Setbacks, we all have them, and we usually don’t get to choose when they happen………….
It was just three weeks ago. The day had finally arrived that I planned to take some of the Grands roller skating. Maybe I thought perhaps they could see their Nana relive some of her glory days! Yes, every Friday night in my younger years I could be found at the Indian Lake Roller Arena donned with my own personal skates laced with pom poms, a sparkly skirt, and a suitcase to match. Interestingly though on this day as I stepped foot onto the roller rink it seemed much slipperier than I remembered. I couldn’t hold hands with the grands since we both would go down together. I began by making my way slowly around the rink, occasionally hugging the wall to get a feel for keeping balance and staying up. However, after 30 minutes I felt I could do this and was ready to Rock n Roll. Oh, my I could see it now, living the dream from my childhood skating to the beat of the music! My granddaughter and I were even smiling at each other as we were taking the corners with some speed by this time. Oh, what fun we were certainly experiencing!
And then it happened. As I was attempting to do a slight spin to get out of the way of an oncoming skater, BAM, I took a fall forward. As my son was helping me to get to the carpet for safety, a few seconds later, I took another fall straight down. By this time, I was getting sick and nearly ready to pass out.
After 10 ½ hours in the emergency room and two different hospitals, they concluded that I had a broken wrist on my left arm, a broken finger on my right hand, and a compressed fracture on my lower back. You might as well wrap me up like a mummy! OR maybe I could have said, “Look Ma, no hands!”
I know you have had your own setbacks as well.
Setbacks are inevitable, but our response is optional. I have learned that there are no hopeless situations, only those who have grown hopeless about them. Proverbs 18:24 talks about friendship and a true friend sticks closer than a brother. Billy Graham said we are all in need of a true friend, a friend who stands with us who doesn’t leave it. Jesus is that friend. In John 15:15 Jesus refers to us as his friends.
Here's the truth: maybe our setbacks can be used as setups with God and us working together to make a stumbling block into a steppingstone, because that’s where we gain strength to carry on. So, don’t give up hope!
I still believe, gratitude is always the key for a hope filled life and of course I was extremely thankful for all my children working together to take care of my every need for a few weeks. But I think they have all banned together insisting that I NOT consider roller skating anytime soon. I guess all I can say is, “We’ll See.”
God Bless,
Your friend, Sharon
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