Weeks after writing about Love, God’s love, my life hit rock bottom. On average, I’m always on the move. I rarely sit still. I go from the first floor to the second floor of my house working on different things. I’m in and out of my (adjoining) workshop. It’s in one door, out the next. Our home has one door to the workshop, one across it to the back of the house, and about forty feet away, the main entrance.
Sunday, March 10, I had gotten up during the night as usual, no problem. When morning came, however, I couldn’t move! I could not get from the bed to the en suite bathroom. I had to ask my wife to help me. This was the beginning of my woes! I felt a pinch on my lower back, on the right side. But the pain was really in my right knee and thigh. It felt as if my thigh was going in one direction but the knee in another. At night the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t sleep on the bed, I couldn’t turn right, left, or face-down. My only recourse was my wife’s recliner. That became my bed for eleven days.
Monday, March 11 we headed to the chiropractor. He aligned my back but not my right thigh or knee. A few days later we headed to the hospital for x-rays and pain killers. The x-rays showed my leg and knee were fine, but still the pain continued. This week, being my birthday week meant I had to renew my driver’s license, no easy task in Puerto Rico. Can you renew it over the phone? NO! Can you renew it via email? NO! One has to be present with some 300 people who begin lining up outside at 4 a.m. to be ‘first’ on line. Something that is common everywhere out here. Need to see the doctor? Show up at 5 or 6 a.m. along with another 100 people and wait for him/her to show up at 11 or at 1 p.m. – if he’ll show up at all. Regardless, I was able to get it done. Of course, the picture of my face shows all the pain I was feeling! It’s a great picture to show the cops if pulled over! They’ll either let me go or think I’m impersonating someone else!
Nevertheless, a few days later we headed to a physical therapist and underwent eight therapies. This is where the real test began. I had to lie face-down on the massage-type bed while getting rubbed down. The bed has a hole where my face would go rendering me unable to look anywhere but down. I swore there was a 250 lb. man nearly crushing me. I thought they’d have to peel me off the mat. Then I heard the 5’10” 130 lb. girl instruct me on what to do next! I learned she’s someone you can’t mess with, for sure!
While some type of electrical current would be running down my back for 20 mins. I knew I had to do something to survive. Typically, I can’t stay still and now I was unable to do anything for all that time. I figured the best I could do was design our future house! And so, I did the same thing for eight sessions, each time choosing a different room, a different angle; sometimes the insides, other times from the outside.
What can we learn from all this??? That pain stinks??? No! I’ve learned that while pain isn’t enjoyable, one can make the best of it. Maybe the last thing you want is to be able to laugh. Maybe you just want to be angry at what you’re going through. You probably have all the reasons in the world to feel so. But I know that we can temporarily change our circumstances if we change our attitudes towards our problems. It’s been six long weeks where I haven’t been able to do practically anything I normally do. I’m just beginning to walk without a cane and without holding on to everything around me. I’m finally back in my king-sized bed – Hallelujah!
We all have different trials – each one creatively designed by God; custom-fitted for our lives! He is the author and finisher of our lives, so He know what we’re going through and for how long. During this Easter Season, I so much wanted Him to ‘speak’ healing for me. I wanted Him to raise me up miraculously, but He didn’t. I wanted one of those miracles I’ve read about in the Bible or have seen in those great holy week movies. But, to no avail. I’m sure glad to be alive, though. I know that in His time complete healing will come! On a day like today, He rose from the dead to give you eternal life, to take away your sins, to make you His son/daughter. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. Had you been the only person on earth, He would have gone to the cross just to buy your soul; to redeem you.
The religious leaders of His day were all looking for physical evidence that Jesus was the messiah. They expected His birth to have been in an expensive home with a gold-plated crib, 24k. milk bottle, garments of the best silk, utensils of top quality, and parents who were prestigious in the community. Perhaps even members of their select groups. But Jesus chose to deliver them and us from spiritual bondage and so His appearance on this earth was the unexpected to teach us everything was planned and ordained by God Himself.
Yes, pain isn’t something to look forward to or to laugh at, yet Christ went to the cross “For the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). He looked beyond the insults, shame and pain
to the outcome and significance of the cross; eternity with Him in a restored, sinless world with a mansion prepared just for us. Where we’ll fellowship or have conversations with Him anytime and every-time we so desire!
Will you allow Him to resurrect in your heart today?