Well? How many excuses start with this word?
I use to work with a fella in the eighties that would hear that word and before another could be said he would say, “That’s a deep subject for such a shallow mind.” The shallowness of the mind will always be in question in the case of an accident. This was my case yesterday while cutting the grass. The yard was finally dry enough to catch up on the mowing without plowing up the yard with the tires . . . or so I thought. I cut near the base of a tree by the ditch and . . . well . . . I got stuck. Walked out to the tractor so I could pull the lawnmower out of the mire. Hooked up the chain and out it came. Took the muddy mower to higher ground and spun it around to get the mud off it. Reared it up and slammed it down to knock the mud off and . . . well . . . that’s when it happened. My foot got jammed between the mower adjustment pedal and the deck of the mower and I found myself looking down at my right foot and seeing my toes pointing right back up at me. My Achilles tendon hyper extended and pulled a piece of bone right off the top of my heel instead of snapping in half. Boy oh boy did that smart! Praise His Holy Name, I got off the mower and walked back to the tractor to drive it back to the barn. Geri, my wife, noticed I was limping pretty bad and was concerned. McKenzie, my oldest grand-daughter, asked me if I hurt myself. Decided to work past the pain and do some gardening. Unhooked the box scraper from the tractor and hooked up my tiller. Tilled up my garden and drove up the lane and tilled up both of my neighbor’s gardens. Went inside and got a shower feeling pretty good about the foot feeling better.
Woke up this morning . . . well . . . couldn’t walk. Hopped to the bathroom and took a shower and my wife and grand-daughter took me to Patient First. Blood pressure was good. X-ray showed the cause of us spending the first day of Spring Break at the doctor’s office. After being referred to an Orthopedic Specialist we sat in that office for a few hours [I’m told this is a regular occurrence in most sports medicine practices]. Doctor immobilized my ankle for 6 to 8 weeks, put me on crutches and told me I’d need corrective surgery for this soon to scrape my heel bone and reattach the tendon.
Well, I could start feeling sorry for myself right now. I have a right to don’t I? My plans this week were not to be laid up with a bum foot. With Spring Break going on, my wife and I could get a lot done at the house this week. The grass is starting to get tall. I really don’t have time for this right now. I’m supposed to baptize my oldest two grandsons next Sunday. Should I blame God for this? Must I curse the devil? James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” This concept never makes any sense to anyone until after the process is over.
God can and will use this whether I give it to Him or not. Why not be a willing participant and get the blessing from this? Well . . . maybe I just want to get mad at what happened. I have a right too. I’m mad and I’m not going to take it anymore!
Or . . . I can praise God that this wasn’t worse. I can pray for those who are much worse off. Thank my heavenly Father for His grace and His mercy. He’s already blessed me. I have a wife He blessed me with that is ever by my side. My children are stepping up to help with stuff we had planned on doing. My church family has stepped up to help with some needs. My deacon chairman drove me to Monday Night Man Time at church tonight and my Pastor has volunteered to preach both services for me this Sunday so I can take my time baptizing my grandsons. My deacons have volunteered to do some things around the church too.
Well . . . the world would say, curse God and die. I choose to praise God and live.
What is your choice today? The answer really isn’t all that deep. Well?