Alone again naturally

Since being “confined to barracks”, there’s been a concern that I’ll be home alone for many hours each day. This is true – Anne and Tom have both left for work by 7.30am and Tom doesn’t get back until around 4.30pm and Anne any time between 5pm and 6pm. The concern has been about my safety and also to ensure that I won’t get bored.

These are very valid reasons. But the thing is I don’t mind being on my own. Admittedly I’m a people person and like to meet people. But I equally like having time by myself. Ministry has provided the perfect balance between being with people and being on my own.

Now though most days I have a visitor or two each day. I’m not complaining. Far from it. I appreciate people coming to see me. It’s just that I am starting to miss my times of solitude. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will just have to block out days when I can have time to myself.

However, what to do on those days devoid of visitors? When I was in hospital and looking forward to being home, I had grand plans for what I would do with the space I’d been given through illness. I even gave Anne a list of books to take from my study shelves. Books I’ve been meaning to read for a while and hadn’t got around to. So far, those books have remained untouched.

And when I’m not in the mood for reading then there is plenty on Netflix to catch up with. (Funny, I seem to have found time for Netflix but not for the reading.)

We went to church at St Pauls Chippenham last Sunday. The congregation there is being encouraged to follow a Bible study scheme the aim of which is to “Go deeper with God”. The preacher spoke of the importance of us slowing down and making God space. This really struck a chord with me (though I must confess to having nodded off during the sermon – more to do with me than the preacher.) The God space was what I was longing for in hospital.

I know only too well that I can easily find things to fill the God space. Whether visitors or Netflix. I know only too well how I end up Doing rather than Being. But to be an effective Doer we need to be an effective Be-er too. We need that God space. That time to be with God.

The preacher on Sunday concluded his sermon by reading the following poem:

Prayer Stool

I leave aside my shoes, my ambitions;
undo my watch, my timetable;
take off my glasses, my views;
unclip my pen, my work;
put down my keys, my security;
to be alone with you, the only true God.
After being with you,
I take up my shoes to walk in your ways;
strap on my watch to live in your time;
put on my glasses to look at your world;
clip on my pen to write up your thoughts;
pick up my keys to open your doors.

Graham Kings (1986 Kenya)

https://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/articles/prayer-stool/

Seeing things from a wheelchair

In order to develop empathy with another person it is often said that “Before you criticise a man you have to walk a mile in his shoes”. As someone who is currently having to use a wheelchair I’m beginning to understand what it is like for disabled people in this country. I’m beginning to see things very differently.

Let me share some of my experiences so far:

When I was still in hospital in Bristol, one of my outings from the ward was to visit the Costa coffee shop in the hospital atrium. At that stage I needed to be pushed in my chair. On a couple of occasions (though not always) one of the people serving ignored me and spoke to my wife. The chair made me invisible.

Using a disabled toilet in Sainsbury’s supermarket in Chippenham, I found the door (that opened out) was heavy and quite hard to cope with. Inside the lock was an ordinary “Vacant / Engaged” lock. I was able operate this easily but would someone with a problem with their hands?

At a council owned car park in Corsham there were plenty of disabled spaces. But they weren’t much wider than ordinary spaces and there was no space at the side. This contrasted with Parent and Child spaces which appeared wider and had the space at the side.

Although there are dropped kerbs we find that the wheelchair catches on the road surface.

We’ve already worked out that several pubs we enjoy visiting for a meal will be no go areas for a variety of reasons. But we recently visited The White Hart at Ford (just outside Chippenham.) There was level access and all seemed fine until I needed the toilet. There was no disabled access toilet. To have gone to the Gents (even if I could have got in) I would have needed to negotiate a step down into the bar area. What was frustrating was that there was a baby changing room and the restaurant area of the pub (admittedly an old building) was fairly new. Why wasn’t a disabled toilet put in then?

Some people or organisations like employers, shops, local authorities and schools must take positive steps to remove the barriers you face because of your disability. This is to ensure you receive the same services, as far as this is possible, as someone who's not disabled. The Equality Act 2010 calls this the duty to make reasonable adjustments.
Clearly this legislation isn’t being enforced or is being ignored.

I find it heartening that many churches (and I am thinking mainly of Methodist ones) have tried to comply with the legislation. Why don't commercial organisations feel the same?