Time

Time is a funny concept. Everything work on time. Sometimes it flies other times it seems to stop.

We have now been here at the hospital for four weeks, and in some sense it seems like time has gone really quickly, but at the same time the days can be draging alongand you wish it would go faster.
So, what do I want to say with this...I don't know it is just an interesting observation.

I guess that when we go through the rotines of our normal daily life, we don't think too much about it. It's up in the morning, get everyone ready for whatever they need to do, go to work, be stressed because there is not enough time, come home, have dinner and waste time in front of the TV. The funny thing is that being here you quickly get into a similar rotine. Get up have breakfast, go up to Hannah, sit around waitng for the doctor to come and update on the day's planned events, sometimes it may be spiced up with a visit from x-ray, ultrasound or eco scanner, go and have lunch, have a short rest or play with Joshua, take Joshua to see Hannah, sit around or entertain Joshua on the Ipad, have dinner, put Joshua to bed, go up and see Hannah again and go to bed.

The other side is the waiting for Hannah to recover...Giving birth (half a day), the operation (half a day), getting off the CPR (one day), getting rid of the swelling to close her chest (small steps for two weeks), getting off the dialysis (one week), getting stable foodwise ( ?????), getting rid of drains (?????), getting of the ventilator (?????), all things which takes times.

I think the thing that suprises me is how easy it has been to adapt, but also how quickly I forget to spend time with God, in reading, in prayer, in behaivour. I guess I come back to the question from my philosophical post "what difference does it make being a Christian?"

A thought which has come to me through the last weeks is what James brings out in his letter chapter 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
If our lives don't show any difference to the life other people live, is our faith dead? Has my faith died?
I mean, I've been on mission trips to Russia and Rominia, I've been to Bible school in Australia, I've lead bible studies through many of the books of the Bible, people are moved when I prepare a talk based on the Scripture, as a Christian I've done all the right things, but does my life show it?
I'm not talking about the faith which gives salvation. I'm talking about the faith that makes a difference. The faith which shows everyone else that trusting in God is not just a personal choice to help some people through the hard times.

What is it that characterise faith, what deeds should we expect to see in a Christian?

I've been ready a book by Kelly Minter called "The fitting room - Putting on the character of Christ", she base her book on Colossians 3:12-17
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

What I liked about the book is that it clearly states that the only way that we can achieve the above is when we see ourselves in the light of who we are in Christ, which is a fallen sinner, doomed for eternity, but made right in Christ. Only when we see oursevles as chosen, holy and beloved in Christ, can we begin to show compassion, kindness, humility, meekness (gentleness) and patience.

Secondly how can we show compassion, kindness, etc. if we can't forgive. Forgiviness, is the ultimate sign of Christ's work towards us and will be the ultimate sign in our lives that Christ makes a difference. Coming to think about this is probably the real difference between being a Christian and not...the ability to forgive others when we've been hurt, the ability not to blame others when things go wrong, not to blame God when your baby is hurting and all you really want to do is to give up hope. This must be the real difference....

Think I got a bit carried away there. Anyway, things are going forward with Hannah one step at a time. We are greatfll for all your prayers and thoughts.