Bowling and Healthy Bodies

How do you celebrate the end of  a school term with a bunch of teens on a cold stormy night?  Go tenpin bowling, of course!

(Lawn bowling is very popular here in New Zealand, so I must always make the distinction by referring to "Tenpin" bowling.)

As I reflect on all the fun memories created with the Rock Solid kids, I can't help but think of the individuals in Tonga with whom I will be in just a few days, whose reality is quite different.  Many of the young people at the Mango Tree Respite Centre may never know what it feels like to launch a bowling ball from their hands or dart around on two strong legs playing laser tag. For some of them, the freedom to jump, twirl and play is replaced by a wheelchair navigated by a loving parent.  Sharing a plate of hot chips with friends looks more like being spoon-fed or relying on a tube to deliver your daily nutrition.

What a gift it is to live in a body with a heart that pumps on cue without a second thought. How great it is to have muscles and joints that move when I tell them to, that bear the weight of my body and allow me to experience the liberty of doing what I want, when I want.  Today I am thankful for my health, for the health of those around me, and for the opportunity to learn from those whose health may not look the same as mine.

Please continue to pray for our team and those with whom we will work in Tonga.  3 more days until departure!