heard it been said ‘Well, if the shoe fits…’ As a child she had often been curious about what this meant.  For as a child she had always considered this an important question; one did not want toes squished nor heels rubbing when all one wanted to do was run and jump just as small children are often found to be doing.  This particular child was not much cared for but a kindly shoemaker often took pity and always made sure that she had something on her feet fitting for the occasion.

On their first time of meeting the shoemaker noticed how her school shoes had become battered and broken.  The shoes which had started off the school year looking pristine and shiny were scuffed and bashed all over.  Not only that but they had holes in the soles from the wear and tear.  Of course in the rain she had tried so hard to keep her feet dry that she had put cardboard in the bottom to stop her socks from getting wet.  But to no avail for as sure as the rain came down in torrents her socks soaked up the puddle water until she squelched with every step.  On seeing the little girl pass by, the shoemaker decided to devote his time to making her a pair of new shoes. The little girl was so delighted with this gift that she asked ‘Are they really for me?’  to which the shoemaker replied ‘Well, if the shoe fits…’

From that day on the little girl learnt to trust the shoemaker and whenever she was in need of new footwear he would provide it for her.  She would not hesitate to ask and he would not hold anything back from her and gave her only the very best.  As the years went by and she learnt more of the world, she found other shoes which she could try on. There was so much choice and variety she did not know where to begin.  Then one day she saw the most beautiful pair. Now, she did not ask the shoemaker to make these type of shoes for they were much more ornate and colourful than anything the shoemaker had ever made for her before. His ones were functional and comfy. How could he ever make anything like these? She thought.   However, while the designs were pretty and the colours were bright on these particular pair of shoes…comfort was not the top priority.  ‘These shoes make me feel like I’m going places’ she pondered as she looked into the mirror at this particularly tempting pair of shoes.  But she was very much aware that they squashed and squeezed in all kinds of places even though they would be the envy of everyone around her.  In the end she bought them though, thinking to herself that on the outside everyone would think they were beautiful…after all only the wearer knows where they pinch.  But she could always hear the words of the shoemaker echoing in her ear ‘Well, if the shoe fits…’ But the truth was that was not the case.

But in the end she learnt her lesson and to ease her pain, the next pair of shoes she bought were bigger…much bigger! In fact while they were practical and just the right design for the journey she was on, they didn’t fit her well at all. ‘These will give me plenty of space so that the blisters can heal’, she thought. Yet despite tying the laces as tightly as she could, she ended up having to curl her toes just so that the shoe stayed on didn’t keep falling off. The gaps between shoes and foot posed an even bigger problem, since sand, grit and stones would find their way in making things even more painful and daily life was a grind.  You could even say by this time that her soul was crying out.

 When the shoemaker saw the latest shoes she was wearing, he looked at her with knowing eyes. He knew why she had chosen the shoes but he knew all too well of the pain that could be felt wearing them.  Yet the young woman was afraid to ask the shoemaker that all important question about how they looked, for she knew the reply would be ‘Well, if the shoe fits…’. She was too embarrassed by her blistered and bruised sole.

Eventually the time came when the journey ahead of her became too much. She could no longer carry on wearing these shoes. She realised after all that her sole would have to last her!   Finally, she said enough is enough, she swallowed her pride and went back to the shoemaker.  As he saw her return his heart was overjoyed and immediately he offered to make her a new of shoes. “They will be boring and functional” she thought  ”just like my very first pair, but I’m in no fit state to complain any more, my sole is broken!”.  After taking due care, the shoemaker presented her with her new shoes.  They were indeed comfy, but better than that, and much to her surprise they were more ornate and sparkly than anything she had seen before. The young woman was suddenly aware of how foolish she had been and overjoyed, hugged the shoemaker and left the shop.

From that point on everyone could see the transformation in her soul; her new shoes were eye catching and everyone asked who had fixed her sole. To all who asked she would tell them who made them…the master craftsman, the shoemaker.  Knowing how good the shoemaker had been to her when her sole was in tatters, the girl constantly returned to him. For now she knew the answer to the shoemakers question ‘Does the shoe fit?’ ‘  

“Perfectly”

Matthew 16:26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved. 

Background story

Recently I stepped into a well-known coffee house to enjoy a very rare moment of staring out of the window, with my hubby by my side and a pot of green tea with a pastry.  It didn’t take long though before I had to go and use the facilities!  Keep with me because this story has more to it than toilet humour!  As I shut my cubical door I saw a wealth of graffiti on the back!  Not too unusual one might think especially as  graffitti can become background noise to a service station, changing room, school desk and the like.  Yet as I looked there was something distinctly different about this graffiti…It was all positive!  Yes, as I looked I could see phrases of encouragement littered across the wooden door canvas and wherever negativity had crept in people had scribbled it out and put a positive spin on it.  It was an eye-opener to the power of the written word; the transformation of negativity of positivity , the re-inforcement of positive vibes and the seeking to encourage. 

As I looked across the wealth of comments I decided to take some photos (included here!) just so you could see exactly what I mean.  I did have a moment of thinking what could I write on the door but not only did I not have a pen on me, I thought to myself I’d take it as inspiration for a blog instead!

This graffiti reminded me of the phrase ‘The writing on the wall’, which is reminiscent of the story in Daniel 5  where Belshazzar was drinking wine from the temple goblets (using them as wine glasses) when a disembodied hand wrote on the palace wall. This hand had the power to stop Belshazzar in his tracks, and in seeking meaning from a plethary of ‘experts’ in a variety of fields, Daniel is elevated to a station of power through his ability to interpret the meaning of the writing on the wall. Belthazar himself couldn’t understand what was being said because he was so consumed and caught up in his own behaviour.  In the modern world this phrase has come to mean ‘that which is obvious but the foolish ignore’; by reading between the lines we can work out what is really meant.

A modern day application of taking the disembodied hand writing on the wall could just so easily be the thumbs tapping on phone screens to post on our public walls online.  The power of such letters, words and phrases to praise or condemn the recipient or onlooker is instant and direct.  In this train of thought the challenge I want to bring is how do your words elevate others? Or how much do you believe in the words others use over you? How can you read between the lines in such a way to bring blessing out of sadness and hope in despair.  So how can we be Gods ‘voice’ and be seen to be using it for his glory?

So I penned the following short story as a response:

The Imposter…

The writing on the wall had been there for as long as he could remember.  What he couldn’t work out was why everyone else hadn’t seen it (or maybe they had but they didn’t want to comment on it?).  Maybe they were embarrassed? Maybe it made them feel awkward?  Maybe they thought the same as the writing itself and didn’t dare to declare it?  The writing on the wall was always there when he awoke in the morning and would still be there when he went to bed at the end of the evening.  It was the first thing he opened his eyes to and the last thing he closed them on.  However the writing on the wall was also emblazoned on his memory because every time he closed his eyes he could see it there…as if burned into the very fabric of his being. The trouble was though, that he hadn’t thought to share this with anyone else, to check if they could see it too or even if they agreed with it.  ‘If the writing’s on the wall, then it’s obviously true’ he thought.  ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’

The thing was that this ‘truth’ was something that he didn’t want anyone to know about at all.  Sometimes he would run through each word individually to check he said the same thing.  Well even if the words weren’t exactly the same, reading between the lines he knew that the meaning didn’t change much.  It still made his heart sink and his stomach churn.

One day though a gentle voice came alongside him.  It had been a long time since he had felt a connection with anyone…since merging into the background and going along with the flow seem to work much easier in life.  On the path of least resistance, there was no one to challenge him and that suited him perfectly … until now. 

You see this voice seemed to actually care and what’s more it was keen to take time to notice that he had been pre-occupied, out of sorts and out of kilter.  At first he found this unsettling, after all if anyone knew what the writing had to say about him then surely he would be found out as an IMPOSTER, a fraud and a phony.  If people started to notice the secrets revealed in the writing on the wall, that could unravel everything.

Except it didn’t.

Unlike all those fears, that lurked between each stressed syllable and the punctuation that added emphasis in all the wrong places…the voice didn’t seem to let the message of the writing on the wall put them off.  In fact it was very clear from the beginning that the voice could see as clear as day, and understood that this writing on the wall had been a banner over him worn as a badge of ‘dis’honour.  The voice had decided to speak out still and small in the pauses in order to put things right.  It was like shining a bright light into a dark corner.  You see up until now looking at the writing on the wall with a filter of darkness had meant that he could only see a jumble of letters, which had strung together in order to create words, phrases and sentences.  But now that the voice had spoken light in the darkness…well…the writing on the wall became clear.  What had been a life sentence became a release.  As the voice spoke the words like a banner of love over him, he felt the weight of the words lift and the flow of prose erupt like spring through the snow.  The still small voice which spoke, declared truth beyond anything he had ever heard before.  At first it was difficult to listen to, since the writing on the wall had shaped him for so long in the darkness, it was difficult to adjust to the light straight away.  But with practice and a listening ear he knew he no longer needed to look out for what the world said about him but rest in the power of the still small voice who loved him beyond measure and even sang over him with the PROMISE of love. 

Psalm 119:50

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved.

As is often the case my Facebook memories often make me realise how quickly time passes and from glimpsing at a memory I can be suddenly catapulted right back to the time and place that a photograph is taken.  Today’s Facebook memory was a very timely family portrait photograph taken 11 years ago this week.  Firstly I can’t believe how time flies (but I know so well how God has been faithful throughout the journey).  Secondly I was struck by the reality of the phrase of ‘the camera ever lies’ and when I look at that picture I know it shows a well posed beautiful family portrait.  Yet under the surface we were facing heart-breaking circumstances.  Once in a while though, it is good to reflect on the times that have shaped me and my family and  made me who I am today in Christ.  I hope that by sharing this, God will speak His love over you and show you His care in both the trials and tribulations of life.

Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-42

The ‘Diagnosis dishwasher’… a post ‘bad news’ purchase.  All of a sudden life seemed  too short for me to be standing at the kitchen sink washing up. Time could be much better spent out there dealing with the ‘to do’ list or the ‘bucket’ list.  Yes, it was a constant toss-up between the two.  What needed to be done ‘just before’ or ‘just in case’? Nothing sharpens the focus quite like a shock whether that be grief, diagnosis or the like. Yet in those moments while the macro spirals out of perspective the Micro becomes the focus.  After all if you can’t control the big things then the temptation is to try and control what you can in the day to day, hour by hour, minute by minute!  There is distraction in this … satisfaction and even fulfilment (as well as the opportunity to legitimately narrow down thoughts in order to block out possible alternative futures).  Yes, in my diagnosis I had entertained all kinds of possibilities.  It was just like following a maze down every pathway to every dead end possible.  Not being sure if I would end up making it to the centre or finding my way out of it again.

In the day to day of everyday life (which had an uncanny way of carrying on!) the fridge had become a life support system for dying food. The Microwave ‘ping’ for sterilizing bottles signalled that yet another 5 minutes of life was gone.  A constant five minute reminder! The ironing pile was ‘raising the game’, setting the benchmark, a signifier of all that was getting on top of us.

The floordrobe was presenting the constant debate of whether to choose to pick up the pieces or hoover around them. It was a matter of perspective…were the gaps between the dirty clothes creating a pathway to negotiate my way around the house or were the piles providing hurdles stopping me from getting from room to room?

Being a Martha in this situation was my survival instinct kicking in and was my coping mechanism freaking out!  But it worked for a time and it meant that I could keep God on the sidelines looking after the team (my family) while I was on the field keeping the game play of everyday life going.  But eventually came the time to call half time, time out, injury time and call in the cavalry.  This was the time when I needed another Martha by my side in order to take time out to be Mary.  My relenting was a place where I thought I was ‘giving up’ but by ‘giving in’ I was able to ‘let in’.

The crunch time came when I had to really trust in Jesus by accepting help from the ‘Martha’s’. Otherwise known as a selection of church friends who probably didn’t know what else to do other than offer practical help or make tea (prior diagnosis I didn’t drink it…post diagnosis I drank it out of politeness…I said yes because it made other people feel better!). As such was birthed (from our surname) the ‘Lucas-aid’ campaign amongst the women in the church. This is where actions spoke so much louder than words.  If I could trust the Martha’s with my home, then I could trust them with my feelings.  If I could let them over my physical thresholds, I could let them past my emotional ones.

Yes…I needed a Martha by my side so I could take time out to be a Mary.

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved. 

So…here is a bit of creative writing for you to read today.  It’s a piece I am yet to perform but hope to do so at some point in the future!  When I start writing I begin with an idea and often don’t know where I’ll end up but something happens within the writing process where it becomes clear where I need to finally ‘land’ the story.  I hope this speaks to you and helps you to reflect on your own journey of faith; where you have been, where you are at and where you are headed!

Proverbs 3:6  

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Cracks in the pavement began to appear to her at a young age.  She would do everything she could to avoid the lines…even if it meant stepping into the oncoming flow of traffic!  Once you notice such a thing it’s hard to look away and try to pretend that they don’t exist.  But exist they did.  And she only had two choices; play the game by the rules and avoid them at all costs (which could spell disaster for her entire existence) or be bold, take a risk and step right on them quickly, briefly, swiftly.  She thought that if she happened to move fast and lightly enough onto the cracks then they might never know but the fear always lurked that one day they just might and then swallow her up whole. 

One day she got tired of leaping and bounding over the top of every hurdle that came her way. Her muscles had begun to ache, her eyes had grown tired of scanning the landscape and what’s more the pleasure of trying to outwit the cracks in the pavement had gradually waned.  She had not only grown tired of the challenges but resentful of knowing that every morning when she stepped foot out of her front door the cracks would be waiting for her.  It was an increasingly heavy burden to carry.  Like a giant rucksack holding her down.  Leaping over the cracks in the pavement was possible when one had a light load but was particularly difficult to leap lightly when you carried the weight of the world on your back.

This carried on day after day until the moment came when she failed to notice that the cracks were becoming bigger and the pavement which was sturdy and safe was becoming smaller.  When she tried to negotiate a particularly cavernous crevice one day, everything changed.  You see rather than even attempt to leap she simply stepped forward embracing the step of faith and the drop into the unknown.

 It was true that the world was turned upside down and for a while it was confusing and different.  But she soon learnt it was just a simple case of looking at the world in a different way.  All she had to work out now was how to move forwards in this new ‘right way up’ landscape and find her way along the pavement journey without slipping through the cracks again.  However, on this side of the journey the colours of the world were brighter and the landscape was fuller.  It was like someone turned on the light and now the fog had cleared and she could see the path that lay ahead.  Where fear had surrounded her and trips and stumbles paved the way, now she saw where the street was paved with gold and the cracks had been filled in.  Not to disguise them or cover them up.  But a walk of fame where the hand prints of the fixing and mending added ‘character’ and was evidence of the careful touch of the creator.  The cracks creating threads of journey like roots of a tree reaching out across a landscape.  Avoiding them was no longer possible and what’s more is no longer needed.  She had found her new path…no longer littered with risk but scattered with love and paved with gold.

© 2019 Carly Lucas.  All rights reserved. 

Thanks for joining me! Writing is something that I enjoy and this is an opportunity for me to share with you my collection of thoughts. The intention of this blog is firstly as a space to share what God has put on my heart, secondly to share my ideas on how life connects to faith and thirdly to support readers with a bit of solidarity in challenges or encouragement in trials. I’m seeking to offer words of hope through testimony, storytelling and unravelling scripture. We have a wonderful creative God who is able to talk to us in so many ways and so my writing takes different forms as I experiment. I pray that God will use me, to speak to you, in the place you are at. These blogs are original works so they are protected by copyright and I would request that you use the link to share the work if you think it will bless others. Enjoy reading and please feel free to leave a comment!