AMY LARSON
Staff Writer
Boy, I really had to put my money where my mouth was this week. I try to consistently live out all that I believe, no matter the circumstances. However, shortly after writing my column last week about trusting God in times of struggle, I fell and sprained some ligaments in my ankle, forcing me to really take my own advice.
It was pretty tough getting around on those darn crutches (which, by the way, hurt nearly as much as the sprain). This was particularly tough this past week, when the weather made getting around campus extra dangerous. There were multiple instances where I just felt sorry for myself.
Eventually, though, I realized I was being ridiculous.
Frustrated as I was, hobbling around using those awful crutches. I began to realize how trivial my situation really was. It certainly seemed like a big deal in the moments where I was trying to hop up the stairs or when I’d wake up with an ankle the size of a baseball, but I realized that not only was I being silly, but that I was missing opportunities to do what I’d just written about the week before to see God even in a seemingly negative situation.
Once I realized that, it wasn’t hard to find the positive aspects of my situation. I met some very nice Public Safety officers who were willing to chauffer me all over campus (thanks, guys). I also learned that in the moments where I thought I wasn’t going to be able to hop up one more step, I could and did. Not being able to walk really slows you down, which initially drove me crazy. But then it reminded me of the value of just moving slow, through a day.
Most importantly, it reminded me of a verse from Lamentations. In the book, all sorts of bad is going on, and still the writer declares, “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (3:21-23). This, interestingly enough, is written in the book that spends a vast majority of its time complaining about the evils and sorrows of the time (it is, after all, called Lamentations).
This verse sort of put it into perspective for me. I admit, my injury had seemed like a big deal – it inhibited all my getting around, wrecked plans, and so on. But I realized that I still had what mattered – God’s love. I realized that I still could spend time in the most important activity – getting to know God. Finally, I realized that even though it was hard for me to get around, I didn’t have to go anywhere to be in God’s presence – He was there all the time (Matthew 28:20).
I also found that the things I thought were so important really weren’t. I was able to reschedule that meeting that just had to happen, and I realized that certain things could wait. I am not saying that responsibilities are not important; they very much are, and you should keep to them. However, I think I learned that they should not be so high on my priority list. Rushing around and trying to get everything done is no way to get through life. For me, it consistently stresses me out, sometimes leaving little time for what’s really important. This week really made me slow down, and I felt awful about it at first. I felt so unproductive. But by the end of the week, I had been spending more time with people and having amazing conversations instead of rushing around making sure all my errands had been run.
Though I will be glad to have a fully functioning ankle again (I still haven’t made peace with my crutches), I am honestly quite grateful for this past week. Tough as it was at times, I also feel like I learned a lot. So, I guess this is sort of a continuation of what I wrote last week.
Last week, I was glad to write about how the issue of struggle can be a positive; this week, I got a tiny little reminder myself.
01-31-2008