Learning by ACL

I'll bring you in on this chapter of my life somewhere in the middle….
 
On Feb 16th I went skiing for the 3rd time this season.  I caught on pretty quick so I considered myself somewhat "experienced"....pa-leeze!  First run down the hill I wiped out.  I heard it snap on my way to the snow.  I tore my left ACL, accompanied by a small fracture where it attaches to the fibula.  Who ever said I was an underachiever???
 
Surgery was on Mar 6th.  After that it has only been an adventure.  Crutches for 2 weeks was....well....humbling, to say the least.  To have to ask for help so frequently and for so many things.  Praise the Lord I could still drive!  But even a short trip to the store turned into something I can still look back on for a quick smile.  Two crutches and a shopping cart just don't go hand in hand (no pun intended).  So biting the bullet I traded my crutches in temporarily for a motorized shopping cart.  Never in my wildest dreams:) 

I thank God for the experience.  I have learned so much about patience and gratitude.  Not to mention the greatest lesson of all....people really do want to help you!  If you ask, they really want to.  They don't care where you live, what you drive, what your political affiliation is, how much money you make.....generally people just like to help other people out.  They get pleasure from it!

I had more people ask if I needed anything than any other time in my life.  I consider myself pretty independent, so it was a lot to swallow in the beginning.  But as I realized how much joy it was bringing to others to merely “get” or “do” for me, I accepted it openly.  Dare I say it even spoiled me a little bit.

At the advice of a friend I focused on Romans 5:3-5 But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I’m still in the brace but have kissed the crutches goodbye!  And I’m thinking I’ll be out of this brace in another week or two.  I’m getting stronger every day.  But I really do thank God for all the lessons I’ve learned from this experience.

I’ve learned to appreciate things…
·        appreciate your wounds because you know they will heal; many people have injuries they live with that never heal

·        appreciate a “one up” story because they usually reiterate the whole it could always be worse lesson

·        appreciate resting because you have to; it will make you want to rest when you think you don’t need to

·        appreciate being so frustrated you could spit; it will make being patient with someone struggling much easier for you in the future

·        appreciate the simple kindness of strangers; it was probably there before but you never bothered to notice it

·        appreciate the pain of teaching your body to move again; even at its very worst, it was nothing even close to what Jesus did for me

Thank You God for this wonderful opportunity to slow down, regroup, heal, learn, and love!  It has truly been a blessing in disguise. 

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