road to recovery (Matt. 25:34-40)

It's been 4 weeks today since I fell and broke my foot.

A very long 4 weeks, and this adventure is still in the beginning stages.Doc said it's two more weeks -at least- before I can start putting any weight on it. There was some talk of maybe being able to drive by the end of April. There's a lot of days and weeks between now and then. Thankfully, I'm getting pretty good at taking this journey one day at a time.

So, I'm pleased to report I'm on the road to recovery. And I've discovered there are some truly beautiful souls on this road.

Today, for instance, a teacher I barely know gave up 3 hours of her off-time on a snow day to run a very important errand for me. She's recovering from a nasty cold. Her husband, whom I've never met, joined her. Beautiful souls.

Since it is a snow day, I've had time to think. I thought I ought to update this blog (it's been 10 days, and my goal was weekly).

I've never seen my freezer
quite so full!

I've been thinking and thinking and thinking all day about how to express my gratitude to the wonderful people in my life, and I just can't find an answer. I don't have the words. How do I recognize the sacrifices of the servant-hearts that set aside their own needs for a time to help make my life easier? How can I show my gratitude to the partners who took on extra work and responsibilities to free up someone to help me? How can I ever explain how much it means to me not to face this little speedbump alone? How do I show my appreciation for the helping hands that cleaned and organized my house, filling it with good food and good cheer? How do I acknowledge the patience of the wonderful, beautiful children who joyfully did their parts to lighten my load?  How do I explain the way the cards, flowers, gifts, e-mails, and phone calls help beat back the frustration and discouragement?

My dad & mom. My sister & brother-in-law. My niece & nephew. My sister's mother-in-law. A couple of aunts. An uncle & a cousin. My grandmother. My students. My co-teachers. My principal. The pastor & his wife. My wonderful family. My dear, dear friends. So many people. So many blessings. So much to be thankful for!

I can't begin to express the depths of my gratitude. So I'm going to stop trying. I'll just say one more "THANK YOU." And then I'll share this passage of scripture that's really been on my mind the last couple days. It's longer than usual, but definitely appropriate.

^{Matthew 25: 34 -40} 

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Thank you. Thank YOU.  Thank you. 

I am thankful for you!

Happy Birthday ...to me! (Prov. 16:9)

Last week I posted about my broken foot and how it was testing my faith.
This week, God took events that looked like problems, and turned them into blessings. Reassurances, that even in the little things, He's still there. Which is exactly what I needed.


Problem #1 - flight delay.
With my broken leg, I'm needing a lot of help. Now the baton gets passed from my fantastically patient sister to the next helper in line. The schedule: Afternoon arrival. Dinner out together to celebrate - and to get me out of the house. A little time to get familiar with the apartment and routines before bed.

Or...not! Early morning check-in revealed a flight delay.


So, plans change.

Lunch out, instead of dinner. We decided to try some local sushi. It was tasty. Even better, we had great service. We even got a free piece of "you live in the south now" fried cheesecake! Better still, we enjoyed it all with lots of laughs.

Which put us in the right frame of mind to handle problem #2 - forgotten keys.

See, it's my home, but we left in my sister's car. You can see how that might lead to a problem, can't you?Yup! A couple errands after lunch, we realized we didn't have the keys. We had to kill a few hours until a solution (in the form of my landlord) would be available.



So we decided to cash in a "reward." Which led to a haircut and style. The first truly normal thing I've done since I hurt myself.

When I got home, I even found flowers at the door! Flowers. ;-)

I feel like a princess.
Which is especially fantastic since it was my birthday!

Of course, it wouldn't have happened if everything had gone according to MY plan.
So... like my devotional this morning suggested, I'm going to stop looking at the storm. The storm will pass. I'm going to look to the light.






In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.  -Proverbs 16:9

Looking backward, while moving forward (Ro 8:28)

I know that's a long little title. It's perfect for this post in so many ways, though.

This is my first post of the New Year. What do we do as we start the new year? Look back at last year's failures and plan for success moving forward, right?  This isn't going to be a post about resolutions, though. I didn't make any. Except maybe to be less stubborn. Be kinder to others. Share more of myself.

The title is also perfect, because it is the answer to the question I'm hearing the most these days... "what happened?" You see, I broke my leg over Christmas break because I was doing exactly that - looking backward to say "goodbye" to someone, while moving forward out their door. Um, there was a step there. Ouch.

I'm sure there's an allegory there. I'll leave you to work it out.

It's a nasty break. My right leg. The docs and nurses were all impressed with how well I broke it. One doc said 3-6 months of healing, BEFORE rehab and PT. 6 months of not driving. At least. Right now I'm not allowed to put any weight on it at all. Suddenly I own a shower chair. Toilet rails. A walker. All because I was looking backward while moving forward. Yes, folks, walking and talking at the same time requires a certain level of skill!

However, the real reason I chose that title, is because it describes the strategy I'm using to keep my sanity as I heal. Looking backward... while moving forward.

You may remember, how in April, I decided to move away from the community I had lived in for a dozen years. In August, with God's blessing, I landed across the country in a new neighborhood.

With God's blessing.


As I struggle to move forward with the day-to-day challenges of being broken, I keep reviewing all the steps that brought me here, to this place, at this time.

I'm still confident that God blessed my move.

I also believe that nothing happens to God's people that is outside of his control. So He allowed this accident to happen this year. Last year, I made the same trip. Walked out the same door. Last year I would have been going home to that community of care. This year, I'm on my own, and my family has had to get creative to help me out. My parents. My sister. My Aunt. Help coming in from 3 different states, and none of them the one in which I live! Last year I had tons of sick leave. This year, there was barely enough to cover the immediate crisis. Last year, I would have felt - just a little - more in control.

Ha!

So I've got to believe there was a reason, or many reasons, why this accident happened this year.

So I'm looking backward. At my journal and notes and blog from last year, as I set aside the old life and took up the new. I'm remembering that the reasons I moved were to draw closer to family, and to learn to trust God-the-provider to meet my needs.

Ha, ha!

So I'm praying. And learning. And healing. And growing. And looking backward... while moving forward.

...and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Home, revisited. (Josh 1:9)

I know I'm overdue to post.
I was on a roll, there, writing every week - even if some of the topics were truly insignificant.
Like my last one, about what it means to go "home" for the holidays.
Then the holidays came. And I broke my leg.


That's right. 3 days after Christmas, while spreading holiday cheer with my dad, I fell out a door and broke my leg. To be more specific, my right leg. The one I need in order to drive.
To quote the folks who worked on me - I did a "good job." Everyone who had access to my x-rays or case notes was impressed with how well I broke it.

I was impressed with the care I recieved.
The ambulance drivers were friendly, composed, and calm - if not entirely coordinated. The ER nurses were helpful and reassuring. The surgeon explained things clearly, listened to my concerns, and accepted my input, respectfully. The anesthesiologist even joked with me. This might seem like no-big-deal to you, or that's-how-it-should-be, but I've seen a lot of ER's over the years (though this was my first time *on* the bed since grade-school), and I know that's not always the case. So, my compliments to the crisis team.

I was on vacation when it happened. 550+ miles from home. Visiting my parents for Christmas.
I am so thankful I was. They were amazing. My dad held my leg while we waited for the ambulance. My mom bought me dresses while I was in the hospital, since all I'd packed were pants. My brother & his fiancee brought the baby to give me hugs - even on the coldest night of the year.

Once I got out of the hospital, my dad - who is generally stuck home due to his own health concerns - was the best nurse ever! He waited on me constantly for a week. Spoiled me totally rotten, in a way I suspect he's wanted to do for years. Mom became a quite a strategist, figuring out how to wash my hair, with no chairs to put by the sink, painting my toe-nails to match my cast, packing my gear so I could travel. And thanks to my brother and his girl, that beautiful baby kept coming around.



Then, finally and yet too soon, I got my clearance to travel home.



Home, where I live independently. Home, where I've been for just under 6 months.

Home, where an acquaintance spent 2 days rescuing my car from the parking lot where I'd left it, so confident I'd be back soon.

Home, where another virtual stranger picked me up from the airport at dawn and drove me to my door.

Home, where the nearest family is 4 hours away.

Thank God my sister was able to come up and join me for a few days. She's helped me shop for the things an invalid needs, rearranged the house to be more mobility-friendly, and helped me feel not quite so lost. She also brought cute kids to give me hugs. Oh, and new wine glasses, for when I am ready to celebrate.

I look back on my decision to move here, and the hundred ways God blessed that move. I re-read my own blog from August, and really do believe He was with me, coming here, at this time.

I also believe He allowed this accident to happen this winter. Somehow this is all part of "the plan."

So I have to believe that somehow He will bring it all together for good.

Because right now, I just want to go home. Home to mom's house. Home to my sister's couch. Home to Tacoma, where I left so many wonderful, helpful friends. Home, dear readers, I have finally realized, is where you are not alone.


Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

(Super thanks to my friend CM who posted this verse on Facebook just when I needed it the most. Thanks, girl, for following the Spirit's leading. May you be blessed, always!).