A Problem with EXTENSION

My biggest problem in recovering from my broken elbow has never been dealing with pain from either the injury itself or the resultant surgeries. My struggle has been with extension; getting my elbow joint to open up to restore my reach. As detailed in a previous story, weeks of inactivity while the fractures healed allowed time for a sliver of bone to grow up behind the joint and prevent forward arm motion. Once the bone chip was removed, my arm was able to go straight; in fact it was once again locked in that position in the brace for the first few days after the surgery. But now the issue is not with bones and joints but rather with muscles that want to pull back into the less functional bent position.

My physical therapist is working hard to help me in this regard. When I come in at the start of the session, I can usually open my arm to about 45 degrees short of horizontal. He wraps my elbow in a heating pad for the first several minutes of our time together, and then massages the bicep muscle with cocoa butter and firm pressure while he gently but persistently straightens my arm out as far as it will go. By the time I leave he can get it within single digits of his 180-degree goal. The problem is that I can not yet reproduce his results on my own. So I have exercises to do at home and various strategies to not only loosen up those muscles but get them to stay that way.

Funny, God's church has long had a similar problem with extension. We believers are to be His hand extended to those in need, whether it be physical assistance or love, mercy and forgiveness. We know what we are supposed to do, yet too often we simply come up short in that regard. Pastors and ministry leaders coach us to the best of their ability, encouraging action on our parts, but too often we pull back into old habits and mindsets, returning to our fixed opinions and remaining locked within the walls of our places of worship. The problem is an internal one, a matter of the heart, one that can't be fixed by external pressure alone but rather by an internal turnabout, a supernatural work. Lucky for us that work was done on the Cross, and its benefits are available to us all.

The brace that encloses my arm has a big dial on either side of the elbow joint that allows me to adjust how much the arm can open or close, reminding me that to some degree at least, the amount of my extension is under my own control. While a truly generous spirit isn't something I can dial up on my own, the more I allow Christ to change me on the inside, the greater my reach will be to the outside world.

“Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers? He answered, The one who showed pity and mercy to him. And Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.”

(Luke 10:36-37 AMP)

The Good DOCTOR

I was sitting in the hospital bed, waiting for my initial surgery to take place, when he walked into the room. With his leather jacket, close-fitting jeans, boots, and curly hair a little on the wild side, I almost expected to see a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm; he looked fresh off a ride. Certain he was looking for somebody else and had simply wandered into the wrong room, I was about to set him straight when he held out his hand, introduced himself and said he'd be doing my surgery later in the day!

This was my doctor? I wonder if the surprise showed on my face. He pulled a chair up close to the bed and settled in for a chat. Kindness and concern marked his conversation; soon we were talking like old friends. When his technical medical explanations went over my head, he got up and drew explanatory pictures on the white board on the wall. Once business was done, we turned to the subject of where we were from. Upon discovering that we'd each lived in California and Ohio, we discussed the relative merits of each state, from endless sunshine to plenty of personal space. The latter was what was important to him; he liked room to move around and talked with joy about his love for his farm. Amazed that he had spent so much time with me, by the time he rose and said goodbye I was confident my elbow was in good hands.

In the days, weeks and now months since that initial conversation and surgery, that initial assessment has proven to be true. We meet as friends and team members striving to reach a certain goal, discussing our progress and treatment options whenever things don't seem to be going according to plan. His care always evident, my confidence in his abilities and advice has only grown. I always leave with any worry gone and the feeling that he has my situation under complete control.

Obviously my relationship with the good doctor reminds me of the one I have with the Great Physician. From the day we were first formally introduced His kindness and care have drawn me ever closer to Him and I have learned to place my trust and my life in His complete control. I think He takes special delight in showing up in situations where I'm not expecting to find Him, disguising His identity, until after the fact some little clue leads me to say in wonder, “That was You , God?!” I can almost see Him throw back His head and laugh, perhaps at my amazement that after all this time together there is still so much about Him that I simply don't know. Worry and fear never tarry in His presence, faith in His ability to handle any situation only grows in the time we spend together.

Funny that our conversations likewise often turn to the subject of Home. He's lived in my world, and I will eventually live in His, but the connections between the two are growing every day. From His words on the subject in His Book to the descriptions He's whispered in my ears He is painting a picture of the place that hangs in my heart as prominently as the photo of my elbow surgeon's farm hangs in his office. Both keep our thoughts focused and our feet traveling in the right direction, so that at the end of the day we'll both find ourselves where our hearts long to be.

"...I am the LORD that healeth thee."

(Exodus 15:26 KJV)

Let Him Clip the Chip

(This story was posted just recently in my A Heart 4 Heaven blog, but since it fits the subject and alphabet formats of this year's  A to Z Challenge, I thought I'd use it here today, as well.)

For eight weeks I held my broken elbow close to my heart. I held it in front of my chest for the first few hours after my late-night injury, waiting for the snow to stop and the morning to start so I could get to the emergency room and have it examined. For weeks after my resultant surgery it was first a cloth sling and then a metal brace locked in one position that me no choice but to hold my arm in similar fashion.

And yet it wasn't the physical restrictions that kept me from using my arm so much as it was the words I heard whispered in my ear repeatedly during that time, telling me that my ability to do the things I most enjoyed had been stolen away by one misstep on an icy parking lot.

I didn't just listen to those words; I believed them.

My mindset became one of inactivity in the physical realm. Repeatedly when my husband asked my to do even simple tasks my first reaction was to express my inability because of my injury. But God was having none of it. Before I could get the whole sentence out He would stop me in the middle of the second word. Thus my “I can't”s were trimmed to the “I can” response God knew to be true. Still disbelieving, I reluctantly gave each task a try and was usually surprised at the result...all because God didn't allow me to voice the lie that was waiting on my lips to defeat me.

How often have we likewise allowed an emotional injury of some kind prevent us from working in God's house? There are those who have suffered incredible blows in their walk through life, the magnitude of which has simply taken their spiritual breath away. But others of us have taken even little irritations and petty aggravations to heart and listened to the enemy's lies about lost love and purpose in the spiritual realm. We have allowed a chip on our shoulder to put us on the shelf, spiritually speaking, when God has the power to turn our situation around for our greater good and the good of the Kingdom, if given the chance. His ability is limited only by our belief in His desire to do so and His power inside of us.

Even once freed from external medical hardware, my arm remained bent in a frozen and locked position. When weeks of physical therapy failed to release it, it seemed to me to be time to be getting back to work, despite the fact that my arm remained locked in a ninety-degree angle. Surely I could just make do. But my doctor refused to sign off on that. He said there was no way I could function in my post with such a limited range of mobility. When additional x-rays revealed that a small piece of bone had grown up behind the elbow joint, he scheduled further surgery to clip the bone chip that was preventing the full extension of my arm.

The Great Physcician says the same thing when we are tempted to cut short our spiritual recovery times and simply get back to work in the Kingdom. He knows when there's further work to be done, however anxious we may be to avoid going deeper into issues that are painful. He writes His prescription in His Word: “let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing” (James 1:4 AMP). God simply doesn't want us to come up short in any area of our existence. He wants us to be all that He knows we can be.

But there is more to it than that. I had already been feeling strain in my shoulder as it struggled to take up the slack for my limited reach. And likewise the church struggles as a whole when some parts of the body have to function outside their skill sets to cover for those who are currently unwilling or unable to function in the gifts they were given. Every piece of the puzzle is necessary, every member of the body has a place and a part to play if the church is to minister effectively. Simply put, you have a job to do, and nobody else was given the exact tools to accomplish it but you. The Kingdom of God needs you to be fully operational in the tasks you were assigned.

And so God works with our words, as He did with mine. A huge part of our problem is simply unbelief in His ability to overcome our obstacles. He stops us short in our “I can't”s by replacing them with His “But I can!” And when our I-won't-believe-it-till-I-see-it attitude gets in the way of our own recovery, He offers us the Cross as His ultimate proof.

We're not the first to struggle with issues of unbelief. Perhaps Jesus had doubting Thomas touch His scars so we too would believe He has the power to work through ours.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.”

(Philippians 4:13 NKJV)

I'm All About That BRACE, 'Bout That BRACE...

Eight days after my initial elbow surgery, my cast-like wrap and sling were discarded and I was helped into what would soon become my new best friend, a hinged brace – black metal bars that were cushioned around my arm with velcro-strapped pads. Big dials on the outside of the joint determined the extent to which the brace could open or close.

It was intimidating, to say the least. Fresh out of the packaging, the device first had to be pried open, and then the stiff cushions and straps adjusted and cut to the appropriate size. I looked in doubt at the nurse who was struggling to assist me when she assured me that soon all the padding would adjust to the shape of my arm and I'd be able to slip in and out of the thing with ease. Doing so remained a two-man job for quite a while, however, my husband gamely entering the fray. Eventually came the day when I was able to conquer the beast by myself. That's when the fun began.

I was allowed to take it off for showers and physical therapy, and at first the freedom from the cumbersome hardware was a huge relief. But warnings from my doctor not to do too much too soon, and the stabbing pain that came from certain unexpected movements made me hurry those moments along. I found I longed for the safety and security I felt when I slipped my arm back inside those protecting metal bars. Eventually the dials were adjusted to allow me more freedom of movement, and I found I became quite comfortable wearing the device around the clock.

I liken my experience with that brace to my relationship with the Word of God. At first, the Bible intimidated me with its numerous books and numbers, language that was often foreign to me and stories that were stranger still to understand and believe. I needed help navigating my way through it, and interestingly enough, again it was my husband who was the biggest help in that regard. Patiently he explained and advised and led me through my studies until I became sufficiently familiar with the book to find my way around it on my own. The more time I spent in it, the more familiar it became. I enjoyed the structure and security it gave to my life, allowing me the freedom to make my own choices while keeping me headed in the right direction as I went along.

Finally the day came when my doctor said my elbow was sufficiently healed and I could set the brace aside. I continued my physical therapy and exercises at home, but after a time it became apparent that my arm was not opening up to the desired degree, and further surgery became necessary. Once again the brace became a part of my life. Now in the second stage of my recuperation period, I wear it open to allow arm movement during the day, and locked straight at night to keep my muscles from pulling back into the bent and locked position.

I've found that when things are going good in my life it is easy to think I can set the Word of God aside for a time; that its use is mainly for times of trouble. But I've learned that I need its protection and guidance by day and by night, in sunshine and rain, pleasure and pain. In even the best of times I've found that my mind can stray away from godly precepts, and setting the Bible aside for too long allows doubt and worry to worm their way into my life and heart. There are times when I have to lockdown my thinking along straight paths and promises I've found in the Word that I know lead to healing, life, success and joy.

One of those promises is that I will eventually be able to set my brace aside for good. Thankfully I will always have the Word of God to strengthen and support me, making my spiritual muscles firm and keeping my bones strong.

“So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.”

(Hebrews 12:12-13 AMP, emphasis mine.)

From ACCIDENT to ADVENTURE

“Count it all joy”, the Bible says, “...when you fall into various trials.”

I fell, alright. Slipped on a patch of ice that was hidden from view by the newly fallen snow. I crash-landed on my elbow, breaking the bone in several spots and requiring surgery, plates and screws to put it all back together.

I wasn't feeling particularly joyous when it first happened. Thinking at first that maybe I'd just jammed it, my first thought was just to get home, and I struggled to do so, driving with one hand on snow-covered roads through the increasing storm in the dark of night. Neither did I feel joyful when upon examination I discovered a swollen, discolored, and misshapened mess where my elbow used to be. Although surprisingly not in pain, I was overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events in my life, knowing that in the short term at least, my life was going to change in many ways. But in the three months that have passed since that snowy night, God has taught me how to count joy, using my elbow situation as His textbook of choice. A broken bone is a minor thing compared to the much more difficult life situations a lot of people face. But perhaps the lessons learned in this small matter can apply to much bigger ones, as well.

I long ago learned that there is no point in asking God why something happened; it is an irrelevant point. The better question is to ask Him what He desires to teach us through it, how He plans to use it to somehow work things out to our advantage, as the Bible promises us He will. And so I resolved to look at the upcoming months as an adventure of sorts with God, and simply asked that I not miss the point but have open eyes, ears and heart to whatever He wanted to say.

Surely it was no accident that the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge suddenly came to my attention just two days before the annual event was scheduled to start. While I didn't feel the need to sign up officially this year, I did feel challenged by God to see if I could detail some of the lessons He's taught me, using the same alphabetical and day-to-day format the blogging participants use. Another adventure! I decided to take it on, grateful for the opportunity to formulate my thoughts from the last three months into life lessons I can live by in the future...and hope to have some fun with it along the way!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

(Romans 8:28 NKJV)

Out and About

I took the first walk of the year just now! It was glorious!

Glad to have the day off, I woke up an hour earlier than normal because I had an early morning breakfast date. I wanted to make sure I had time for a cup of coffee with my Best Friend before I had breakfast with my good friend! Both were wonderful. When I met my buddy at the restaurant, she apologized for her casual garb, saying that she was going to go for a walk after her meeting with me. And suddenly I thought, “That's what I'll do! I'll go for a walk today!”

It's been a long, COLD, winter. The snows have been many, although thankfully small, and there was only one ice storm to contend with. But the days in which the high temperatures were in the double digits below zero were simply too much for most of us, myself included. Today's sunshine and warmer weather just beckoned us to take some steps outside!

Still a little chilly at 46 degrees with a good breeze, the sunshine called me forth. I set out eagerly, phone in hand, as much to take pictures as to keep track of the length of my walk for calorie counting purposes. I spotted a couple of beautiful trees; how nice that the conifers have a little bit of time to steal the show while the hardwoods wait on their leaves!

I laughed when I spotted two horses on neighboring pastures, having a chat over the barbed wire fence between them, reminding me forcibly of my friend and I gabbing over the breakfast table! Similarly, the horses seemed to be rejoicing in their freedom from their barns and catching up after so much time apart. I missed seeing them this winter; I'd even wondered if the one homeowner still had a horse tucked away in his barn, so little activity did I see on his land over the winter. It was good to see them out and about once more.

On the return leg I noticed that a lot of trash had accumulated in front of our side lot, buried repeatedly in returning snows but now uncovered and visible. Adding purpose to my hikes, I pick up a piece on each trip. I noted with satisfaction that it looks like I'll be busy for some time.

Off to a good start; I'm ready to welcome Spring!

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come..."

(Song of Songs 2:11-12 NIV)

Failure to Yield

Starting my day with a traffic court appearance was an eye-opener, to say the least.

I hadn't really known what to expect when a recent citation after a morning fender bender demanded my presence at court. I got there early, as I didn't want to start things off poorly with the judge by showing up late. I needn't have worried; the judge was nowhere to be seen. Or perhaps it's standard procedure for His Honor not to show until 40 minutes after the slated hour. Even after he had entered the courtroom, procedural business and various matters took up his attention for quite some time. In fact, it wasn't until we had been sitting before him for two full hours that he was finally ready to tackle the traffic citations awaiting his attention.

He pointed to a man sitting in the front row of chairs and asked his name. Learning that his last name was Stevens, he then directed any of us whose last name began with a letter between “S” and “Z” to line up along the side wall in alphabetical order and await his attention.

It turned out to be an instruction too difficult for us to handle. Three men apparently desperate to get out of the place arose and moved to get in line, making no effort to communicate with each other to follow the judge's instructions. One by one he called them forward, only to find that none of them had last names that fell in the appropriate range. He ranted and raved and berated the men for not following his instructions, repeating them more loudly with each offender. One by one, red-faced and humiliated, they shuffled back to their seats to try again later.

Exasperated himself, the judge next asked for those whose last names began with A through L to line up and arrange themselves in the proper order. Finding myself in that category, I eagerly jumped up and moved to do so. The rest of the group sat in stunned silence; only one other man got up along with me. Learning that his last name began with a “C”, I stepped in front of him and awaited the judge's invitation to step to the platform.

What struck me as most unusual about the strange morning was the judge's method of calling us forward. Surely it would have been much easier to just call us by name as he worked through the stack of folders before him. Perhaps he wanted to reward the man who was brave enough to sit in the front row by taking his case first. Or maybe he needed to relieve the boredom of his job by shaking things up a little bit. Regardless, he put the burden of getting ourselves in proper order on us.

And that, I realized, was what the morning was all about. Over and over I saw people whose lives were out of line stand before a judge and try to make things right. Some had entered treatment programs and were commended for their positive efforts. Others had parents with them to show a strong support system. Many asked for more time to hire lawyers, pay fines, or somehow get their lives back on track. The problem, as was painfully obvious this morning, is that we can't accomplish that feat on our own...and we are running out of time.

Not expecting to be in the courtroom for the length of time that I was, I was painfully aware towards the end of the experience that my parking meter had expired some 45 minutes earlier. As it turned out, my business took no time at all to accomplish. I gave my “no contest” plea to the failure-to-yield charge against me and finally exited the courthouse with $165 less in my bank account than when I'd entered three hours earlier.

It was a good reminder, however, that as the world as we know it accelerates toward end time events, our own final court appearance looms ever closer, a day when we will stand before God Almighty and be judged  according to the lives we have led. Happy then will we be if at some point we turned them over to Jesus, our Advocate, who will stand beside us and declare our debt to have been paid in full on the basis of His actions alone. Should we instead on that day find ourselves having failed to yield control of our lives to the One who loved us and died for us, it will cost us a whole lot more than a few dollars out of our pocket and hours out of our day.

“And all nations shall be gathered before Him. And He shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. And  indeed He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats off the left. Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”

(Matthew 24:32,33,34,41,46)