Lesson #23

There is NO bad change, only good!

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Ok, that may be a strange statement, but yet it is true. I was meditating on this topic not long after coming home from the hospital. I was looking at my life before my accident and then looking at what was before me. I quickly saw that things had drastically changed. Nothing was the same. And then I began to judge whether the change was good or bad. At first glance, you would automatically say, "well, this change is bad!" I did. Who wanted to be in a wheel chair and be told that you would never walk unassisted again. Who really wants to go to the bathroom in a portable potty? NOT ME!

So really, it was gloom and doom. Even though I knew I would not be in the wheel chair forever, I really did not like the change that had come to my life. So I began to pray and read the Bible. I remembered verses that state, "if God be before me who can be against me." And, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And then I read verses that talk about God molding and making us into the likeness of his son. Then it dawned on me. You know, if God is really sovereign over all things, then nothing happens without his permission. Therefore, all change is good. I may not like the change. It may not feel good at the time it happens, but in the end, all changes are used by God to make me more like His son. Therefore, I must count it all joy.

"ALL THINGS work together for THE GOOD of them who love God and who are called according to his purposes."

So, change is good.

Using What I Have Learned

I have been sharing with you the things that God has been teaching me during this ordeal. There are 30 specific things on my list so far. I will share a couple of more in a few minutes.

Right now, I want to share with you how I am using what I have learned. I know I have said this many times in this blog, yet I have to say it again, one of the biggest lessons I learned was that you must stick closer than a brother to your dearest friends, especially when they need you the most. Robbie and I have some awesome friends who have a new baby girl with a severe heart defect. We knew about this heart condition months before she was born, but now she is here and the baby and our friends are pretty much living at the hospital. I know how important it is to have close friends and family surrounding you in your time of need, especially when you are in the hospital. I must tell you that I have "delighted" in visiting and doing all kinds of things for my friends. It brings me great joy to do anything that lightens their load! I love it! I hate that they must endure this, but I am SO BLESSED AND THANKFUL to be at their disposal!

God, I praise you for my accident and for all the great things you have taught me! I am blessed by your grace and love! I stand in awe of you!

10 months!!

Ten months have past since my accident and it is amazing how far I have come. I wish I could move faster, but, healing is progressing well. I am walking more each week and the pain is getting lesser and lesser. I am not having to take pain meds as much as before.

I am working losing weight to lessen the impact of arthritis. I am down 21 pounds as of today. Pray that I can lose much more than this!

I will have to go back to work soon. My disability insurance is aggressively working to stop my monthly payments. They are so eager to get you money for their policies, yet they are more than eager to stop paying benefits!

My next doc appt is in August. I believe at that time, my surgeon will release me from his care.

I continue to do PT each week. It has been the biggest help. I will have to get some shoe inserts soon for my right foot to correct my walk.

Thank you so much for your prayers. God is so good and He continues to heal me and answer my prayers of healing!