Joy in our Journey Through Hardship

Our life is full of events, some we just don't understand.  Sometimes simple things like a bicycle,  accident can lead us in directions that we could have never imagined.

Our 15 year old son, had a very basic bicycle accident while on vacation this past summer.  Long story made short, he ended up with a bad break in his upper arm with a t-break down toward his elbow.  His accident was on July 3.  It is now 4 months later, and we are still taking him to intense therapy, have lived through 4 different surgeries, still have an open wound draining in his elbow, are trying to have him do home school for a month so he can work physical therapy throughout the day to keep his arm from freezing up from scar tissue, and have been recommended to see a plastic surgeon now to help restore some tissue in his elbow so his wound will heal.  Sometimes it is hard not to say, "are you kidding me, I need this challenge to be over".

But, each time we spend at the hospital for his surgeries, I am humbled by the challenges of those around us.  This past week, there was a boy in the room next to us that had an amputation from the  knee, another boy had both legs amputated from the knee, a mother in a wheel chair was there with her child who had both legs in braces with walking issues, another family had two sons in wheel chairs with physical and mental issues.  I stop and look around me at a friend who's daughter gave birth to a baby at 21 weeks--the baby died after a week.  Another family just lost a battle with their son to cancer, leaving a one week old baby and darling wife, while the same family deals with the father having MS, and struggling immensely.  My sweet sister continues to struggle to support her family while her x-husband spends time in prison.  Everywhere I turn, there are people struggling with huge challenges, so as my son was able to walk out of the hospital with intense challenges ahead, I almost felt guilty for ever being frustrated for our problems.

Now as I sit in the hospital room, with my son going through yet another surgery to find out what is causing infection, and seeing him hooked up to a picc line to be on antibiotics for 6-8 weeks at home, I am a little worn out, but have to stop and look at the wonderful blessing of doctors and people who dedicate their life to help us to be able to live healthy lives.  I am inspired by those around me.  While waiting for my son to come out of surgery, I visited with a darling gal who's daughter was also going through surgery.  While attending to her daughter, her car was totalled by a friend who was driving her two children to school in an act of service.  Later, I found out that this gal has two children in wheelchairs, and now having to worry about retrieving her purse, and Christmas gifts from her car, insurance premiums going up, a friend who certainly was tramatized, and getting a new car.  My heart went out to her.  She shed a few tears, but bursting from her countenance was the sweetest light, from graciousness, kindess.  With everyone she spoke, she radiated love, friendship, and admiration.  A being seeming so perfect, definetly had her own physical challenges as well as those of her children.

The fact is that while on this earth, we will be tested and tried, each differently.  We will face amazing triumph and defeat. Many of our experiences will force us to soley rely upon God.  Through faith and hope, we can be optomistic for our future, and find joy in our challenging moments. By asking God to help us to appreciate the postive in all things, I think we can quietly move away from deep sorrow, anxiety, deppresson, and can have joy in our times of struggle.