Update:
Dick brought up my weight bench from the basement and I rearranged my
room to get it to fit. Sitting on the
weight bench to do my weight training was great. I got a lot more support on my amputated
leg. Now getting into a prone position
on the bench and then getting back up was scary at first. Usually I roll on my side and push off to sit
up. The weight bench is too narrow to do
that. With only one leg, I could not push
off or balance myself like I used to do. I struggled and almost fell off the
bench. It took me a long time before I
figured out how to get up. I grabbed a
stool to put next to me, so I have another point to use to push myself up. As a result of my struggle, I have a better
idea of the helplessness that turtles experience on their backs now. I also got the weight bench piece used to
lock your legs in for sit ups to use all the time. That way I am more stable than having only
one leg on the ground as an anchor point.
Also having my leg locked down really helps me to sit back up
right. Exercising itself was good,
although I had some challenges to work out on where to place the weights where
I can grab them. While it was so very
similar to what it used to be…at the same time it was so very different from
what it used to be. The challenge with
using the exercise mat was remembering how to safely get to the floor and then
back up. I have to use the mat in the
living room so I have enough room for all my exercises; I had to make several
trips to get all of the equipment that I need nearby. Overall being on the mat was much better than
on the bed. Some exercises were much
easier to do on the floor and some of them were harder. I guess at times the springiness of the bed
helped me and sometimes it hindered me. It
felt good to do them on a harder surface and but it took more energy. I can tell that it will take a couple of
weeks to get my body comfortable with the new system of exercising. As a benefit, I won’t have to tear all the
covers off my bed and then remake it every day.
After exercising, I gave myself a haircut and then showered. I made a
few phone calls, watched TV for a while and then worked on my sermon for
Sunday.
Saturday will be spent writing my update, working my message, ironing
any clothes needed for Sunday, exercising (full weights and stretching routine)
and showering afterwards. Nothing fancy,
just the basics. Karen and I will
probably stay home tonight. She is still
going to her mother’s every day to care for her and help her with a few
things. By the time Karen gets home it
is nearly seven. So us old folks will
probably just eat, relax a bit, and go to bed.
Karen will have to do some laundry for me so I have the clothes I need
for Sunday.
Thought for the Day:
Do you realize that almost every person in the bible whom we would call
famous was a “nobody”? When God chooses
people to do great things, it was never based upon them having the right
occupation, skills or accomplishments.
Just think about a few of them. David was a shepherd before he was anointed king. The prophet Amos, breed sheep for a living. None of his family had ever been a prophet
before—he was totally out of his league (Amos 7:14-15). Peter was an uneducated fisherman. Almost every other apostle was just an
ordinary person without training or credentials “until God assigned them roles
in His kingdom where He would work through them mightily to accomplish His
purposes” [Henry Blackaby, “Called and
Accountable”]. Some of them did noble
work before God called them and some not so noble. Luke was a physician. Rehab was a prostitute. Not only did she help Israel capture a key
city in battle; she ends up in the genealogy of Jesus. Later in the New Testament she is called a
woman of faith.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “Brothers
and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were
wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble
birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the
things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may
boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ
Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness,
holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let those who boast boast in the Lord.’”
If God doesn’t choose people based upon skill or training, on what
basis does He decide? “The key is not
our talents, but the cultivation of our heart so that when God does work
through us we can turn and praise Him and let others know that it was God who accomplished
the work…What about you? Is your heart
ready for God to use you in any way He chooses?” [Henry Blackaby, “Called and
Accountable”].
God is constantly seeking people with the right heart to use in His
service. For most of us, it doesn’t
require a job change or any specific additional training. God wants to use you wherever you are. He can use you whether you are a nurse, a
teacher, an insurance salesman, a police officer, a sales associate, a fast
food worker, a firefighter, a truck driver, a home maker, a computer engineer,
or even if you are retired or disabled.
2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the
eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to him.”
Sometimes it doesn’t seem like very much that He asks you to do. Say a kind work, do a selfless act, treat
someone with dignity and respect, volunteer your time at a not for profit
organization, give help to those in need, or even just pray for someone. He may call you to do “greater things” but don’t
despise or look down upon the small stuff; you have no idea how all those
little things will add up to something wonderful in the end.
So I encourage you to ask God to use you.
Get involved in life. You may not
change the world; but you might change a piece of it in someone’s life. Make a positive difference. Use whatever you have wherever you are. Don’t be satisfied merely sitting on the
sidelines watching the game. Ask God to “Put
me in, Coach!”
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