I was really enjoying some relaxing hammock time on Haviland Lake outside of Durango, Colorado. I could have kept reading my good book, but Zoe, my English Spaniel, was whimpering for me to take her down to the lake waterfront. Of course, I gave in to her wining. So, off we went down to the river for a doggie swim.
The sprinkles were beginning to turn into more significant raindrops. Zoe, thinking they were fish, was bouncing in and out of the water, wanting to catch them. In one unsuspecting moment, her tug whirled me into an almost 360 degree circle, all the while my feet planted firmly in the ground. I looked down to see my mangled ankle out of place, screaming in pain for someone to come quick. As I lay there on the ground screaming, I felt God's nearness, even despite not seeing any people.
It took a while for someone to hear me. This was shocking, given my uncanny ability to scream. Soon, I saw one of our friends paddling toward me in a kayak. Then, an army medic ran over to lend a hand. Another brought ice. In time, my husband, Ben, other friends ran to my side. Finally, we saw the ambulance make its way into the park. Even then, it took a bit of time to get down the rocky hill with all their equipment.
Once in the hospital, we were surrounded by capable medical people who cared for me in such a beautiful way. Before long, I took a "time out" pill that allowed me to opt out of watching the ankle get back into place. The diagnosis? Broken tibia and fibula and dislocation. Now, here I am, back at the condo, surrounded by dear friends and feeling loved. Just moving is painful. Just thinking about life without exercise is hard. Just thinking about how we're going to drive home and get in and out of the truck is hard. Things are just plain hard right now.
Do you have times when life is just hard? Where your circumstances seem so overwhelming? Where you don't know how you're going to make it through the next day? I remember telling someone not too long ago that I had made it this far in life without one significant broken bone. How quickly things change. We really aren't in control, are we? Thankfully, God is in control and longs for us to trust Him.
We can't always count on our circumstances being the way we want them to be. There are times when life is just plain hard. However, I am comforted by God's truth in scripture: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."(Isaiah 26:3) Even as I lay there screaming beside the lake, I felt this perfect peace. I know I will need God desperately in the days ahead. He will be my perfect peace. He will get me through.
"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust Him." Nahum 1:7
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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