YEAR (and KNEE) in REVIEW

Merry Christmas from Ecuador!

Knee Injury Update: Walking Again!

 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me (Dave) as I recover from a ruptured ACL and a torn meniscus.  After a three hour surgery and a month of physical therapy I am walking again. 

Whoever told me that the first month would be very difficult wasn’t exaggerating.  There were sleepless nights, a few falls, debilitating fears and moments of intense pain. 

But there have also been numerous signs of God’s grace:  beginning with the surprising number of meals from friends, the concerns of my students, the countless prayers, and new insight into our walk with Christ.

There were two constants for the first several weeks after the surgery; pain and people asking me about that pain.  I never really knew how to respond to the question, “Does it hurt?” Hard pressed to explain what I was feeling, my default answer was, “Yes, but it’s good pain… I hope.” 

Even my physical therapist would insist on asking me how my pain was as she bent my reconstructed knee in half.  “Yes, it still hurts!  But it’s good pain…right?” I would say with a grimace. 

 At first I was unable to discern the difference between good pain - pain that strengthens - and bad pain - pain that damages.  Likewise it was difficult to tell the difference between comfort that restores and comfort that debilitates.

However, now that I am done with thirty sessions of therapy I have gained the wisdom to know when to push through the pain and when to back off, when to rest in comfort and when to flee from it. 

Learning to walk as a follower of Christ isn’t any different.  Wisdom is the ability to know when to embrace suffering that leads to the strengthening of our faith and to delight in His comfort when it restores our souls.  These two gifts, suffering and comfort, often seem to conflict with each other.  Through time, prayer and reflection we will learn to embrace both of them as tools in the hands of the great physician who longs for us to walk by the freedom of His Spirit.

2014 in Photos: 

Dave celebrated with grads of the class of 2014

We made it to Machu Picchu with Dave's family

We enjoyed a family reunion
 at Dave's uncle's home in Pucallpa, Peru

We gathered with the Bible Study Fellowship
small group Beth leads

We baptized our son Luke!

Thank you for your friendship in 2014. 

We look forward to journeying together in 2015!