REFLATION

I went to the gym this morning - first time in ages. To be honest it was more for my mental health than my physical health, so I just stuck to the treadmill today.

I mean not literally; that would be mad. I ran 2km, increasing the speed as I went. Tough on the old knees, but great for the rest of me. In fact I stepped out into the rain with that familiar old gym-buzz.

Then I turned on the car radio.

“Interest rates,” crackled the presenter on the breakfast news, “are likely to rise again today after the Bank of England…”

I switched off. Ever wondered what a balloon feels like when you let the air out, or even when a cake comes out of the oven and sighs itself into sinking? Yeah, something like that. Now, in theory, the rise in interest rates doesn’t affect us - at least not yet anyway. Our mortgage offer is locked in, but it’s locked in only until February. And honestly, that looks a lot closer than it did in September. And we haven’t exchanged yet.

I am worried that we won’t have anywhere to live. We’re emotionally frayed enough. After all this drama, if it falls through, or if we lose our mortgage offer, I’m not sure what will happen. I’m not sure whether I’ll have the strength I need to hold it together.

Inflation is it. Feels more like deflation to me, and what I need, perhaps what we all need, is a little reflation (not a word, I know). I mean some joy, some kindness, some life, some happiness, some encouragement.

But of course, you know what I’m going to say. Grace comes to pour through us. If there is grace for every season (and I think there really is) then it means there’s opportunity to give it away too, in every season. So as deflated as I might feel, it’s time to give away what I don’t have and receive what I haven’t got by reflating the small portion of world around me.

The windscreen wipers squeaked across the windscreen. Leaves blew along the road under grey, uncomfortable skies as I pondered this. One thing is true today: I need God more than ever.