Oh Man! The memories - had a quick chat with the family the other day, and we talked about all sorts of things, and then the subject came around again about my amazing Year 4 experience that would have been the year I was about to turn ten years old.
I remember so clearly waking up with this immense headache! I was sharing a room with my big brother, and he was sound asleep. It must have been really early in the morning, way before the sun was up. I couldn't believe the headache I had, and yelled out to mum and dad, and as I did, I thought my head was about to take off into outer space!
I got up, and our bedroom was way out the back of our big house in Hamilton; actually, my Grandad had built it, as I mentioned in both my grandparents' blogs on 17th July. Anyway, I stumbled, literally, into my parents' bedroom and virtually collapsed into my Mum's arms.
She woke my dad, and by this time, I was pretty much out of it. They knew something was horribly wrong and very wisely called an ambulance and whisked me off to the Royal Newcastle Hospital. All very scary.
The doctors gathered around and told my parents to leave immediately. Both to seek medical help to check on how they were coping and also the rest of the family still at home - I was to stay in isolation and definitely not allowed any visitors at all.
I was whisked off to Edward Lyon Hospital in Waratah and placed in isolation and checked on by my fully masked and plastic-wearing doctors and nurses.
It turned out I had Meningitis and also Encephalitis. It was really touch-and-go for me. I was pretty out of it, and when I did wake, my head felt like it was going to take off. I wanted my mum and dad, and I cried a lot, but as I did so, I thought my head was going to explode!
Time slowly went on. I was really pretty much out of it. I couldn't raise my head. It felt heavy, just lay on my chest, like a big bowling ball. I couldn't walk or eat without help, and I was a pretty sad case.
My parents couldn't see me at all; in fact, no one could. I was in total isolation, and there I stayed for three months!
I finally came home, but I still couldn't lift my head, and there I stayed like that for a good 12 months. I missed out entirely in year four with Mr Rush, a former army sergeant. A really good guy and a fabulous teacher.
I slowly recuperated and slowly, slowly was able to lift my head. Then, believe it or not, I contracted the mumps. The doctor couldn't believe it, but again I survived.
Year four for me was a total disaster, but there was lots of prayer about me apparently, and I survived the whole thing - quite amazing really.
Jesus told a parable about a pretty shrewd manager. His boss accused him of being lazy and told him to clear out (my words only).
The manager was aghast; he had no job to go to, he was weak, he didn't want to go begging, he wasn't strong enough to go digging. What was he going to do?
He got all the boss's debtors together and virtually told them to give the boss some money, not the total amount owed to him - they all agreed, and finally the boss said OK
You can read this parable in Luke chapter 16, verses 1 to 9.
Jesus's point in this parable is that there are lots of crafty-type people in this world, just like the manager in the story. What Jesus was saying here is that so many people, often lazy ones and those who are unscrupulous, like to use money as their resource.
Jesus also says that if we follow him, then money isn't the guide to our aims, but our long-term goals are to be with Jesus, not to aim to get as much money as possible.
I know that when I was so sick, there were so many people praying for me; I was totally gobsmacked as young as I was. My parents had organised prayer groups of many people who constantly had me in their prayers, and to this very day, I realise and acknowledge just what prayers did for me and actually saved my life.
In the story, that shrewd manager was able to use money and even part of the money that was owed to him to secure a future for himself. He wasn't concerned about getting everything back; he just wanted money, and he wanted it now!
How many of us desire and even go about gaining all these amazing earthly riches? Working crazily, taking what we need, being so willing to push ourselves ahead in every situation, and then having our eyes well and truly glued to gaining riches and being happy.
All this considered, and when we look at the parable about this Shrewd Manager, how many of us are so consumed with gaining dollars and making ourselves bigger and better and getting more and more wealth, things, and status?
Jesus said that people like this are far more shrewd when it comes to gaining money and wealth. Very similar to the blog that I wrote about recently, the one entitled "I need Bigger, and I need Better."
When I was so sick, the very last thing my parents were worried about was gaining money to make me better - all the money in the world couldn't have saved my life.
They were far more concerned about bringing this problem to God and asking him to heal their little boy, and you know God did. I am so gobsmacked even today when I think of the whole year I spent virtually at death's door and the constant and willing prayers of my parents.
Were they consumed with money? No, definitely not. They were consumed with asking God for their son's health.
Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 20, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal"
Our treasures in heaven, as mentioned in the Bible verse above, are far in excess of any earthly goodies we can lay our hands on.
Prayer is amazing too! I really feel we are so blessed when we pray. The very fact that Jesus gave his life for us is truly incredible, but sometimes when we pray, we don't always get the answer that we think we need.
When we consider what Jesus did for us on that cruel cross, he actually gave us everything we ever need, regardless of what the thing is we are pleading for. God knows what we are doing and why we are praying, and it really is up to him, our Holy Lord, who will decide exactly how, who, and when our future will be decided.
Ask God to come into your life, take control, and make him the very first in everything you do, regardless of where you are headed.
God bless you this week
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