Monday, November 15, 2004

YMCA & YMCA
INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF PRAYER

14th – 20th Nov 2004
A Week of Prayer item prepared by Pip Wilson formerly of Romford YMCA and currently supporting Kingston and Wimbledon YMCA and Welwyn YMCA amongst others.


"do something everyday that scares you"
my favourite fridge magnet
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"I slashed my arm to the bone"
A statement to me from a young man who I had 'known' for six months - but these were the first ever words spoken to me.
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"I am a spiritual person"
I am an alcoholic"
Two separate statements from a young man which were separated, proceeded, followed by nasal noises, grunts and unheard stutterings of a drunken soul.
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I cannot survive my work without reflecting.
Four books have come out of this.
I need to do it - even if nobody clicks those keys to read my reflections.
I need to put my soul through the shredder daily - and then put it back together in a new way to be able to move the next fat leg, the next step along 'the Road less Travelled'.
As I do this bit of reflecting - I will insert a few links below so, if you wish and have time, you yourself can go deeper ..........

I do my reflective practice on a weblog now http://pipwilsonbhp.blogspot.com/ sometimes called a "blog".
After years of paper trailing my reflections I want to say 'how it is' in public. Also I want to do something practical which comes from my favourite book ever:- 'Why am I afraid to tell you who I am'
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0883473232/104-1434854-8311935?v=glance
I want to tell anyone who wants to read 'who I am' and in that journey of discovery - how it is working out.
The truth is - I don't know who I am unless I take the mask off and examine the human behind the behaviour - I need to take my clothes off my soul.

Someone asked me recently - where do I get my wisdom.
Don't laugh!
My first thought was - get lost - you are asking the wrong person. Then I thought differently. I went deeper - I tried the 'eyes wide open' trick.
We all have wisdom - all have had unique lives AND still having ......
So I answered the question. http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/insight/page.php?id=260
In short - I said - I get what I yearn for by working - being - and becoming by feeling those who are fragile, hurting, damaged, homeless ............. because in that environment I myself discover who I am.
That is my take on 'wisdom'.

This 'week-of-prayer theme is about "Leading Change' and I love the title. Believing that we need to change all the time. That is why I yearn for disorder, dissatisfaction, unease, incompleteness and by pressing the refresh button often. Refresh the unease.

So the man with the slashed arm http://pipwilsonbhp.blogspot.com/2003_05_01_pipwilsonbhp_archive.html



I offer my all to him.

And the groups I lead .........
This risk stretches me – too.
This risk troubles me.
This risk hurts when I fail to do what I aimed for.
This risk hurts sometimes.
This risk is sometimes failure.
This risk fantastic at it’s best and better than that so often.
I never fail to be impressed at how humans can respond to challenge.
http://pipwilsonbhp.blogspot.com/2004_03_01_pipwilsonbhp_archive.html

And I am reminded that the greatest of us humans ...........
nothing in my hands I bring ......
it is not so much as what is in 'the hand'
- IT IS 'the hand',
the leg,
the body,
the heart
- the ...........
.................. every thing.

"God want what we have not what we haven't" - as is says in the Living Bible.

When I friend died during the last year I blogged about him.
About how great he was.
He was even more honest than that - read my blog about him:-
http://pipwilsonbhp.blogspot.com/2003_10_01_pipwilsonbhp_archive.html

..... and remember you are special and unique .....

bhp

www.pipwilson.com

Dance like no-one is watching
Sing like no-one is listening
and
Love like you have never been hurt.



daily online diary/blog
http://pipwilsonbhp.blogspot.com/
................... I encourage you to subscribe to my regular e-newsletter here:-


http://www.pipwilson.com/Pages/E-Newsletter%20Page.html



The YMCA & YWCA Week of Prayer is marked in around
120 countries.

This year’s them is Leading Change.

Issued by:
David Myles
Regional Secretary
Metropolitan Region of YMCAs

07831 760658

david.myles@england.ymca.org.uk