Friends and laughter

It wasn't a great start to the day. My car broke down, when it ran out of fuel at traffic lights on a steep hill just opposite the petrol station. I felt really lost, standing there, in my clergy collar knowing that the team at church would all have their phones switched off. Suddenly, 5 strong men appeared from all directions and helped push the car round the corner onto the flat. I was so grateful.
I then dashed and bought the fuel. Of course, it splashed and left me scented with Eau De Diesel. I have to say that it all threw me off balance and when I spoke about the asylum seeker's memorial service, I came close to breaking down again.
But the antidote to all this was available! I took my kids and the Barnes kids for a walk and a museum trip. We laughed, mucked around, talked about life and generally pulled me out of the funk that I had sunk into. The final part of the cure was sharing time with both families over a meal. Thank God for friends and laughter.