Thursday, December 12, 2013

XMas Greetings 2013



Greetings everyone! How has 2013 been treating you? Hopefully, you’ve settled into the new decade well and truly by now – because suddenly, we’re like one-third of the way through it already!
Gosh, time flies when you’re having fun, and well, have I certainly tried my best to have fun this year!
Fun for me started all the way back at the end of January, when my parents and I went down on a road trip for a short holiday to Sydney and back! The last time we tried such a thing, I was only a squirt – five years old – and my dad laughingly asked me, “Em, do you remember? That morning, I actually CARRIED you to the car because you were so small and sleepy!’ Laughing back, I had replied, “Well, dad, you know what? Twenty years later, I think I am a bit too big and fat for you to carry to the car, but how about you just hold my hand and we walk to the car together?”
  That road trip and family was especially memorable for me – and this was one of the highlights of my year – because I rode a CAMEL! Yup, after lunch, mother and I were walking back to the car after a loo break, when I noticed some tents pitched along the sand. “Wonder what they’re for?” I asked mother, who replied, “There are some park benches here; how about you sit down and I’ll take a look for you?’ she came back and exclaimed, “They’re offering camel rides!” Obviously, I was immediately hooked. “Ooh, I wanna ride a camel! Please please please can I??’ Mother went back down to the camel people and explained that I wanted to try riding a camel but that I was disabled; would it be okay if she sat behind me on the same camel and held me safe? She’d pay for two people, of course. The lady said sure and so mother brought me down. You can imagine my mother’s terror when the owner guy wandered past, saw me and remarked, “Oh, she’ll be right on her own camel. I’ll just put her on one of the smaller ones.” Poor mother was stuck: she’d already offered to pay the fare for two people and obviously couldn’t chicken out! From memory (probably incorrect XD) she SHRIEKED when the camel rose from it’s kneeling position onto all four legs! XD
So life continued along the year. One night, when I was at Garden City Shopping Centre for the late night shopping with a carer/life coach/support worker/whatever they’re called now XD some random handed me a pamphlet. Taking a quick browse, I noticed it offered a free Christian concert plus invites to free healing services, plus a very short personal testimony. I asked the guy, “if I go to this, will I get healed? Because I didn’t need this stupid wheelchair until I got sick. The guy just responded, “Sure, come along if you want to get healed.” Excited, I took the pamphlet back to mother and asked her please to take me one night, and you can imagine my distress when she refused to take me! “It’s just a sham,” she said. How did she know that?! I mean, if she had taken me but nothing had happened, I could’ve at least have said, “Oh well, I tried. Guess the cruel and unfaithful god just isn’t interested in healing me” but because she refused, thanks to her, for the rest of my LIFE, every single fricking day, I will be left asking myself, “Could I have lived a full and meaningful life, a healed life, a normal life, where I contributed to society??” ><
  But it’s better to end with a positive note, so let me share with you the story of how I met my favourite author, Raymond E. Feist! My Logan City librarian told me about the event, and after numerous phone calls with me wheedling away, “Please, I really wanna meet this guy; he’s been my favourite author ever since I was like in my teens!’ I finally got to meet him, get his autograph and take a photo together!
  One of my church fellowship sisters asked me towards the end of the year, “Em, do you still ever pray to God?’ to which I replied, “no, because I know He doesn’t even bother to listen.” She suggested, “You really should try talking to Him,’ but I was like, “Why would i? I’m so mad with him for just destroying my life and abandoning me like He has!’ but she responded, “And he’s big enough to take that. You can tell him how mad you are with him. Just talk to him.” So, on her advice, I’ve been trying to talk to God lately, telling him how much I hate him, how much I loathe Him, how much I DESPISE him for totally destroying my life without telling me what I’d done/not done that was so sinful that was reason enough for Him to destroy my life like He has.  Unsurprisingly, I’ve had no response, but that’s okay, I hadn’t expected one in the first place. You know, if you don’t set any expectations, you can’t be disappointed! XD Everyday, though, I just remember the quote “You can break my body and bend my mind, but my soul is not for you to possess. That’s what I now tell God everyday: yes, He can break my body (I’m physically disabled beyond word ><) and yes, He can bend my mind (which He’s also done; my parents constantly jeer at me how I don’t think properly anymore ><) but my SOUL is NOT FOR HIM to possess!!
  Sorry, I’ve waffled on about my year for quite long enough, haven’t I? Apologies! ^^”
Please let me just take this time to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous new year! May whatever adventures you are currently undertaking continue to go well for you, and best of luck with whatever new endeavours you try out in the year ahead!
Me, my life is still constantly doing physio (read: I have no life ><) but Christmas is approaching and I will finally get a short holiday soon, Yay, I can’t wait!
Hopefully we can continue to remain in touch for the year to come! Thankfully, having Facebook and e-mail makes life a lot easier. XD
Looking forward to catching up with you in the year ahead to come!
Cheers,
Em. ^^

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