At the start of the summer I decided it was time to be brave and take
the children ice-skating. It was a long time since I'd last skated,
and I was very nervous about it. I felt very vulnerable, was afraid
of falling and getting hurt and we all took quite a while to let go of
the side and venture out into the middle. Our smallest child,
however, had hired a skating aid in the form of a penguin, nicknamed
Perry, who turned him into Mr. Fearless! He was off skating here,
there and everywhere - hanging onto Perry, and even when he fell flat
he'd just get up and whizz off again. Not a tear in sight as he
merrily put the rest of us to shame. This was a huge achievement for
him as anxiety frequently stops him trying new things, and he has very
low confidence in his abilities especially around new things. However,
with Perry to support him and guide him around, it was a completely
different and very positive experience. We talked afterwards, and all
agreed a friend like Perry really helped.
When we are in a tricky or slippery place, we all have a friend like
Perry who is there right beside us, ready to pick us up when we slip
or stumble. When we are struggling or fearful it can be easy to just
give up, refuse to try again and give in to the tough time. We may
feel overwhelmed by the anxiety and not want to even try for fear of
failing. But with a loving and supportive friend like Jesus with us
we have all the support we need to just go for it, not be fearful and
just give it a go. If we fall, He'll help us up again by getting us
back on our feet ready to try again. I learned a lot through Perry
that day, and 'm very thankful for the lessons Perry, and Jesus, have
taught me through our venture onto the ice.
Corinne Mason
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