My Foot.

Hello people who read this and some who don’t but just see the opening lines. HI!!!

Anyway, today I thought I’d write about my foot, you see I broke my heel (official name calcaneum) years ago, I’m not sure exactly when, but more than 13 years ago, probably more like 14 years maybe. It was a horrible break, I came off my horse and tried to land on my feet and just went straight through my left foot and landed facing the other way, on my back. The break went into surrounding bones too (intra articular :)) and had to be repaired by pinning and plating it. There, my medical bit is done, I enjoyed that… So although it was repaired in a way and the surgeon was brilliant, it and the joint to the ankle often gets very stiff and painful, particularly if I’ve been very active then sat down for a while, or when I first get up. It loosens off, but I think I do limp a bit, although I try not to.

What I’ve realised this week is that since we’ve been here, my balance and strength in that particular leg/foot has improved vastly. I can now balance on that leg and take weight much more than before, I am much less likely to trip up and am not as anxious about it. What I can only put it down to is that since being here, it’s been quite a physical life. What I mean by that is, fetching and chopping wood, fetching coal, crossing over a very rough drive with large stones that cause my foot to adjust and bend more than it would normally. Also, taking bags of weeds etc when I’ve been gardening right round to the compost heap round the back – it consists of going over the rough stones and up a little incline. Because we have been doing the house up too, you sometimes (usually, at the moment) have to be quite nimble around the house, because otherwise you fall over stuff which seems to make its way into the way of where you walk, no matter how many times you move it.

It was a real moment of ‘wow’ when I realised this. Because it was weird as well, if I couldn’t see where I was going very well or when it was dark, my balance went right off. I suddenly realised as I was carrying a very large bag of mud and weeds up a bank and thought it’s got stronger!

So, difficult times or at least challenging times, are or can be good. They strengthen you and cause you to persevere, they change you. Yes, I am comparing my foot to life in general. If we persevere, if we carry on, we get stronger and eventually can walk properly, or at least with some balance.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Yes that verse is talking about our walk with God and the effect that trials have upon us providing we keep our faith in God and trust Him. The way I see it, it’s a bit like my foot, we have trials, we have tests, like the rocky ground, the walking up the bank/incline, the lugging everything around and walking back and forth to the barn in the pouring rain and howling wind, but it’s all worth it and produces far more than we even realise.

God has far more for us than we realise, it also says this in the bible. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20). God is the power at work in us, providing we know Him. We need to trust Him, walk with Him, trust He is working in our lives, partner with Him. He will build us up, we don’t build ourselves up, God does.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:10-11).

I love Psalm 46, when I first got to know Jesus I wrote down a whole host of scriptures about fear that I carried around with me and the beginning of Psalm 46 was included and goes like this:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Psalm 46:1-3).

Isn’t that beautiful? I know I always seem to say that, but it is. Say it out loud, think it, believe it. He is wonderful. No matter how I/you are feeling, no matter what is going on, no matter what anyone else says or thinks or does, no matter anything! Those words are true. He also has a place prepared for you in which you will be far longer than you or I am here on this earth, it’s called Heaven and is far more than any of us can imagine. There is a condition though, you have to come to God through Jesus.

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9).