August 18-24, 2011 Limited Mobility, Endless Determination

     I may have limited mobility, which slows down my blogging, but I have endless determination to keep going despite any and all obstacles.  Never having broken anything more than a finger or toe in my life, I am gaining new perspective on having the use of two arms and hands. The biggest challenges so far are working on a computer all day long, pulling my hair back into a ponytail or braid, and working with food (including cutting with a knife, opening bottles, cans, and bags). I cannot move my arm back to reach around my hair, and the use of my fingers sends an ache up the cracked bone in my arm.  In fact, this is the first time since my accident that I have typed anything with both hands.  I started using the mouse with my right hand again yesterday after getting my splint off on Tuesday afternoon, but typing was still difficult and may continue to be at work since my keyboard is higher up on my desk than the one in my lap at home right now.  The good news is that the bone is not displaced, and I do not have to have a cast or any type of surgery to repair the damage, so I am already able to start working back towards full mobility unlike the amazing girl in the movie Soul Surfer that we watched just last week.

     My determination is nothing compared to hers. Bethany Hamilton lost an entire arm to a shark and was back surfing within 3 weeks of this potentially tragic and fatal event in her life. She is now a professional surfer and also an amazing example of what faith can do in the life of a believer! The things I am struggling with temporarily, she had to figure out a way to handle permanently.  Cutting up fruit for her family’s breakfast, pulling her hair back to surf (which she will never be able to do by herself again), and surfing with one arm (I can’t even do that with two arms). She figured it all out in record time, and God has used her in great ways because of the loss of her arm.   It just goes to show that sometimes God allows difficult or challenging things to happen in order to do greater things through our lives to touch others and bless us at the same time.  If you ask God to use you to serve others, He will, but you better be prepared for anything in the process of getting to where He has planned for you to be.  I’ve gone through a lot to be with my boys, but my relationship with them now is better than it has ever been because I was willing to work through that and suffer myself in order to get there.  I am in no way comparing my small life challenges to Bethany’s, but God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He doesn’t give us more than handle. What He does do is give us plenty of chances to grow, gain character, and become more like Him when we accept Him into our hearts and lives.   Thank you, God, for your servant Bethany, and for all the faith and character building experiences in life and using them for our good and for helping others gain peace and a stronger relationship with You.