Humility and meekness becomes us!

Over the past forty years of  being a Christian, I have witnessed to people without saying a word. Everything has been done in His Name and I have been very open about being a Christian. But I never preached at them.

Many people in our neighbourhood have come to me when in trouble and I have prayed for them. I have been called upon to exorcise homes and bless homes. I have given handkerchiefs prayed over  by the pastor and anointed with oil to people facing risky surgeries, who were afraid and needed a touch from the LORD.  I helped  sick neighbours and visited hospitals in a Ministry group at church. 

People just seemed to call on me when they needed a pastor and were unchurched and unsaved.  And some asked me about becoming a Christian. Not all became one, but that was their choice. Some were saved.

The reason I am telling you this is that we can't segregate ourselves from the world. We must work amongst the unsaved without pride or judgments. It is not helpful to insist on the unsaved acting as saved before you minister to them. God loved us when we were still sinners. Besides, we were just like them once: in need of a Saviour. We are saved by Grace!

I have found that people who are unsaved but who call on believers in time of trouble are already tender to the things of God. There's nothing attractive to non believers who are searching, like a self-righteous, proud, overly pious Christian who looks down on them. People know instinctively when someone is doing that.

This serving of people who as yet do not know the LORD should be done in a seemingly ordinary but loving way so that people see Jesus in you. That is the aim of all Christians who are trying to be Christ-like. To draw attention to Him, not them.

When or if questions are asked about our faith, it is important that we share the love of Christ and what He has done for us and will do for them, in a simple way. Give them hope. Give them a reason to accept Jesus as LORD. But remember to include them in the hope you have, and be gentle but sincere.

As servants of the Most High, remember our example: Jesus. Putting on humility and meekness becomes us and glorifies Him. 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

Serving God when the nest's empty

I have been a homemaker since I was 16 years old- 51 years in total. I love a clean house, and I plan and clean, but after the cleaning is over, my heart asks ‘now what?’  I don’t find that housework in itself brings me full satisfaction in my Christian life. It is my responsibility before God to run my household well and to look after my family, but what about after that’s done for the day? I mean, after 51 years, you do get housekeeping down to a fine art! Over the years I have found ways that I can work from my home and serve Christ and others.

Now I realise that there are many home-based businesses you can do, but I am specifically talking about ministry- acts of charity and kindness one can do from home. With small children at your feet, and dinners baking in ovens and simmering in crockpots. Laundry tumbling happily in the laundry room and no freedom to leave the home. And really there is no need. As keepers of the home, it is to our advantage to be at home-for then people will know where to find you. But therein lies the problem:; how do we satisfy that craving to serve Christ and others more fully whilst still being Keepers of the Home? How can we show charity and acts of kindness to others whilst at home?

There are many ways one can be charitable and kind to others without leaving home. Here are some of the things I have done with children around me, and now grandchildren.

* I have baked for the woman down the street who was on bed rest for a problematic pregnancy. And learnt to praise God that mine weren’t.

*I have designed and typed resumes for neighbours who didn’t have the ability or computer. Put to use my training as a data entry operator.

* Designed my own cards with a personal message for the sick and sent a child over

* I have minded a fractious baby for a friend who was a new mother and just needed some time-out! (Wishing I had had that myself in hindsight. Smile)

* Over a cup of tea, I would help a friend work out a budget as she wasn’t sure how to stretch the funds and her husband had handed the responsibility over to her (probably feeling overwhelmed) I have been there too- but because of that, I had become extremely good at frugality. For which I praise the LORD!

* As it became known that I could sew, it was not uncommon to have a hem of some school trousers or a friend’s dress to take up or even to be asked to finish knitting a baby jacket someone had started and was running out of time to finish.

* I would provide free after school care for my neighbour’s children if she had a dental or medical appointment that would prevent her from getting home earlier.

* I have sat at home packing endless pieces of jewellry or Christmas cards with a friend who was subsidising her disability pension with piece work and was behind.

* I have laundered clothes for a friend with a house full of sick children and so overwhelmed with that and laundry that I told her to bring a few loads to me.

* And ironed those clothes too- now that’s love! (Smile)

* My home has been like a crèche some days as the neighbour’s children played with mine because their Mother was morning-sick (I relate so well to that one!)

* And I have just sat at my kitchen table with a cup of tea and listened to some friend’s problems and offered advice if asked, but mostly listened. A problem shared is a problem halved! Never underestimate the gift of learning when to listen and when to keep silent. Many mistakes made and lessons learnt for me there!

* I have sewn countless little cotton shifts and pants for the orphanage our church sponsored in Madagascar. I never saw them wearing them, but I got letters!

* I have sat countless hours after my housework was done sewing sequins on big banners for the Worship Hall in our church. Thousands of sequins..thousands!

* And I have lost count of the number of women who have come with unfinished projects that we have worked on at my home. Sewing, knitting, crochet… And speaking of crochet and knitting…teaching a couple of friends crochet and knitting and how to read knitting patterns!

* Teaching my friend to touch type was another thing I did at home. That taught me a lot about patience, believe me!

* A young man who was my son’s friend couldn’t read and confided in me and he came and I taught him to read. He has a lot of confidence now! Praise God!

* I helped a friend with a disabled child do physical therapy at my home on the days when she was too exhausted to do it. I sure learnt a lot about a mother’s love!

* A rather humorous time was my neighbour who lived behind me asked me to show her how to peg her laundry out like I did- boy, I didn’t know she was looking!

* A young wife wasn’t sure how to use ammonia on her oven and asked me for a demo. I had the cleanest oven in town by the end of the day.

And then there were the fun times- I was showing the same woman how to bake a certain recipe, and it flopped! But the fellowship was sweet at least!  The LORD will give you wisdom to know who is needy and who is greedy or lazy! It is never good to be used up when there is no need of it. But I found the majority of people asked for help only when it was truly needed- but I feel I must caution you to be aware that some people can abuse your friendship if you don’t set boundaries and use wisdom.

Putting this all to paper makes me realise just how many things we can do from home to show charity and kindness to others. I am sure you can think of more. But it is these things that I believe make up that part of home keeping that are fulfilling for me. 

After my house is clean- then I can joyfully branch out into that part of life some call ‘ministry’, others call helping, or friendship or mentoring. Whatever it is called, it is possible to be kind and charitable from your home. Not only does it help your neighbour, but it helps you feel totally fulfilled in your calling as a wife and mother. 

What better way of serving Christ than to serve others in His Name? I give God the glory for bringing these people into my life, and for allowing me to pass on a little of what I have gleaned of life along the way. May the LORD richly bless you in your homes and bring opportunities for acts of charity and kindness to you.

Please note that this was over a period of years... my recollections over the most productive years of my life prior to becoming chronically ill...

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

Hunker down in cosy nests

So there are many changes to our lifestyle since the Corona Virus. They are extremely important if we are to stop its' spread. 

Currently we are in isolation with only essential services allowed to stay open. Even the doctors no longer want to see us unless it's of an urgent nature. 

Chris and I went to our doctor today for repeat prescriptions. He gave them to us and told us that last night the Australian government have implemented a Telemed system whereby you can ring the clinic and the doctor will fax your script to your chemist.

So now we are hunkering down, shopping online and worshiping online. Woolworths asked some details from us to prove we were either aged or disabled. They will only be doing online shops for us. Last week they emailed me to say I was approved. I am happy about that. 

For me, staying at home is not really a problem. I have plenty of opportunity to rest as my fibromyalgia flares, in fact I have been sleeping a good deal.

I have also been doing some decluttering and cooking soups for freezing. There are also some projects we are doing like finally putting pretty pictures up in the bedrooms and putting my electric blanket back on for the coming winter. 

I have been playing worship music and listening to the Psalms on You Tube. Last Sunday I took communion at home after a time of personal worship.  

It is important to remember that God is with us and is not surprised by this virus. If we do as we are told, and with His help, we will overcome.

Refuse to give way to fear- feel it, then bring it into the captivity of Christ. Fill yourself with songs of praise, pray and keep the faith. 

Keep your nest clean and comfortable and full of Spirit filled words and music. Make sure your pantry and fridge have sufficient food. Enjoy some peace from the rat race world. There is no better place than home to come apart from the world and let the pestilence dissipate.

So clean your nest, fill it with good things, keep cooking nice meals, and renew your marriage and family life and your faith as you hunker down in your cosy nest.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

No help for fibromyalgia sufferers here

I have to say that in general I haven't found any real help via my GP's or rheumatologists here in Australia regarding my fibromyalgia. I am on the disability pension because I can't concentrate enough to hold down a job (not mentioning pain because there are some days when it is manageable), but in general the doctors over here seem to think it's something one puts on to get out of work! (If they only knew how we want to be able to work- especially in our homes!)

There was however, one GP who wrote me out a referral to go to a pain management clinic. I haven't been because I do not want to mentally put myself in the chronic invalid basket. If I try not to focus too much on myself and the symptoms it seems to help me mentally at least So I am trying self-help. Which truly isn't very helpful!

I have seen a rheumatologist recently who openly admitted to me that rheumies are practically useless in helping with fibromyalgia. I nodded my head in agreement!

I have found more compassion for my heart problems than my fibromyalgia. I wonder if it is because that is something that they can see? Or is it just the Aussie "She'll be right Mate!" mentality of some over here? Whatever, I would dearly love people to understand that fibromyalgia is a medical problem every bit as painful as diseases that can be seen.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2

Stay safe. Stay vigilant. Stay home.

Yesterday I received a message which I couldn't share as it was an audio message. It resonated as true to me and is worth passing on. It was written by a nurse who is working with Corona Virus patients. 

She states that China has found out some more facts about the CV from autopsies and this is how it works. Once in your mouth, it hangs around for a few days before infecting your bronchial tubes and lungs. It forms very thick phlegm which impedes breathing.

Before it gets to that stage, if one starts to get a sore throat, she recommends immediately gargling with salt, lemon or vinegar in water. It doesn't do too well in heat, so she recommends drinking hot drinks: soups, tea, coffee and warm water. By doing this, initally the virus will be transferred to the stomach where the gastric juices will destroy the virus. Obviously, washing hands, refraining from smoking and social distancing will all help us avoid getting the virus in the first place.

These steps seem commonsense to me and certainly can't hurt to try.... Stay safe. Stay vigilant. Stay home.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

A true blessing

Ever since that wonderful day my love and I became as one,

I realised that our married life’s journey had only just begun.

I asked the Lord to show me how my joy could be complete,

And He brought to mind His Holy Word as I sat at His feet.

He told me that I would have to be willing to lay down my life

In showing the sacrificial loving that befits a godly wife.

He told me if I surrendered to His great marriage plan,

I would be forever blessed with a very happy man.

For I was born a woman who was called to be a wife,

A woman of great value and a pearl of great price.

I was called to be a helper to a man I call my own,

To lovingly care for him and make for us a home.

To always be thinking of him and how to please him best,

And to be a shoulder to lean on if he should need to rest.

I’d be someone he could talk to without fear of betrayal,

A listener and confidante not given to telling tales.

I decided I would seek the Lord daily and ask for His direction

In making me an instrument of His peace and affection.

A wife and treasure who would bless her man all her days,

In meeting all of his needs through learning of his ways.

So I will learn by prayerful watching and I will take every measure

To be a willing helper who brings her man much gain and pleasure

In putting him above all else except for our God in Heaven,

Showing him God’s marriage plan by being a true blessing.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks  

‘The heart of her husband safely trusts her: so he will have no lack of gain: she does him good and not evil all the days of her life’ Proverbs 31: 11-12 

Back to the simple life

By today’s worldly standards you are considered poor if:

1. The family only has one income

2. There is only one car per family

3. There is only one bathroom and toilet per house

4. Your house doesn’t have a bedroom per person

5. Your house doesn’t have garage space for each car

6. And woe, woe, woe, if you don’t even have a garage!

7. You don’t have a theatre room, rumpus room or den

You are considered deprived and underprivileged if:

1. You don’t have a TV in your room

2. You don’t have a computer

3. You don’t have Internet connection

4. You don’t have a DS or Wii

5. You don’t have your own room

6. You don’t have your own mobile or cell phone

7. You don’t have designer jeans and shoes

And I am sure you can think of other things to add to the list! But really for all this affluence, is the world any happier? I don’t think so!

What about bygone days? What made it better whilst seeming to be hard?

1. In bygone days the average family had one income and one car

2. Houses had one bathroom

3. Children played in the street

4. Boys wore trousers with patches at the knees

5. Money was in short supply and thrift was practiced

6. Creative homemakers used leftovers

7. Families sat together watching the one TV set in the home

Mother was always home and enjoyed looking after her family and homemaking was considered honourable. Home cooked meals (often with left-overs) were the norm and dining out and take away was for an occasion.

Father went to work and enjoyed coming home to a meal on the table and a read of the paper and wasn’t expected to help with the chores after a gruelling day in a factory or office for a meagre wage.

Children were fed and bathed and put to bed at a reasonable hour and Mother would sit and knit or practice some creative craft that today is slowly dying. They would sit and enjoy a companionable moment together before retiring around 10.

For all our advancements in choices of life styles and extra incomes and possessions, we aren’t any happier than then. For then families had time for each other and marriages were stronger and memories were fonder.

So how do we fix the problem? The answer is not hard at all: it’s time to go back to the simple life.

Author unknown

Blessings, Glenys

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content”. Philippians 4:11

Nothing to be ashamed of!

Fibromyalgia has made many changes in my life and one of them is my dislike of wearing clothes. The mere touch of fabric on my skin, or the tags on my clothing can send me into an itching frenzy.

Before I wear something new, I will cut off all the tags and if it has lace, particularly around the neckline, I will not buy it or I will cut the lace off.

Mohair drives me insane with itch and brings me up in a rash wherever it touches my skin. I won't buy it. If I have a woollen top on, I have to wear a blouse with a collar under it to stop the itching.

In dressing, I have to put layers on because fibromyalgia sufferers' thermostats are broken. They can't be adjusted or fixed. It is not uncommon to feel cold when everyone is hot and vice versa. Anyway, it is important to me that I can reduce or add on clothing as required.

Not that I really enjoy wearing clothes anymore. In fact, if I could be naked without offending, I would. Not that I do go publically naked of course. And I do dress modestly as it's important to our witness. Not to mention I don't want to be arrested! lol

I do go around the house naked in the summer. In case of visitors, I have my sundress in easy reach. It is never a problem to quickly slip it on if there is a knock at the door. Chris will always wait for me to get into our bedroom to change before he answers the door.

We are mindful of others at all times and keep our drapes closed when I walk around. Of course,  it's not when we have guests or when grandchildren stay. If we are expecting company then of course I get dressed. If we are on holiday or guests, I wear a loose nightdress at night and clothes in the day.

I know I am in good company with Winston Churchill often holding interviews whilst in the bathtub or naked, even in his office. I am not that brazen...

But I know I am not alone in hating wearing clothes in the World of Fibromyalgia. I do not doubt that many fibro sufferers will join me in saying that they sleep in the nude as well. 

Clothes can make one feel that they are strangling you in bed.  Sheets, no matter how soft, end up causing the most awful itches and feelings of heat that most fibromites sleep with one leg out and a fan on. Even in winter.

There are so many changes in one's life with fibromyalgia and some you won't hear about. Such as a hatred of wearing clothes.  We keep it secret, like it's something to be ashamed of. 

Trying to keep oneself from scratching until one bleeds is a reason for compassion. If I only walk naked around my own home, with only my husband seeing me, I am not flaunting myself and being immodest. 

Coping with illness is nothing to be ashamed of: it's all part of accepting it and moving on. I know my God would understand. I am not ashamed at all. 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. Isaiah 49:13

Memories of Mum's housekeeping

My mother was a good homemaker. Some of my earliest memories were of her hanging out washing on her long line held up by props.  She used to boil up the copper and honestly, she had the whitest washing ever.  She used Rinso to wash the clothes and Lux Flakes for delicates.

When I was really young, we didn't have hot water on tap, so Mum would boil up the kettle, fill the sink- a single sink- and she used a metal cage thing with slivers of Velvet soap in it to soap up the water. Steel wool was the go for saucepans and the plates were washed with a foam rubber sponge.

Whilst she was washing the dishes, she would have the kettle on again to rinse them. Then we children would dry them for her. We had metered gas by way of a machine with a coin slot in it in the laundry. When the gas got low, Mum would put sixpence or a shilling in it...

We all bathed daily and our hot water was heated by way of a chip heater over the bath. I can still remember fighting over who was the child who was to be seated under it. It was scary to a kid's mind. In fact, I sometimes still dream of it- making sure the water tap was on before lighting the pilot light.

Pride of place in our living room was the clothes horse aka clothes airer. Mum was very careful to air all our clothes and she spent quite a lot of time arranging clothes on it daily.

Mum had it tough too because we four children were bed wetters. She worked very hard to keep up with it all. 

With all her neighbours finishing their chores by 9am, poor Mum was still washing the sheets. In fact, when they called on her for a cuppa, she would be flustered because she was inundated with work.

Mondays Mum "did through".  She vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the bath and toilet and ironed. She also polished the linoleum in the kitchen with her Hoover polisher. It was quite a chore, with applying polish, buffing it with the machine then redoing it with the lambswool pads.  Her Monday routine was as regular as the sun coming up in the morning. 

Everyday, she would also make the beds, do her washing, think about what was for tea that night, clean her kitchen and sweep the carpets with a carpet sweeper. Routines were written in stone.

Mum didn't have a car, in fact Dad didn't even have one. She would catch the bus into town and shop for groceries which were delivered to our house. No plastic bags: the bags were brown paper...

I remembered how hard she worked the day I held her gnarled hand as she passed. She certainly loved her home and family... 

I am so glad that God honours the hardworking woman. In writing her eulogy, I included that well-known and loved verse from Proverbs 31 and when it was read, everyone of us nodded our heads in agreement and acknowledgement. She was blessed.

Memories of a well kept house we were never ashamed to call home will always be dear, along with the memories of a tired but diligent homemaker and her wonderful serving of our family, and then her  second husband's.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.  Proverbs 31:28

We must overcome illness

Sometimes it is easy to give into the depression that pain from chronic illness can bring. Especially when we have lost sleep or had an unrestful night. It is so easy to allow the pain that sometimes overwhelms us in the morning to colour our whole day. We must try to overcome that because if we don't, we will make matters worse.

It is true that our thinking patterns dictate how our day to day living is going to be. We can literally talk ourselves into having a worse day than what it is. How? you say... by not clinging to the LORD and taking all of our thoughts into the captivity of Christ. In order to stop the continual downward spiral of depression that pain brings, it is imperative that we try to redirect our thoughts and literally force our focus onto something other than our pain.

We should treat ourselves with the pain relief that our doctor has given us, take our other medications and do whatever else we can to relieve it. Then we must try to focus our attention onto what we can achieve that will lift us up. Because if we don't, we will talk ourselves into such a state that it will exacerbate the pain. Thoughts can and will do that- and serve up a great dish of depression that is hard to shake.

Now please don't throw tomatoes at me for being direct, because I suffer pain in movement and just in breathing every moment of every day. I speak to you on your level and with understanding. That is why I know the reality of pain and its effect on our life. I know that to live a reasonably personally satisfying life, we must overcome the pain by redirecting our focus!

When I am in so much pain that I cannot stand it, I listen to worship music, blog or write my feelings in poetry. Poetry can be a healing medium and a release. Another thing I avoid like the plague is forums for disabled or chronically ill people. Why? Because they force us to focus on others' pain.... this can be too much to bear when we have our own. Believe me, you can dwell too much on your disability and pain and weaken your enjoyment of life.

Enjoyment of life? what enjoyment is there in life? you ask. There is always something to enjoy in life, even in the worst of times. Vision, hearing, touch, love, dear ones, sunshine, birds singing, coffee brewing, soft sheets, warm showers, freshly fallen rain, restful sleep after pain. I am sure you could add to the list. If you don't shift your focus, you will definitely sink into the Pit of Despair. And you *don't* want to go there!

What I am saying is that those of us who suffer from unrelenting pain *have to* make a supreme effort to shift our focus onto something *greater* than the pain. Because pain will be our constant companion, we therefore have to *live* above the pain factor. Easier said than done, you say! Of course it is, but what alternative do we have?

We have to overcome the psychological effects of pain as much as we are able or else our life will be one of constant distress and frustration. Lift your thoughts to a higher place if you can, and lean on God. It will be hard to not make matters worse for ourselves by refusing to accept our illness, but we must be overcomers...

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

[When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psalm 27:8

Making memories

There's widespread flooding everywhere today.  One of the roads is impassable still. Fortunately, we are staying home today as we have guests coming this afternoon.

With all the thunder and weather changes, it is playing havoc with my fibromyalgia flare. I am in considerable pain today and I long for a nana nap already: it's only 1pm!

So far I have done a load of washing and am using the dryer. We have had breakfast. Xena has been fed. I will soon be making a ham and cheese toasted sandwich for our lunch. We will be having a big meal for tea tonight.

I am following Saturdays' List as I plan to go to church tomorrow. 

Still on my to do list is:

1. Lunch
2. Change over the washed clothes and put in dryer
3. Cook the defrosting chicken for our roast dinner

I am really looking forward to having my guests come, but I am forcing myself not to go back to bed.

The struggle is real. But I feel if I don't practice hospitality and have people come see us, that my life will be the poorer for it. 

So today, I am taking some paracetamol tablets with my toasted sandwich, and pretending I am having a good day. It's all part of making memories...

Domesticity is far away!

I have been pretty much bedridden this last week. For the first time I feel a little life in me so I am going to try to catch up on a bit of housework.I am really concerned about doing too much and burning out again, inducing another fibromyalgia flare. So I have to consider that as I plan my return to domesticity. I don't want another setback that puts me to bed again. It's all about spoons!

The journey back to domesticity is not without peril. There is a fine line between adequate expenditure of energy and exhaustion. Exhaustion can sneak up on you and bite you on the heel when you least expect it. Each day is a challenge as you will see in reading this post.... this is a typical day in the life of a chronically ill wife.

You can be managing quite nicely, up to your chin in folding clean clothes on your bed, when suddenly you wake with a start to find that you have fallen asleep and dribbled all over your husbands' underpants and shirts.Or you can plunge your hand into a sink of the cold and slimy water for soaking dishes left over from yesterdays' dinner that were supposed to be done as soon as you got your second wind after cooking last night. Only the second wind didn't come: not even a breeze!

Vacuuming can take forever as you find that the bag needs emptying and you can't find a new one and as you search, you smell a rancid odour from the washer, where you find yesterdays' wash finished and patiently waiting to be hung out. The washer is reset to rinse the smelly load but you forget to look for the vacuum bag as you fret about how many spoons it will cost to hang the clothes out.

Starting to feel anxious and overwhelmed, you decide to have a cup of tea. A donut in the pantry calls your name and as you open the microwave to heat it, you are surprised by your bowl of porridge left there at 6 am when you got your husband's breakfast. Pulling a tissue out of the box, you have a little cry into your cup of tea as you munch your donut. You are hungry because you didn't actually eat breakfast after all.

Sick at heart and already feeling tired, you decide to just chuck the clothes in the dryer, soak the dishes in fresh hot soapy water for washing later on in the afternoon and you have a nap... after all, a nana nap will help your brain fog clear and you can catch up then. But the afternoon brings it own set of woes as you wake feeling worse. 

You consult your menu list only to find that even though you intended to get the meat out to defrost this morning, you had suddenly felt compelled to double check that you had taken your meds and then you forgot about the meat. With your confidence rattled, you wash the pans that are needed for tonight's cooking and resolve for the hundredth time today to do better.

Eventually the day draws to a close with the evenings' dishes soaking in the sink ready for that elusive second wind. And as you feed the cat and take your evening meds, you wonder if tomorrow will be any better...Lying in bed and in a funk bordering on depression, you start to pray for strength for the morrow and a restful nights' sleep. Only no thoughts come to pray with sense and you are swept into a fitful sleep on a long sighhhhh. 

So ends another day and domesticity is still far far away.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. " Isaiah 41:13