When Woes Become Wows

Neil has repaired and serviced our car; an MOT certificate states that our vehicle is roadworthy. Yesterday morning I drove our newly-certificated car for the first time.  

Despite an odd sound I kept driving. Arriving home I discovered a flat tyre! I inflated the tyre, and drove gently to a local tyre shop. Marcus declared the old tyre to be beyond repair and fitted a new one.

Our car now drives wonderfully! Neil and Marcus have turned our woes into a wow!

At yesterday’s ‘Music for Wellbeing’ group we enjoyed the usual wonderful mixture of rhythmic drums, hearty singing, forgotten dementia, friendly chatter.

We sung ‘Clementine’. The story – a girl tragically drowns, leaving a grieving father and lover – would be newsworthy today – with pictures and interviews… ‘Such an accident must never happen again!’

We sung it with the rhythmic drums and smiles on our faces. Clementine’s (and father’s and lover’s) woes became our wows.

Yesterday evening Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced that she’s receiving cancer treatment.

Instead of focusing on her woes she spoke with dignity, courage and warmth: ‘I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits…’

Concluding:‘…I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.’

Wow!

My friend David was kind, wise and compassionate, a true gentle-man. He cared for those with addictions, helped the needy, and taught by words and example.

One Sunday David was preaching on Samson… describing thirty streakers, whose clothes Samson had stolen… Samson setting fire to three hundred flaming foxes… burning his bride and father-in-law… the whole crazy story.

He read: ‘The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power’.  Samson, this mixed-up, impetuous, self-centred chauvinist, had God’s breath, God’s Spirit… David then described ‘the God who turns woes into wows’…