Recovering Life

by Colin Holmes 

It was never meant to be like this.  The day was meant for mountain biking with my son but was spent in the back of an ambulance being rushed to hospital. 

It was in the freedom of holidays in July 2020 that I was to know the sudden interruption of a bleed on my brain.  I was sat down to rest and recover.  It would be at least six months until I found my feet and my way back to work again. In this I discovered a gracious invitation to rest.  

This is the story of hope Colin tells in, ‘Recovering Life’, as through slowness and struggle, under the cloud of Covid and the accompanying winds of anxiety in our culture, restoration and renewal are birthed that are more than physical, but heart and soul deep.

This journey of recovery is written from an Irish perspective but connects with a cultural moment across our Western world in which many are seeking to recover life. We have become too fast and frantic. There is too much hurrying and hustling. Life is too shallow and solitary. It was never meant to be like this.

This story invites you on a journey of discovery, in search of a healthy spirituality for the whole of our humanity.  The various chapters explore how we find life in nature, in friendships, in our own bodies, in our hearts, in balance in our lives, in seasons of life and in dark times of suffering.  As we walk around these aspects of our humanity we are invited to reflect on our own lives.  

Colin has been living in Waterford since 2010, being from Co. Antrim originally.  He used to work part-time as a community pharmacist and currently serves as pastor of Ferrybank Christian Community Church and team leader for European Christian Mission in Ireland & Britain.  

‘Recovering Life’ is available in paperback from www.teachsolas.ie and also as ebook - see www.pesiod.com for more info.