" And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.
He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you;
do not fear nor be dismayed.”
He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you;
do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8
The diagnosis came with little encouragement. My PC doctor had already prescribed the new medication. So the word from Mayo Clinic was…
“Keep doing what you are doing”
and they gave me an order for physical therapy. We had hoped for more encouraging instructions so went went home a little discouraged.
I was now suffering with side effects of staying still so long. I had already developed a DVT (blood clot) in my leg and had been hospitalized. And now I had frozen shoulder. I could not raise my arms above my head due to being in a wheelchair for a month or two, I was having to work my legs to be able to walk again. And yes, I still had the instability from the Dis-embarkment Syndrome, though I’ll admit that it was not as obvious with the pain overcoming it.
My family loved to joke about it whenever I complained about feeling ‘dizzy’,
“Oh, your pain must be less today.”
It really was something to be thankful for because the dizziness is much easier to deal with than the pain.
If you have ever had physical therapy, than you know that this is no cake walk. Moving your arms and legs that have not been used for a while is painful. Just walking your fingers up the wall is a task, but I was determined to do it. I was thankful to have a caring therapist, who was very encouraging and understanding that it was not easy. It was easy to be discouraged, but when I looked around the therapy room, I realized that there were many worse off than myself. I really had nothing to complain about.
Sometimes, I would begin thinking that I was looking at a life long issue, not something that would go away after time. The discouragement would come over me. I knew that the muscles would probably strengthen, but I would be dealing with pain probably the rest of my life.
I called on the Lord. He was always right there. I would think of how much he suffered for me and again I realized that I had nothing to complain about. HE was here with me now and He had already been down this road. He would sustain me. I would then try to put my mind on those that had it worse than I, encouraging them and lifting them up in prayer.
At home, I was spending a lot of time in a chair, so I took up crocheting again. I hadn’t done it in many years, but was actually enjoying it more now. I made angel dishcloths for all the ladies at church at Christmas time. Now I wondered what else I could do. It came to me to start making a shawl for all the shut-ins.
What a joy it was to present these gifts to the elderly from our church. It was always the highlight of my week.
And then there were babies to make blankets for. ...
This is only a sampling of what I have done. It's been my joy.
What do you like to do to reach out to others?
What a wonderful way to bring something positive out of such a hard situation! I love crochet but it takes me forever to get anything done with the tiny amounts of time I sit and do it. I love making homemade gifts for people.
ReplyDeleteI was always very slow because of not having time which is probably also why, the stitches were never even!
DeleteNow it doesn't take that long to whip one out. Ha! Last year between church and family, we had 6 babies born.I stayed busy!
Thank you for sharing your struggles. And for the reminder that He is always right there. I love the shawls and blankets you have made. I do not crochet but admire so those who do. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. I wish I could cross stitch. Maybe I should try again to learn now. :)
DeleteBeautiful handmade items!! I learned to knit many years ago and I did enjoy the finished product - especially the ones I gave away. I was thinking of taking up knitting again, especially to knit gifts to give away. For now, I donate my time at church; send handwritten notes; and call to encourage others!!!!! Discouragement is a hard one, especially when you feel less than well. I, too, think of how Jesus suffered for me and how others have it worse and I press on!!! God bless you sweet sister!!!
ReplyDeleteI write notes too! I realized a few years back that the widows of pastors are often forgotten about so I try to keep it touch with them.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had to slow down my physical activity this summer, I decided to use my "spare" time to practice piano more. It's a gift that I often let go untended, but playing the piano was something that didn't cause me pain. I scheduled myself to be the church accompanist more often and enjoyed that time I spent with the Lord.
ReplyDeleteI have been playing the piano more too. It has always been a stress releaser for me. And now with joint pain, just trying to keep the movement I have. Thanks for reading and responding
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