Chapter 11: Weigh-in #7. Full Circle.

Winter is here! Christmas lights, shops in full Christmas-bloom trying to outshine each other, and it won’t be long before some Croxley-residents will be in a show-down to see whose house is the brightest, most decorative and most demanding on the power grid. Days are grey, cold and wet but there is the odd sunny morning where glittering ice crystals makes it all worthwhile. The last of the autumn leaves frozen on the ground. I love Christmas here in the UK, the cold crisp air, the smell of fireplaces, mulled wine spices in the air, baking ginger biscuits and then there is the Christmas tree expedition. Next Saturday will be the Wucherpfennig’s annual trip to our local Christmas tree farm in search of the ‘perfect’ tree. It can take some time because it has to be the perfect one – and team J (Jacques, Jamie and I) don’t always agree on ‘THE ONE’.

This week Thanksgiving was celebrated in different parts of the world and I spent time thinking about what I am thankful for. I can get caught up in life so often that I forget to pause and enjoy life - we all need to take stock every now and then. I received letters from our sponsor-children, Florence and Kato in Uganda, and it is so beautiful to read how thankful they are for the little things in life, fresh running water, new footballs, their teachers, even the upcoming exams.

While I lay in yet another MRI this past week, I reflected on the past year and how it all came full circle. Exactly one year ago I was laying in the same MRI having a heart to heart chat with God. I had one MRI after another to find out what caused the pain in my joints. This particular MRI I refer to was 2 hours long, and I had all the time in the world to think – maybe too much. I didn’t want to be there - I wanted to be home with my family, eating the ginger biscuits I baked the day before, listening to The Bublé’s Christmas music. I remember the tears rolled down my cheeks as I laid there like a statue, not allowed to move. I remember talking to God in the MRI that day. I was angry and upset with my current health situation. I wanted all of this to be sorted and I wanted answers, but the tests kept coming back inconclusive. I felt like an 80-year-old just days before my 40th. I have learned that when I talk to God I can be angry, upset, honest, sad, happy, anxious, disappoint, and in all of it, His love for me never changes. It is unconditional. If I focus too much on ‘why’, it will consumes my life. I know in all of this, I am not alone. Jesus holds my hand through it all. He is not moving my mountain out of the way, He strengthens and equips me to climb this mountain with Him holding my hand and not letting go. Don’t get me wrong, more often than not I wish for things to be fixed instantly, but my mountain is ahead of me and I know God is not letting go!!

I realised how one year changed my perspective and how quickly change can happen. I hate change with a passion, but after a year of changes and unexpected twists and turns, there is so much to be grateful for. I’m thankful for some answers. I challenge all of you to join me this week in finding 3 things a day that you are thankful for. Focus on those 3 things daily and if you can, where you can, pay it forward. There is so much need around us. Pay for someone’s groceries at the checkout, buy someone a coffee or flowers, find an excuse to be generous.

Starting weight: 67.4kg

Today's weight: 61.2 (last week 61.8) – I lost 0.6kg

Total weight-loss 6.2kg (in 7weeks)

BMI: 23.0

(last week 23.2)

Body Fat (kg): 19.5kg

(last week 19.5kg)

Centimetres lost: -2.9cm

Goal: 60kg

315 days till bucketlist challenge - watch this space...