#God had a plan. Oh yes he did.
So many things to accomplish, so many things to be learned through living them. The chain of events was perfect – what else could we expect from our Lord.
I needed to become present in my family’s lives. What better way than to thrust me into the center of our daily lives and make me the one responsible for keeping everything moving. I could not run off and hide in front of the TV, or this laptop. Jennifer depended on me for everything during those first few weeks. Every trip to the bathroom, every shower, and every glass of water. Jack was not getting to or from school without me, nor would he have breakfast or lunch to eat.
I needed to appreciate Jenny’s amazing contributions to our family. I was taking for granted the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I was more than willing to excuse myself when it was homework time. I was enjoying my time inside when Jenny was outside with our #neighbors way too much. It all fell on me, in one instant, and I would grow to understand her importance almost immediately.
I needed to trust God more and leave things in his hands when they were too big for mine. I had no control over how her surgery went – I needed to leave it up to Him. I had no idea how Jenny would get around the house or when I’d be able to return to work. I needed to leave it up to Him. God delivered an outpouring of love and support. Neighbors brought meals. My boss came over and built ramps for Jenny’s scooter. Two wonderful women came into our lives, stepping forward to bring Jack home from school each day.
The lessons weren’t just mine to learn, though…
Broken Leg, Broken Fears
Jenny conquered some fears of her own and I’m so proud of her for trusting in the Lord and allowing him to do his amazing work through her. Jennifer has always been deathly afraid of general anesthesia (no pun intended) so just having surgery was a major accomplishment. Just days before the surgery she would pull me close to her and tell me she wanted a closed casket and Amazing Grace played, instead of Ave Maria. She decided, during our meeting with the anesthesiologist just minutes before the operation, to move forward with general vs. local. Truly the #Holy Spirit at work.
Jenny fought through pain and fatigue to start helping with dishes, cooking and laundry. She didn’t have to but it was her way of saying, “We’re all in this together.” Just a few minutes ago, Jenny was out in the garage practicing getting into and out of the car with her scooter. Now that she’s been cleared to walk as much as she can tolerate, she felt it was time to start getting back into her old routine. I stood by her side and saw the meaning of perseverance up close. I was inspired.
Jenny also needed to learn to trust me as a leader of our household. It’s easy to become a micromanager when you hand over the reins to someone else. It’s hard to sit back and believe in that person to do what needs to be done so you can focus on recovering. There were struggles, for both of us. In the end, she saw that I could take over in a pinch and keeps things from falling apart at the seams. Sure I made mistakes, but none were life threatening and none couldn’t be fixed.
The Power of Community
#Thank you so much to everyone who prayed, brought food, and provided assistance during this time. It’s not over but things are returning to normal, slowly but surely. If not for our neighbors and our parish, we’d be spent. Instead we’re energized and ready to keep the healing process moving, “full steam ahead.” If not for God, our family would be a rudderless ship adrift in rough seas. Thank you Lord.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4
Revisit…A Preview to The Broken Leg
Revisit…The Broken Leg – Part I
Revisit…The Broken Leg – Part II