And there I was, thinking that I had “survived” the pandemic relatively unscathed… well, not so fast Bridget…
Even after a good and trusted friend had a Word from our Lord for me, aided by a dream that explained a whole composition of reasons “why” I was feeling an unexplained lack of ‘joy de vivre’… and even after mulching over a revelatory book, Resilient, there was obviously a deeper revelation I needed, to be set free of this lament.
Our family, if we are all at home on a Friday evening, have enjoyed a traditional meal of grilled, or barbequed (weather permitting) chicken wings! Louise has enthusiastically taken over the kitchen and produces these flavourful little delights that always bring about pre-dinner salivation!
Two Friday evenings ago, however, I was tucking into my first wing, separating the crispy part from the more fleshier part. After chomping through that, I sank my teeth into the more meatier part, and, to my horror, what I thought was chicken flesh, turned out to be pure gristle, and in my mouth’s confusion, I swallowed, and, (no surprise here), my throat constricted, and the whole muscle lodged in my half-open throat, completely stopping my air flow and inciting a notable panic!
I sprang to my feet, puce faced, and instantly, Mark and Louise leapt to my aid. Chaos ensued. I was getting NO air. Not even a wheeze! Mark rushed at me initiating the ‘Heimlich Maneuver” (Wish that word was “Remover?!) But to NO avail! I was, I was convinced, dying! It was quite terrifying! Mark, never good when I suffer any injury (it’s love, and he’d be fine with all of you!), was quite beside himself… Louise was slapping me on the back between her hefty lunges at my upper torso, and Coco was barking up a frenzy, thinking we were being burgled by ghosts! Frantic chaos! The stuff of nightmares! I was by this time, fully persuaded that the evil one had me by my throat with certain death the outcome! Oh death, where is your sting? In my THROAT!!!
I couldn’t reach this imposter because my fingers are just not shaped like pliers, and I was starting to get dizzy…. Then suddenly, (I heard them praying loudly), it slipped down. Just slipped down!
Sigh…. “Not your time, Bridget!” I was told by a friend…. All I know, is that I will drink consommé on Friday evenings as I observe my family ripping into Chicken wings, sans one ounce of jealousy!
Here’s the GOOD news…. After a couple of days, I started recognizing a renewed passion for life… a renewed passion for the Lord… a revived passion for the future!
Was it anything to do with the choking? Could it be, that in the natural, I experienced the ‘blockage’ that was an underlying malady deep in my soul? Was it possible that my darling Lord had allowed that experience to show me, introduce me, to the prospect of a “breaking open” after the scourge of post-pandemic soul weariness?
Quite simply, not trying to super-spiritualize all this, I am fully persuaded that whatever blockage in my soul may have been there, Jesus knew, and sovereignly removed it!
I feel “back to better”… can’t find the exact words actually… best just to share with you… that I feel “back to better”!!!
Jesus… thank You for Your intervention, for setting me free of whatever it was… for this next season of life in abundance… Your divine promise!
Originally posted on 12/08/2022 here: https://bridget777.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/the-blockage/