I was a mischievous child. My mother would often shake her finger at me and say, "I'm just about at the end of my tether with you, young man." It usually meant I was getting dangerously close to a well deserved spanking. I never really knew where the end of the tether was other than the understanding that I was near it. Many years later I would identity its location.
My wife, LaRee, and I built Tether's End 22 years ago, a few years after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (see picture left). We could see the aggressive course the disease was taking so we decided to build a wheelchair accessible house in case I ended up in a wheelchair. You will notice the house sits close to the ground. There's a reason for that.
My wife, LaRee, and I built Tether's End 22 years ago, a few years after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (see picture left). We could see the aggressive course the disease was taking so we decided to build a wheelchair accessible house in case I ended up in a wheelchair. You will notice the house sits close to the ground. There's a reason for that.
We wanted to avoid ramps. The sidewalks were poured on a slight incline up to the lip at the front door. The same is true for the back door. The exterior and interior doors are wider than normal doors; they have levers rather than doorknobs. The bathroom on the mainfloor is completely wheelchair friendly. I have everything on the main floor to live easily in a wheelchair. The only part of Tether's End that is not accessible is the basement. On those rare occasions when the furnace needs tending my wife, son or a host of friendly neighbors are willing to help.
It was hard to get our heads around the idea of wheelchair accessibility. After all, our lives were not exposed to disability. It was the furthest thing from our minds and our active lifestyle; the idea of disability was foreign and unwelcome. Our children were eleven and eight when we had this house built. Our fears came true and I eventually became wheelchair dependent. With a twinge of bitterness I called the house Tether's End.
We have a big backyard bordered by a massive hedge and a cluster of mature maple trees. A swing hangs from a gigantic maple limb. Our children are adults now and have families of their own. The grandchildren love to be pushed on the swing.
After twenty-two years there's so much family history at Tether's End. It's situated at the bottom
of the hill after which our French Canadian town of Beaumont is named. At the top of the hill is St. Vital Catholic Church dating back to the beginning of the 20th Century. Every day of every year the bell in the church tower rings three times: Once at 9:00 am to announce daily morning Mass; another at mid-day, and a third time at 6:00 pm. The bell regulates my days.
It was hard to get our heads around the idea of wheelchair accessibility. After all, our lives were not exposed to disability. It was the furthest thing from our minds and our active lifestyle; the idea of disability was foreign and unwelcome. Our children were eleven and eight when we had this house built. Our fears came true and I eventually became wheelchair dependent. With a twinge of bitterness I called the house Tether's End.
We have a big backyard bordered by a massive hedge and a cluster of mature maple trees. A swing hangs from a gigantic maple limb. Our children are adults now and have families of their own. The grandchildren love to be pushed on the swing.
After twenty-two years there's so much family history at Tether's End. It's situated at the bottom
of the hill after which our French Canadian town of Beaumont is named. At the top of the hill is St. Vital Catholic Church dating back to the beginning of the 20th Century. Every day of every year the bell in the church tower rings three times: Once at 9:00 am to announce daily morning Mass; another at mid-day, and a third time at 6:00 pm. The bell regulates my days.LaRee has a great natural talent for interior decorating to make a house warm and inviting. She has made our world sweet despite the ugly reality of my slow physical degeneration.
In winter months I love to have a crackling fire in our living room wood fireplace. I move my wheelchair close to the flickering warmth and read a book or work on my lap
top computer and listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Johann Strauss' waltzes, or my collection of ancient Christian music.
Occasionally I'll look out the window at the snowy backyard and the dormant maples. Cold winds drift snow up against a wrought-iron gate in the hedge. The deserted swing sways listlessly back and forth in the crisp winter air. At such moments, I am occasionally surprised by Him whispering "Be still, and know I am God." (Psalm 46.10)
As the winter deepens, blizzards and bone chilling winds blow across the Canadian prairies. Deep snow and frigid temperatures can make travel in a wheelchair difficult, if not impossible. I find myself cloistered in Tether's End for days or weeks at a time with my books, music, computer, sweaters and slippers -- and Christ's presence.
The smell of burning wood in the fireplace and coffee brewing in the kitchen helps me enjoy my cloistered months. Sometimes I crack open the door to hear the Church bell ring at the crest of the hill. My wife and I retire early and rise late on short winter days. It is a spiritual time.
The hustle and bustle of summer activities are just memories. God uses the slow and restful winter months to talk to me, to teach me, and to comfort me.
The dead of
winter has not yet begun. It is the beginning of November. It's a prelude to the Advent Season. Ahh, Christm
as. Grandchildren will come to visit. We will go outside to toboggan down the church hill. When little fingers and toes get cold and cheeks are rosy, we will come back to Tether's End and sit close to the fire, sip hot chocolate, and listen to Christmas music. What fun!
I am happy here. But nothing on earth can be anything more than a temporary dwelling while waiting to be at my eternal home in heaven. Contentment is my possession here. Joy will be my continual possession there.
The tethers of earthly limitations will give way to the freedom of eternity with Christ. The name Tether's End has come to symbolize for me a safe and restful place I can go when I feel at the end of my emotional or physical rope. When we are at the end of worldly tethers can we know Christ is with us. His love abides.
My body is decaying. We read in 2Corinthians 5.1, "For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwellinf not made with hands, eternal in heaven."*
My resurrected body will not be tethered by disease, disability or age.
All earthly tethers will disappear. We who know Jesus Christ will know total Truth for we will see Christ face to face. The truth which is Christ will set us free.**
MP
_________________________
* Saint Paul used the imagery of a dwelling "tent" for the human body. His language recalls Christ's saying about the destruction of the temple and the construction of another dwelling not made with hands (Mark 14.58). It was a prediction later applied to Christ's own body (John 2.20).
** See John 14.6, John 8.31-32 & 36.
In winter months I love to have a crackling fire in our living room wood fireplace. I move my wheelchair close to the flickering warmth and read a book or work on my lap
top computer and listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Johann Strauss' waltzes, or my collection of ancient Christian music.Occasionally I'll look out the window at the snowy backyard and the dormant maples. Cold winds drift snow up against a wrought-iron gate in the hedge. The deserted swing sways listlessly back and forth in the crisp winter air. At such moments, I am occasionally surprised by Him whispering "Be still, and know I am God." (Psalm 46.10)
As the winter deepens, blizzards and bone chilling winds blow across the Canadian prairies. Deep snow and frigid temperatures can make travel in a wheelchair difficult, if not impossible. I find myself cloistered in Tether's End for days or weeks at a time with my books, music, computer, sweaters and slippers -- and Christ's presence.
The smell of burning wood in the fireplace and coffee brewing in the kitchen helps me enjoy my cloistered months. Sometimes I crack open the door to hear the Church bell ring at the crest of the hill. My wife and I retire early and rise late on short winter days. It is a spiritual time.
The hustle and bustle of summer activities are just memories. God uses the slow and restful winter months to talk to me, to teach me, and to comfort me.
The dead of
winter has not yet begun. It is the beginning of November. It's a prelude to the Advent Season. Ahh, Christmas. Grandchildren will come to visit. We will go outside to toboggan down the church hill. When little fingers and toes get cold and cheeks are rosy, we will come back to Tether's End and sit close to the fire, sip hot chocolate, and listen to Christmas music. What fun!I am happy here. But nothing on earth can be anything more than a temporary dwelling while waiting to be at my eternal home in heaven. Contentment is my possession here. Joy will be my continual possession there.
The tethers of earthly limitations will give way to the freedom of eternity with Christ. The name Tether's End has come to symbolize for me a safe and restful place I can go when I feel at the end of my emotional or physical rope. When we are at the end of worldly tethers can we know Christ is with us. His love abides.
My body is decaying. We read in 2Corinthians 5.1, "For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwellinf not made with hands, eternal in heaven."*
My resurrected body will not be tethered by disease, disability or age.
All earthly tethers will disappear. We who know Jesus Christ will know total Truth for we will see Christ face to face. The truth which is Christ will set us free.**
MP
_________________________
* Saint Paul used the imagery of a dwelling "tent" for the human body. His language recalls Christ's saying about the destruction of the temple and the construction of another dwelling not made with hands (Mark 14.58). It was a prediction later applied to Christ's own body (John 2.20).
** See John 14.6, John 8.31-32 & 36.
0 comments:
Post a Comment