30/04/2016 – A week has drifted by

A week has drifted by

Hi to you all, having been ill (nothing serious), recently my blog has suffered, so I will try and give my thought so on subjects that have stuck with me over the last week or so.

Since the turn of the year more than 50 “Celebrities” have passed way, we are surprised? Why? Some have been relatively young and some have been not so young. Some would argue that somone of younger years should never be taken away from their family, children, husbands, wives, partners, mothers and fathers. Why do we talk about the famous and those with celebrity status? Well there are many people who pass away for lots of reasons, but of course we don’t hear about them unless, we knew them, or it is reported locally. Mrs Jones from the end of the road, or Timmy who had an illness. It is the press and media that tell us about the Nationally and Internationally “famous” people who pass away.

It is interesting looking at Social Media that news of a death can circumnavigate the entire globe in minutes. Everyone Likes, Comments ot Shares the news, it is retweeted, by “famous” people who may be able to tweet/retweet to millions of their own followers. It is staggering that a hundred years, or so,  ago we had letters and newspapers  and ships to take us far and wide. A celebrity goes out to a restaurant in Sydney and we in the UK know before she or he has ordered their first course. A celebrity takes a tumble skiing and we know about it before they are off the mountain, and with the advancement in mobile phones, most of this “news” is transmitted in video format.

So?  We make the statement all the time, “Oh how sad” or “What a shame” and yes it is, but I have been a long time believer that we go “When it is time” that is not to say we know why. It has not always been my belief that there has always been something more than “death is final” Over the years I have not really given it much thought, I think when you are younger, for some of us, death is about the last thing that we would think about, but it is interesting that the older you get, 2 distinct things happen, your friends start dying and subsequently it does start being in your mind. Not in a morbid way, but more in a questionable way, “Is that it” If so, “what was the point” is it purely mankind surviving only to keep the human race going? There is no doubt that over thousands of years we have managed to prolong the life expectancy, indeed in some places on this current modern world there are still places where the life expectancy is less than 50 years!! When I was 6 or 7 years old my grandmother in her late 50’s early 60’s was indeed a very “Old” Lady, who could not walk without assistance and was not at all fit and healthy, bless her r.i.p.

I am now 61 and fitter than I have been in my entire life, Walking, Climbing, Running, Cycling, doing extreme sports, ran Marathons in my late 50’s and cycled over 100 miles in a day. I can travel “Long Haul” and still work hard every day. So it is clear that our lives change and evolve with the passing generations and we are living healthier and longer than ever.

But what about that question…… Why?

Personally my interpretation of that question became clear only in the last year. I had been asking that question for over 38 years. My son Gavin died aged just 10 weeks. The cause? “Cot Death” A term in those days, given to unexpected infant death. That seems ok you may think, but, what it really means/meant was that nobody knew why your child had died, it was and still is a phenomenon that has absolutely no explanation. Cancer, Tumours, Heart Attack, Stroke, Pneumonia, and a host of other “causes” of death, tangible reasons, and explanations as to why the body finally gives up the fight.

How does a magician do his trick, an illusionist his illusion, we think we know because we can see a slight of hand, or a wire support. But for Cot Death there is no reason, no evidence, no material, no illness …………….

NO explanation…………………..

Why?

I asked various and many people over the years and without exception there was never even an attempt at trying an explanation. Until about 9 months ago when a very dear friend, a practicing Christian said to me when I asked that question, (which always bought tears to my eyes)…..Why

“You know Gavin was a very special boy and after just 10 weeks God knew just how special he was, and that he had to have Gavin to look after all the children in his Kingdom………..Heaven”

That one statement from an incredible very caring person, who genuinely believed what she was telling me was true, had the most incredible impact on me. All of a sudden I too knew she was right, God indeed had taken Gavin all those years ago. My best friend had told me a year previously that perhaps I didnt need to make the twice yearly pilgrimage to Bath to go and spend the day where his ashes were scattered (only Eira could have said that to me, no one else)  and this year for the first time I didn’t visit in February. There was no need, I knew where he was, and he knew where I was.

I was a Christian, Baptised as a child and was confirmed when I was 13, but disappeared from God when Gavin died. In the last 9 months I have embraced God and have been to the other side of the world to do some missionary work. I now get great joy from reading and learning. It has changed my life for ever, and I look forward to many many years living a good life and being grateful for the time I spend on earth, but know that when my time comes I will not be afraid. I am going to meet some amazing people when I go, and wait for some people to follow me.

This has sort of bought me back to where I started this blog “Celebrities” dying, I believe it was their time, some old, some young, some not old or young, but it was their time. God needed them, God’s will is happening…………………. all the time. I have taken my life to him and I am not looking back.

My blog today is not about trying to preach God to you all, but merely me sharing with you all the experiences that I have daily, weekly, monthly, new and old. I hope you will keep reading my blog and if I have given you anything thought provoking than I am happy. If I haven’t I am still happy. Happy that you take the time to read from someone who isn’t a writer, but someone who has recently decided to share.

Its interesting that we make choices every day throughout our lives, be it big or small, good or bad. God gives us this wonderful gift to make choices, to have the freedom to choose. But it is for life and death we don’t get to choose……………………………..

I believe there is no such thing as a coincidence, everything that happens happens in the order it happens…….. for a reason.