Skip to main content

Defence

What comes to mind when you think about defence?
I was in my car today, listening to various songs but one song in particular captured my thoughts for a while, its a song that's lyrics go "Hallelujah, You have saved me, so much better your way". I thought I would just capture some thoughts about Defence, what it means in literal terms and my experiences and hopes for anyone reading this.

Defence means "the action of defending from or resisting attack" and that is something I hope anyone reading this is able to do if they are ever in a dangerous or toxic situation. When I think of defence, I find it easier to always go back to when I learnt about 'Sea Defences' in Geography at school. Sea Defences are often walls built up in low-level coast land, like my hometown and neighbouring beach spots in Sussex their job is to stop the sea water from spilling over onto houses etc. 

Image result for st bedes school flood "2000"
St Bedes C of E, Winchester

I remember when I was around 6 or 7 years old, I experienced a small flood in my primary school around the year of 2000 and remember the river banks were too low around the school and on one rainy day, water came flooding into the school hall until it was knee level (back then I obviously wasn't so tall, so it wasn't too high) but it sure was scary for a 6 year old to deal with. This memory fills me with hope that one day, God's love will flow like an overflowing river or breakthrough a sea defence and reach the entirety of towns and cities around me. 

This particular song that sparked this thought is a "Christian Praise & Worship" song and the meaning of this particular line is that when we follow God, he will protect us from the darkness and living with God by our side and letting him take the steering wheel of life will often work out best for us rather than taking the typical short cut when we take control over the situations in front of us. 

To say that I am happy and everything for me is hunky-dorey would be a big fat lie right now. I'm feeling a little under the weather and lower in mood than usual, I am becoming de-motivated in my studies and am forgetting the most amazing defence that I have in my life, which is my faith in Jesus and Christianity. 

I was trying to think of all of the defences that my friends and family might have, that might be there go-to safety nets when trouble comes there way, but couldn't think of more than three. I wondered, what, or who, am I relying on to save me when s*it hits the fan.. before I go to God, because right now I need some defence and I feel out of the loop. 

Image may contain: outdoor
Littlehampton Beach, photo by Me
I know for me, there are many defences in my life in the form of people; I have a beautiful wife that is there for me, I have an amazing circle of friends that I can confide in and I belong to a loving family, which is my local church. 
But, why am I not going to them right now? I don't know. I have shared my struggles, I have asked for prayer, but when I spend time with people I outwardly present as "just fine" but inside I'm feeling down, I don't want to bore people with my problems, they are minor in the big picture of life and short-term, I just wish I would learn to lean on them right now, like I lean on my gym routine, which mostly sorts me out and gathers any thoughts, organises worry and refuses to retain any crap/waste so that I am ready for a productive day with a clear mind.

I never signed up to having an easy life as a Christian, hard times come, good times too, but I was never fooled into believing there were more positives than negatives, its just that we need to be thankful for the good things and God will protect us in the bad times, I know he will restore me to my usual self soon, but it takes time.

BIG LOVE

Matt =]
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Let me know your thoughts below!

Popular posts from this blog

Featured Post: Bag of S**t

Over the last few weeks I have been inspired to use this activity in work I do with young people and it has really hit me how powerful it can be, I wanted to make a short post to share how I had gone along with the activity and how young people responded but thought it was best to share the blog post that inspired me from my best friends blog  ‘Diaries of a Black Dog’ you can read below. Bag of S**T “I had a counselling appointment today at 12:30pm, got to 12pm and that’s when the nerves really start kicking in, I have nothing to talk about, it’s going to be awkward, I’m not in the mood to talk, I CAN’T do it… Anyway I went and we ended up sitting on the floor writing on stones…sounds weird I know but believe me it was POWERFUL. So basically the idea was for me write all the negative thoughts and negative things I think are attached to me on stones and put them in a little bag (we named the bag of shit) and then carry that bag around with me. When someone puts me on the spot...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pressure

As some of you are already aware, I’m in my final year of my BA (Hons) Youth Work degree which I’ve been completing with the Open University. Due to finish on June 12th after a 3hr final exam (which I’m already anxious for). Over the last five years of studying, lots has changed and I’ve studied through lots of different climates and seasons of my life. I’ve put myself under lots of pressure to complete assignments as well as times of taking off the pressure and being a bit slack in my studies. I have to admit though, that over last few months, I have tried to take the pressure off for the long-term but turn it up maybe a week or so before the deadline, since doing this my assignment marks have improved. It’s certainly not healthy to not put any pressure on myself to complete my assignments, especially when it’s a self-motivated degree, which I need to be so self-disciplined in. I just wanted to write a little note to remind myself and inspire others to just turn down t...
1 comment
Read more

Perspective

"Sometimes a change of Perspective is all it takes to see the light." - Dan Brown It's so true that we all see things differently to one another, yet it can be really hard sometimes to believe that someone is seeing something from a different perspective to you. It can cause conflict and can damage relationships if left un-dealt with.  Working with young people has taught me so much about myself and also given me tools to support friends and family sometimes facing difficulty in agreeing or in understanding what is happening for the other person.  A worker last week told me this useful exercise to explain perspective to young people, put a box out in front of them and ask them to draw what they can see, from where they are sat.  (The box might have numbers/drawings or words on, it doesn't really matter). You, the worker (or second person taking part) then draw the box as you see it from a different angle of course. The two dra...
Post a Comment
Read more