I walked into a door this morning.
I realise that this phrase can be a euphemism for domestic violence - as in Roddy Doyles very sad book - 'The Woman Who Walked into Doors'. Some people think that the church dictates that you marry for life and that's that. So they feel stuck in abusive relationships. This is not the case, as the word 'Cherish' is written into the marriage vows and anyone who abuses their partner has broken that vow. I would never encourage anyone to stay in a violent relationship. Best to leave with dignity intact.

I've done some work recently with a project for vulnerable women and it broke my heart to hear some of their stories, but the work of the charity which gathers them together is restoring hope for them and their children and helping to rebuild lives and confidence. One woman wrote an amazing poem about the decision to leave a partner who had stripped her of her self-esteem and so many of them bore real scars as well as emotional scars from 'walking into doors'.

As it happens, my very loving other half is currently working 100 miles away and I did actually walk smack into a glass door, so it does happen in real life. It's not as if my glass door was squeaky clean and invisible - it was smeared with mucky paw prints and dog nose smudges - but I was distracted by a cobweb and was looking up at the time. So I'm now sitting with a scarf on to stop my neck from stiffening up. Hopefully I won't end up with a black eye but I did see stars!

On the fields this morning it was magnificent to see the sun burning through and evaporating all the frost and fog. It seemed as if the ground was on fire, and the sky cleared to a brilliant clear blue, with hardly any cloud. So it seems as if I'll be seeing stars again tonight.

The Bible says
" The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course."

That's from Psalm 19 if you want to read more of it. You might also like to try: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills" Psalm 121 - offering more comfort from God.

Maybe everyone who needs some hope or TLC will be comforted by looking up at the stars tonight. And by looking up at the hills during the day.

Life is much too short to be doing housework - or to be 'walking into doors'. So why not stride out and live the life you were born to live? And know this - that the One who made the hills and the stars will cherish you for eternity.