Broken Ankles: Pain & Gain

Dear Friends, in case you were wondering … After breaking both ankles in mid-September, I could do little for quite a while. But as of Monday — yea! — I’m well again. And deeply grateful to the Lord and the long list of kind people who made recovery possible.

So, what did I learn from this experience? (We are told that we learn from every experience, right?)

• Walking on broken ankles, even with the aid of therapy boots and a walker, is painful! But then, pain often interrupts our everyday lives. It’s what we do with it that makes the difference.
• God walks with us through those painful parts of our lives. And, if we let him, he provides others who are willing to help. Like the neighbor who abandoned a big football game on TV to take me to the hospital. Hospital and rehab center staff who were positive angels of compassionate care during those first two weeks. Church family and friends who rushed to visit and pray. And brought gifts and cards to cheer me. Family and friends who equipped my house for safety before I went home to finish recovering. Friends who stayed with me around the clock for two days until my sister-in-law could fly in from Florida to care for me for three weeks. Other out-of-state family who surprised me by visiting in person for a few days. I could go on, but you get the picture.
• We may lose a lot, but we gain even more. I had to cancel attendance at a major writing conference in Nashville, a multi-author book signing sponsored by a Christian bookstore, and a major speaking engagement. Surprise! … I learned from nurses and therapists that my body drained energy from the rest of it to invest in healing my ankle bones. No wonder I felt tired and foggy much of the time! But through it all, I learned I could persist and work toward wholeness with God’s help and the help of others.
• Though it seems impossible, the pain eventually comes to an end. It may take days, months, years. I know. Less than two weeks into rehab, I wept, fearful the pain might never end. That I might never recover. But the old adage is true: “This, too, shall pass.” At the right time and in the right way as we lean on the Lord.

Whatever you are going through, you are not alone. The Lord is with you, and he cares. With his help, determine to keep inching toward wholeness. Lean on him and wait for his right timing for your pain to end. It will come to pass! Every time.