I had a freak accident the other day.  I twisted my leg at the knee and bruised and scratched up my head with the ground.  I thought that it really hurt when it happened, but it was no big deal.  So, I went limping off to plow, but it began to hurt worse and worse until the pain began to compare to when I’d broken my leg a few years back.  There was throbbing pain down my leg, and my foot started to feel like nerve throbbing.  That night, I tried to be completely still as my leg would spasm with the smallest of movement.  Needless to say, I got no sleep even after taking 8 ibuprofen in a desperate attempt to control the pain.

It was still throbbing the next day, so I went to urgent care.  The negative part of my brain, the devil, kept saying, “It’s a fracture, torn ligaments, ham string, etc.  You’re going to need crutches and be out of commission for at least 8 weeks.”  The thought of being inactive was the most mentally painful thing I could imagine.

Then the spiritual part of my brain kicked in and said, “Is it your life, or is it Jesus’ life?”

I said, “My life is His.”
The spirit again asked, “Does God do anything outside of purpose?”
“No,” I replied, “never.”
“Do all things work together for the good?” the Spirit inquired.
“Yes,” I said, “Romans 8:28 says ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
The spirit asked, “Does that cover this injury?”
I had to relinquish, “Yes.  No matter the diagnosis. It is in God’s hands.”

The anxiety lifted.  I wasn’t happy or without pain, but there was a resolve that a sovereign God was in control, and it was for purpose.  After x-rays and physical examinations, the doc said that I had no broken bones, but I was possibly suffering from a torn meniscus.  I needed two weeks on crutches, then we would see.  Great news to me: no cast, no surgery, just inactivity.  God’s been healing my leg since then.

So God gave me a real big dose of patience.  I need to stop, reflect, and pray for more understanding and guidance.  Apparently, God thought I needed more downtime with Him to help me reestablish my priorities.  It’s not over.  And it still hurts, but not as much.  It reminds me that, like Jacob in the Bible, God can touch us physically to make a very resounding spiritual point.

Somehow knowing that God is sovereign and moves for our good through purpose helped me swallow a bitter pill more easily.

– Written by Pa

The picture shows Pa in the garden outworking all of us.

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