I'm Back!

View of Norris Lake from the Chalet

            2014 held such promise. I was excited about blogging about the people, activities, and interests of the Lawai Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then at the end of March, everything changed. I was called back to Tennessee to work with my kids on a major renovation of our ministry home (the Chalet) on Norris Lake. Two and a half months later, after attending my first grandchild’s high school graduation, then visiting my sister in Oklahoma, and finally fulfilling a speaking appointment at the White Memorial Church in Los Angeles, I was looking forward to getting back to my responsibilities here in Kauai—which included blogging.

Exercising on our Quadriciser

             Instead, I fell off a step-ladder, broke my femur (in three places at the hip), had surgery and spent a month in the hospital and rehab facility. I came home July 13 thinking, “As soon as I learn to walk again, I’ll start blogging.” Now, I realize walking without a limp may take a lot longer than I thought. So, I just got off the Quadriciser—that’s the exercise machine that’s helping me put myself back together—and limped over to my computer—and said, “It’s time!”

            So much has happened in the five months I’ve been either off island or rehabbing, that I hardly know where to start. Maybe I should start with this thought:

I'm back taking care of my husband.
Sept. 1 we celebrate our 51st wedding anniversary.

Recovery takes time; it takes patience;

It takes everything you’ve got,

But with God all things are possible.

            I have a new appreciation for those who are challenged physically. It’s easy to be discouraged when you don’t feel good, can’t do what you’d like to do, and are pretty much helpless! But hold on, keep a song in your heart, and don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. I praise God for professional caregivers who knew what to do to get me moving again, for a son and daughter who stepped in to care for their dad when I couldn’t, and most of all for those who showered me with a spirit of optimism, words of encouragement, a full Sabbath afternoon of song, and a whole lot of prayer! 

Ahhh, and it feels so good to be back!