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153. Hold on to that number-153, I’ll come back to it. I’m still on my honeymoon and I’m now up in the north of Scotland, and the weather and scenery are still fabulous – as, indeed, is married life! But that number, 153, is a reminder of the last time I went abroad for a holiday.ÌýÌýI fell and broke my wrist and while lying on the hospital trolley waiting for surgery - in the backless gown designed to ensure that you'll sign anything to hasten the return to a room and some dignity - various nurses, porter, surgeons…plumbers and onion sellers for all I know…walked past me. I started counting. 153 times I smiled at everyone who passed. Only 3 times did one of them acknowledge me, and only the actual surgeon lowered his mask, smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

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Was it his innate understanding of the sense of vulnerability of someone on a trolley with their bahooky hanging out and possibly afraid of a general anaesthetic or was it appreciation for his cut of the 5 grand this operation was costing my insurers? Who knows…but illness is a great leveller.ÌýÌýWhen you are on a trolley parked in the theatre waiting area it matters not whether you are a nobody or the biggest somebody.ÌýÌý

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Now, I mentioned that I’m on my honeymoon – been married just over a week now – and one thing about love is that it seems to me to do the exact opposite.ÌýÌýWhen I asked my wife to marry me, I was saying to her that she is the most special person in the world.ÌýÌýWhen she married me, she made me the happiest man in the entire known universe. Love does that, it affirms who you are, your individuality, and says that you matter and you’re special – even if the rest of the world doesn’t recognise it.

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And so it’s only a very short leap to believe, as I do, that God’s love does the same - for us all.ÌýÌý153 times a day the world can make you feel like nothing – 153 times a second God wants you to know that you are wonderful, because you are his.