Last week, I experienced a little “situation.”
I was in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower when, for some reason, I slipped and went crashing to the floor.
At my 70-something age, this is a rather serious “situation.” I fell on my left leg, and all I could think of was I’d broken my hip, and now was headed for a hip replacement. I tried to get that out of my mind, but it lingered.
I’m not exactly sure what my problem was, but I couldn’t get up. What bothered me just as much was whether I should call for The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, for help or lie there struggling to get on my feet.
I threw my pride into the toilet (pun intended) and called out for her. Believe me, I tried as much as possible to avoid that plea for help. Over the years, I’ve discovered Martha can solve any problem, so my choice was obvious.
She came and saw me splattered all over the bathroom floor and asked, “What happened?”
I was anxious to know the full extent of my injuries. Within 30 minutes of her helping me, I finally was able to get out of the bathroom and into the bedroom on the bed. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life.
I sat on the bed for a few moments, trying to assess my situation. I checked my leg for swelling or pain, and thankfully, I had no broken bones and my hip was working just fine. I sighed in relief at that point.
The only thing I had was some fatigue in my left leg. It wasn’t anything serious so I felt confident I didn’t need to go to the hospital.
Every time I go to the hospital, they find six or more things wrong that I never even thought of. So, I decided to rest at home and work on my “boo-boo,” hoping it would heal on its own.
For the last two weeks I’ve walked with a cane. That’s not something I ever wanted to do.
To that, Martha said, “Don’t you know that a Cane can make you Able?”
I looked at her with a very suspicious stare because I remembered what Cain did to Abel. Oh boy, what am I in for?
I’ve had to face worse physical problems than this, and I was happy I didn’t have to go to the hospital. It just meant that I needed to slow down and let everything work itself out.
A lot of things in life really zap your strength. I know I’ve been hit with a lot of “pie-inthe- face” stuff throughout life. Sometimes this stuff is exaggerated to make it seem worse than it really is.
Reflecting on this, I see some things, like my fall, can surprisingly turn into blessings, reminding us to find hope in setbacks. Second Corinthians has a related verse.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
— 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4
Sometimes it takes trouble to experience the comfort of God. So, when in trouble look for God’s comfort because it’s right in front of you.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is jamessnyder5’@gmail.com.
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