Lessons From a Broken Ankle-Part 2

So to continue my lovely story...

There I was suddenly in the ER....in extreme pain...looking at my enlarged ankle....

I knew what happened.  I knew after that snap I heard, that I had broken a bone.

My world came crashing down as images of upcoming races flashed through my head.  How would I run, let alone walk? 

And sure enough, as we went to the ER, they confirmed that I had indeed broke my fibula.  Tears streamed down my face as I asked the doctor when I would be able to run again.  ...not for many weeks, they said....


This situation rocked my whole world.  Everything I had planned for the summer was different!  I couldn't exercise every day by running.  I wouldn't be able to run in the races I wanted to.  I couldn't take a simple walk, holding hands with my hubby.  I couldn't go on a bike ride.  Everything that involved walking around was now complicated by a big boot, 2 crutches, and the fact that I couldn't put weight on my foot.

At first I was very upset...emotional...sad....not to mention, very upset at the fact that I played tennis even though I really didn't want to in the first place!  But as time went on, I have realized that God has good in every situation that we are faced with.  I distinctly remember praying that I needed some rest...that I needed time to refocus and just dedicate to writing.  Well, lo and behold, I have that time now! 

When our lives don't go exactly as we wish or plan, it's easy to get upset and wonder why God isn't there for us.  But you know, God has an even greater plan for our lives that we could ever imagine.

Our job is to praise God not just in the good times, but in the hard times too.  And through those hard times, God will make us even stronger!

 

Lessons from a Broken Ankle-Part 1

Three long weeks ago I experienced something I never had before.  I broke a bone.  My very first broken bone.  ...yeah....  Can you just feel my excitement?

This experience has been very rough...humbling...challenging... emotional...painful.  It has changed my whole outlook on things.  It has made me very grateful for things.

Though it has taken me three weeks to get to the point of being able to express this experience in writing, I know that God has taught me many lessons through this...lessons that are worth sharing.  So now, as I lay in bed, astronaut-looking boot propped up on top of 3 pillows, I'd like to share one of those lessons.

Let me bring you back to the evening of July 5...the evening that changed my entire plan for the summer.......

My in-laws were in town and they and my hubby were planning to go play tennis after we finished our dinner together.  Since all my kids were gone for the evening, I hesitantly decided to go with.  Now, don't get me wrong...I love playing tennis....just, after a long day's work, somehow the couch sounded more inviting....

Tennis started out great....I was having a great time as I remembered just how much I did love to play.  And I was glad to get some extra exercise!

I clearly remember the ball coming to me....me realizing it was going to be a hard shot...I jumped to the side and stretched out my racket with my left hand to try and reach the ball.  I was determined to get it.

Good news....I got the ball.  I hit it.  Success!!!

Bad news....as I hit the ball and prepared to land on the ground, I remember something not feeling right.  I looked down just in time to see that my left foot was NOT flat on the ground.  My foot was landing on the side.  I watched as my foot rocked more to the side and I basically landed on the side of my shoe instead of the bottom.  The very moment that happened, I heard a crack.  And when that crack happened, I felt intense pain.

Next thing I know, I collapsed on the ground.  I remember throwing my shoe off as quick as I could to relieve some pressure I was feeling.  My sock came off.  I remember everyone staring at me in a panic, trying to decide what to do.  I remember my mother-in-law saying it looked like I had a potato on the side of my foot.  All the while, I knew what happened.  I knew I had snapped a bone. 

Let's pause the story there.....

My foot should have been a solid foundation for my body.  I should have landed on the bottom of my feet.  But instead, my foundation was not right.  The side of my foot didn't have the strength to hold my weight.  The side of my foot was not prepared to bend that direction.  And the pressure that built up was enough to cause my bone to break.

Foundation is everything.

And that got me thinking....how important is our foundation in God?

If we have a faulty foundation...a cracked foundation...a semi-built foundation, how will we react when the storms of life come?

Just a little tilt of my foot was all it took to throw my whole foundation off.

Are you nurturing your foundation in God?  Are you deepening your relationship with God so that your foundation is strong enough to fight the storms?

The Bible talks about the wise and foolish builders.  The foolish man built his house on the sand, while the wise man built his house on a strong foundation.  The storms came, and it's easy to know whose house survived.

So my challenge to you today is to think about your life....what type of foundation are you building?

...and I promise I will complete my story in my next blog!