I arrived for knee replacement surgery as if I were sliding into second base during a winning ball game. For years I had been having water drained off my knee, getting steroid shots, and wearing protective wraps in order to walk a rugged trail or ski an easy slope. But it became a no brainer—my knee was shot. Hearing it would be the most intrusive surgery and painful recovery I distracted myself with life as normal including bike rides and even speaking out of town the day before. Waking up (literally) to reality after surgery, I sometimes lost sight of the good this surgery is working for me. Pain can do that. It dulled my spirit even as I received abundant care. So I began to practice a morning and evening exercise that is renewing my spirit. I open my eyes to the day and remind myself of what God’s love for me means. And as I close my eyes at night, I recount how He has been faithful to me during the day. As I complete week four post-surgery, I sense I am turning a corner, coming alive, and getting closer to walking out my door and down the hill with a new knee that will open up pain-free opportunities.
The Treasure: It is good to give thanks to the LORD … to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. (Psalm 92:1-2, ESV)
If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:
Have you ever been in a rocky spot and you didn’t know if you were ever going to get out? Rocky places can be dangerous. We can get stuck there, we can become distressed … and despondent. But in every rocky place there are lessons to be learned. I think most of my lessons have been learned when I have been between a rock and a hard place. But beyond the rocks you can see down there a trail going out from the rocks that’s heading up over into more beautiful places. So we make meaning in the rocky places and walk out of them with our hand in God’s. Putting our hand into the hand of God is the way to live life to the full. We learn to trust him and to be on a sacred adventure with him when life seems to make no sense, because He makes sense out of the places in our lives that we feel are a waste. It’s a wonderful thing to know that we are not destined to stay in rocky places, but that we can come to new vistas. That’s my prayer for myself, and honestly, my prayer for you too.
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