SCRIP-BITS

Psalm 6:6.    I am weary with my groaning; all the (every) night make I my bed to swim; I water (drench) my couch with my tears.
 
Oh Friends, is Friday! The weekend is upon us! And up the road, down the road, round the corner, all ah hearing is a sweet, scintillating riddim of iron and bottle and spoon ringing out, backing strong voices chanting: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ And yuh know what people, though my body and lungs don’t have the physical capacity to match them, I can truly tell you that nobody’s heart is singing louder, or more powerfully than mine, because it’s Friday June 3, the day when my catheter comes out. Oh praise the Lord mih people! Now I wasn’t really planning to say anything about this, but after the way things turned out… Hn! I just knew, or rather sensed, that the Lord was looking for some testimony. (smile) So here goes. Strangely enough, at the start of all the cancer proceedings, the catheter business was my only real concern, because you can’t put a small rubber tube up your private parts and not have it cause any problems. But also, strangely enough, once I got over the inconvenience, it was the least of my problems. But over the last two days it’s been a nightmare. I guess after the constipation and wound problems were over, that was the last source of discomfort available. And believe me Friends, if you’ve never had it done, pray that you don’t ever. And it’s not even so much the intensity of the pain, but its nagging, stubborn persistence. You can’t even move to find a more comfortable position, because every move builds up the intensity. What’s more, the painkillers would work for a while, then they too would seem insufficient. Writing yesterday’s Bit was a real pain in the privates! (smile) One time I had to get up and get a pain pill, then get up a couple more times just to try and ease the pressure. After that, I managed to struggle through some breakfast, then hit the bed again. I eventually fell asleep, but woke up about an hour later, reeling from the insistent pain in my private member. Oh Friends, by then I was so exhausted that I cried out to heaven: ‘A bligh Lord! Please give me a bligh here! I can’t handle it no more!’ And while the tears and sobs racked my body, another thought suddenly struck me, that led to my further crying out to the Lord, reminding Him that if He was trying to humble me, to bring me to my knees, that I was already humbled and on my knees. That must have brought a small chuckle to His spirit. Then, when the sobbing wouldn’t stop, I eventually called the duchess upstairs to comfort me. That was surely a first. (smile) But the long and short of the story Friends, is that soon thereafter the agonizing pain subsided, diminished to a point that I could handle it. I don’t know if it was pure divine help, or simply an antibiotic I needed to take before the removal procedure, just meeting up then with the painkillers and easing the pressure. And believe me, right then I didn’t care what had caused the diminished pain, I was just thankful that I got the bligh I pleaded for. Sometimes it doesn’t really matter how our wish is granted nuh, just that it’s granted. Now mih people, let’s ramp up that iron and bottle and spoon riddim, and chant we Friday Chant like we really mean it, for our God is good, still in control and waiting to hear from us. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having chanted that with all the power and emotion we could muster, let’s go out now and win some souls for Jesus! Oh, by the way, if around two o’clock this afternoon, yuh see, or hear about an older man with a face of speckled hair, jumping and prancing down University Ave, doh be surprised eh, cause that might just be me, celebrating my freedom from the restrictive, painful catheter. Hn, hn, hn! Surely hope I don’t have any more moaning and groaning and drenching my bed with tears after they remove this thing yes. (smile) Till tomorrow then mih people, God willing. In the meantime, please walk and talk with Him and He’ll do amazing things in your everyday lives.  Much LOVE!…if we go sincerely with God…things won’t always be easy…but they sure will turn out right eventually…