Yesterday…
…Sitting in our conservatory we heard a dull thud. Outside, a dazed-looking Mrs Blackbird was standing on the path, recovering from flying into the window. Five minutes later she was still there. I guess she had a bit of a headache.
Then I heard a squawking-bird-sound. Our Neighbour’s Mr Grey Cat had caught Mrs Blackbird. I banged on the window. Mr Cat looked up. Mrs Blackbird flew off – displaying a large bald patch – leaving Mr Cat with a pile of feathers.
…I read ‘houses on stilts like mokojumbies in the carnival’. I had to look up ‘mokojumbies’…
During the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, traditions were brought from West Africa to the West Indies. Moko jumbies were tall stilt-walking figures, thought to be spiritual guardians, who could see and chase away evil spirits. For the slaves it was important to remember their traditions, stories and spiritual practices…
Today, stilt-walking moko jumbies are part of Caribbean carnivals and cultural festivals… In the pictures they look very precarious…
…Rob told me his story. He’d been through addiction… stayed at a recovery house… been through the twelve-step programme… had a good sponsor who’d mentored and supported him… been clean for seven-and-a-half months. Then he relapsed – so he had to leave the recovery house.
Rob was admitting his fault, but frustrated by a system that he found doesn’t support those who mess up, or enable full restoration.
At the start of the week in church Ray quoted St Paul: ‘So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.’
Yesterday gave me different pictures – be careful that you don’t fly into a window… get caught by a cat… fall off your stilts… return to your addiction…
My faith and my past experience points to a God who enables me to recover when I fly into a window… helps me to fly off if a cat’s attacked me… picks me up if I fall off my stilts… and gives me yet another chance if I relapse.
