Update:
I just counted up the number of medical appointments that I have had
since January 1st. I’ve had
28 medical appointments in the last three months! That is an average of one appointment about
every three days. Wow! Hopefully that ratio
will start to change soon. Right now I
only have four appointments scheduled for the rest of the month. I would guess that number will double by the
time that the month is over.
I made it into my medical appointment despite the fowl, wintry weather
on Friday. My prosthetist made some
major adjustments to my leg and it fits much more comfortably now. She also put on a new, more flexible foot. My first foot was designed to be fairly stiff
to give balance and stability as I learned to walk. Now the new foot is designed to flex and bend
more like a real foot and ankle. Literally
the prosthetist really did “put a new spring into my step.” The downside is that it takes more energy,
muscle and strength to balance and stay upright with this foot. By the time I got home yesterday, my right
hip was burning from the extra effort.
It will take a while for me to toughen up and get use to the new foot. Then I get to do it again. To get to the level of motion that I need to go
hunting and walking in the woods, etc., I’ll probably get two more changes in
my foot. Each one will increase the
range of motion and axis of flexibility and each one will come with a higher
cost of strength and energy to use it.
Everyone seems pleased with the rapid progress that I have made so far;
I hope to continue my progress at the same rate. We’ll see if my body can keep up! Until the foot change, I could go until
bedtime with my prosthesis. Last night,
between being too tired and my hip hurting, I had to take my leg off by 6:30
p.m. It was just too painful. So now today, I am all fresh and ready to
go. I have to wisely build up time and
ability within my limits until I am ready for the next jump. It’s a process. Now I am beginning to see why the doctors
have been telling me that it takes 30% more energy to walk with a prosthesis
than with your normal “factory installed” God-given legs.
I had high hopes of doing more last night when I got home; but I was
wiped out and just rested in the recliner all evening. Today on Saturday, I’ll finish up my preparation
for Sunday worship and spend the evening with my wife.
Thought for the Day:
Remember the biblical story of Joseph? (see Genesis 37-50). He was the
youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob. It
sounds like as the baby of the family, Joseph really did have it easier than
all the rest of the brothers. His dad
singled him out for extra attention and his siblings deeply resented it. It also appears that Joseph wasn’t really
sensitive to how his brothers felt; some things would have been better off left
unsaid.
When the brothers had had enough, they ended up faking Joseph’s death
and selling him into slavery. They
thought that they had gotten rid of their problem once and for all. Their father deeply grieved over the apparent
loss of his youngest son—what kind of hatred could lead this group of men to do
this against their own father?
For thirteen years it appeared that everything on the surface was fine
for this family. Life continued. Crops were raised. Herds were multiplying. Life was good. And then the famine struck. Their sense of security was destroyed as the livestock
suffered and their families grew hungry.
Desperation drove them out of their life of comfort into the
confrontation of their lives. Their
father Jacob sent these brothers down to Egypt to buy grain so that they could
survive. It was there that they learned
that the brother they had sold into slavery had risen to power and in essence
controlled all of Egypt and all the available food supply.
God had knocked the props out from the stable life they had created and
forced this day of reckoning upon them. They cried out for forgiveness and
Joseph granted it. Joseph recognized the
hand of God at work in the tapestry of his life.
Genesis 50:20-21 “‘And as
for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order
to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not
be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ So he comforted them
and spoke kindly to them.”
This biblical
account reveals how much it can take to force us to face up to the reality of
our need and sinfulness. When life was
good, these brothers didn’t have to face the truth about what they had
done. It might have niggled them in the
back of their mind occasionally; but their lives went on pretty much the same
as before. But now their lives and
livelihood had been compromised and they were forced to admit the ugly truth. Facing that truth led to a painful restoration
and they were rescued from deprivation.
This biblical
account also demonstrates the length God will go to get our attention. He is not afraid of using drastic measures to
get our attention and to force us to deal with the ugly reality of our
lives. When things are going well, we
usually don’t think that we need God too much.
But when crisis hits our lives, we suddenly pay attention and reach out
to God for His help and assistance. It
is during these moments of weakness that God has an opportunity to speak to the
real needs of our hearts.
So when disaster,
illness, death, or hardship hit your life, turn to God for assistance. Not just to meet the immediate needs of your
personal crisis; but go deeper and allow God to work in your life and heart
cleaning up the messes you’ve created and restoring you. Be vulnerable and invite God to do His work
in you. God wants to use whatever evil
you’ve encountered in your life to bring about a positive result.
When trouble hits
you really do have a choice to either get bitter or get better. What will you choose?
No comments:
Post a Comment