Be Careful What You Pray For

A few years ago Connie and I were discussing our future, and how we would be able to retire. We have changed jobs so often over the past 20 years that we didn't have much retirement to count on. Connie would retire in about 6 years, and I would follow 5 years later. Or at least we thought.

We prayed about it, and turned it over to God. Little did we know that He would answer our prayer soon after, and not in a way we had imagined.

A few short months afterward, Connie had a massive stroke, spent seven days in Intensive Care and an additional 23 days in Rehab. Due to the associated problems, she is on permanent disability, and is receiving disability pay. Ding. Ding. Connie is not working and receiving pay ... a type of "retirement" in a sense.


Fast forward one and one-half years. My health has gotten to the point where I am no longer able to work. I too am placed on permanent disability, and receive disability pay. And, ding, ding. I am not working and getting paid ... again a type of "retirement", not asked for, but provided.


God most certainly answered our prayers, but not in the way we would like; but they were answered. When we pray, we must be willing to have our prayers answered in any way that God sees fit. He knows our lives, and He knows what is best for us. How He chooses to get us through life is His. I feel it is most important to pray for His guidance, and our acceptance of where that leads. 


So pray, not for your goal in mind, but for His guidance and leading to wherever we need to be. That is true "trusting and obeying"!


The greatest tour guide in the world: just hop on the bus, and he'll take us where we need to be.















 

Just When You Thought Things Couldn't Get Any Worse ...

My poor wife has gone through hell since her stroke last March, and the last thing she needed happened last Monday. While trying to move the trash can, it twisted and, in the words of the orthopedist, shattered her left wrist and sprained her back. She wasn't able to stand, so after crawling across the driveway and through the garage to the phone, she called and told me what had happened. I could tell in her voice that she was shocky, and after ending the call I drove the 35 miles home. On my way I called the local police, and they went and checked on her.

When I arived home, it was obvious that her wrist was broken. She didn't want to go to the doctor, so I agreed and recommended that we wait a while to see if it was actually broken. Her pain was almost unbearable for most of the evening and the next morning. Around 1:00 pm we decided to go to the emergency room, and they confirmed what we really knew; she had shattered her left wrist. Her left arm was put in a cast, and surgery scheduled for the next day to realign the bones and put in two pins. This was the first time that Connie had ever been under anasthesia, in surgery or even taken pain killer.

She sees this as a big setback in her recovery from the stroke. I spend most of my time reminding her that this is a temporary situation, we can continue with her therapy and she will not lose ground.

I am flying by tthe seat of my pants, having never experienced anything like this. I don' knoow what I should do, I just know what feel right, and that's wha we do. This is the steepest roller coaster ride I've ever been on, and I don't see any end in sight.

My prayer: "God, please don't let my mania or depression kick now, for neither one of us could stand it. Amen."

Winston