Well…here I sit and sit and sit as I enter week two of post-surgery recovery! My day has little variation and I can always be assured that there will be sitting! One exciting highlight is my ride in the car to therapy! Once I get there, however, the torture begins! Friday, the doctor aspirated my knee with a needle that made me nearly fall off the table! I now have a whole new level of compassion for anyone that’s gone through this. It’s not fun but not serious so I don’t want to sound like a whiney baby! Other than sitting, however, I can walk with crutches which is worthy of You-Tube…it’s a little comical at times!
Now, perhaps you can see why I’m bored! Nonetheless, I promised I’d use my time wisely. I’ve been able to read and do a lot of thinking. Naturally, when something is taken, I realize how valuable it is. It’s like when the power goes out, I realize how I take electricity for granted. Being able to move around, and have the freedom to do what I want or need, has been compromised. I walked around my kitchen today wishing I could cook. Then, I wandered into my laundry room longing to do some laundry! (I know I’m strange!) I wanted to drive my car, leave my house, or go somewhere….AAAHHHH!!!
l trudged back to my room, hooked back up to the ice machine I have to use on my knee, and watched the beautiful, fluffy snowfall. I had a choice to get sad or get busy…I chose the latter. After all, I’m thankful to have a house to be in and grateful that my surgery wasn’t serious. Sure, to be honest, I feel crummy but this has an end. “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun!” Yes, I’m singing it too!
Anyway, with resolve, I did what I could do and realized the many advantages to having this surgery and recovery. My body wasn’t the only thing needing it, my spirit needed recovery too. The freedom that I felt was taken, had really been given instead. For weeks, I’ve huffed and puffed through days and weeks wishing for quiet time. I’d look at the books on my nightstand, which had gone untouched, and longed to give them my undivided attention. I realized my books weren’t the only things needing it either. Having time to really talk to God made me see how He was getting my attention but it was divided…some here, some there, and some in-between.
I was reading Come Away My Beloved and one of the daily readings posed this question, ”Does God have my affection?”. I thought further and asked myself, “If he has my affection, does He have my time?”
Don’t we give our time to what we love or whom we love? If something or someone gets ignored for too long, something happens, or doesn’t happen, to let us know. There are times when we’re searching for answers when we only need to ask questions. If we’re honest with ourselves, those answers can usually explain a lot. If we unravel the mystery, the clues are often pointing at us. Simply put, we can see what we’ve committed by whom we’ve omitted.
Many years ago, Frances J. Roberts wrote the aforementioned book. I’ve had several copies of that classic that I’ve given away. But just like God, a dear friend bought me a lovely pocket devotional that sits by my bed or in my purse. For now, it’s bedside so I can read it methodically because the words are so deep and meaningful. The author described her writings with profound words that brought tears to my eyes and understanding to much of life’s major or minor ordeals.
Just a few words described her work, “Forged in the crucible of life.” Just a few words describe my reply, “Forge Ahead!”