I think it’s fairly safe to say that falling off a ladder is not a good idea, yet it’s something I did last Sunday. I was too complacent about health and safety, and the feet of the ladder slipped away on a wooden floor so down I came.

The only injuries I sustained were some bruising and a cut or two (apart from the dented pride, of course), though I did strain my arm to the extent that I haven’t been able to drive for a week.

I suppose there are a couple of things to learn from this – on the surface at least. One is that it’s easy to become complacent with all sorts of things, or taking your eye off the ball to use a popular sporting metaphor.

The other is in the struggles I’ve had this week of trying to do what are normally simple tasks like tying shoe laces. Do I try and do it myself despite the pain in my arm, and if so am I trying to be independent or just plain stubborn in not asking for help?

There’s a definite balance to be struck between self-sufficiency, thus not placing an unnecessary burden on someone else, and asking for reasonable assistance which gives someone else the opportunity to be blessed in giving. I wonder where you are on this balance?

Oh yes – the other thought. Mind how you go when using ladders!