July was not at all what I had planned or expect. It started off with getting a cavity filled…and went downhill fast.
Well…sort of.
On the 2nd we set off on a 2 day adventure to New York City that included an auto, train and subway. We had a fabulous time of fun, laughter and togetherness and made many memories.
But what got the most laughs was when I fell down a flight of stairs head first as we were attempting to check out of our hotel.
It was terrifying and hilarious all wrapped up in a bunch of bruises, aches, pains and a little cut that altered my whole month.
I never would’ve expected that a nice, straight cut that was about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide would end up sending me to be admitted into the hospital for 5 days almost 2 weeks after I fell. Force me to be on 7 different antibiotics during the course of 3 weeks. Literally knock me down that I couldn’t get up and stand tall for a few weeks.
But God…..isn’t that phrase amazing!!! But God taught me some beautiful truths during my injury and recovery, and although I would’ve loved to skip all of this (and put my foot on the first stair of that staircase instead of in mid-air!) I am thankful for the ways He showed Himself to be faithful.
1.) God is our Protector…but sometimes He lets us deal with the consequences of our stupidity
Like looking at train schedules on your phone when you should be looking at where you’re stepping while walking down stairs.
2.) Not being focused, being distracted, is not only sometimes physically dangerous, but impacts your relationships
See above 😉 I felt like ‘I’ was away from my family this whole month. Doctor appointments…5 days in the hospital…not to mention needing to rest…not being able to participate in fun activities with my kids…not feeling like ‘myself’.
3.) When we pay attention, God often shows up in such a sweet way
Like when I was driving home from the doctor to pack a bag and have my husband drive me to the hospital, knowing I was going to get admitted. God didn’t have to send a little rainbow in a cloud, but He did.. because He loves me and wanted to remind me of the promises He made to me in His Word. And if I hadn’t have been paying attention…I would’ve missed it.
4.) It could always, always be worse
Yes….I was covered in bruises, still have a gross wound that is slowly healing, have shoulder pain that needs testing to determine if I tore something, have a large bump on my other leg…all a month after I fell.
But how much worse it could’ve been.
I don’t need to look far to realize I could’ve hit my head and sustained a brain injury. I have a friend who’s husband passed out at work (they don’t know why) hitting his head and he had less than a 1% chance of survival. Praise God…he’s going to be ok. He is a walking miracle! But this reminds me how much worse my fall could’ve been, and I’ve been continually thankful that God protected my from any further injury.
5.) It’s ok to be weak and cry sometimes
I’m a crier…but usually at movies, commercials (every Christmas Pete gets me every time when he comes home from Africa and makes coffee!!!) not at my life. But when you’ve been in pain for weeks, are lonely and exhausted in the hospital, feeling overwhelmed with doctors visits…it’s ok to cry. This has been hard for me to give myself over to, as I try to ‘keep it together’. But I’ve realized it’s ok to cry. And sometimes, you feel all the better after it.
6.) You really find out who your friends are
When you’re in the hospital, those people who visit, send flowers, call, text you frequently, find fill-ins for your carpool day, bring dinner to your family, show up with bags of groceries for your kids who are home missing their mama (ok….they played a LOT of video games..I don’t think they missed me too much! 😉 ), offer to clean your house, offer to come 500 miles to help you and your family…
these are your people.
And it can be eye-opening. People that you thought would be there…weren’t. And people you wouldn’t have expected to show up, did.
7.) And when you know how much it hurts when your friends don’t ‘show up’ to visit/help/support you like you wish they had, you need to be the friend to others that you wish you had.
A week after I got out of the hospital, a girl from church delivered a baby with a birth defect that only survived a few days. She passed away on a Sunday, and even though it was a crazy busy day for us, and the hospital was not close to home, and I was nervous to visit as I’m not very close with her and unsure of what to say to a mom who’s baby just passed away…I went. And I hugged her, took her a gift, and told her I was there if she needed anything and that I loved her. Because of when I stopped in, her nurse needed to attend to her, so I only stayed for a minute. But over an hour of driving, changing my schedule, and getting over my nerves was worth it to show a sister that she had someone who cared. And I’d do it all over again. And I pray that God will continually prick my heart to put people ahead of my plans.
How was your July? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
