More Than A Band-Aid

Almost a week ago Friday, I went in for a routine procedure; arthroscopic surgery on my right knee. Over a period of two years, the pain in my knee would ebb and flow from a dull burning sensation to an all out sharp stabbing pain, but I honestly didn’t look too far into the severity because the pain always seemed to subside on its own until this past summer when carrying my sack of ‘taters son on my back up the ridge of the Falls of Yellowstone. The outcome gave the word flare-up a whole new meaning. So, I finally decided to investigate the symptoms of my wounded knee, which lead to a few beautiful pics of my patella ultimately turning into a routine surgery last Friday.

Well, somewhat routine. It wasn’t until the surgeon was able to get an up close view of the damage from the inside. Apparently he discovered that my femur was squishy (Bones should not squish) and that parts of my patella were crumbling away when he touched them (Not a good sign). Conclusion, what appeared, as manageable symptoms from the outside were cries from the inside of my body for some serious help.

At times, we seem to do that with life in general. We discard small doses of pain and numb them by over the counter remedies when the truth is our bodies both mentally and physically are screaming for more than a Band-Aid to fix the problem. Yet, stopping to get help takes time and we are a busy happy people on the outside while on the inside we may be crumbling away desperate for something to fill the emptiness inside. And truth be told, sometimes we are too scared to get more than home remedies for help because we are afraid of how others will perceive us when we finally reach out for help.

Yet, God wants us to be healthy. He needs us to be healthy. He has called us to be prepared to run the race and that may require us to take a small break from the norm and venture towards the road of redemption health, and healing.

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. “ (Proverbs 4:20-23)

Although my surgery has forced me to take time off in order to heal, I cannot imagine how much farther the damage would have gone, and if I had never taken the time to finally listen to my symptoms, I never would have been made aware of the underlying problem until it was too late.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. (3 John 1:2)