Time to Slow Down

I had a relatively minor (elective) surgery on June 30th. In my conversations with the doctor he acted as if it was realistic to return to work on July 5th after the long holiday weekend. I returned on July 6th for a very long, tiring and painful day. By Thursday, each step brought pain and the incision site was swollen and very painful. When I called the doctor on Friday the physician assistant said I shouldn't be working, to get off my feet, ice the site, and she would see me Monday.

After only working two hours Monday I was dragging when I arrived at the doctor feeling completely exhausted. It was then that I was told this was a six week recovery, I shouldn't be working and to go home and rest until August 1st! At first I was very annoyed at the doctor, the disarray at work given that this was unplanned, and the whole situation in general. However, I also knew my body simply wasn't going to take working, that much was clear.

I went home, called HR to begin the leave process and spent most of that day and the next in bed on the PC and telephone trying to delegate and get things to a place I felt was better prepared for my leave. Somewhere in the process the Lord began to work in my heart that this was His provision, protection, and, of course, His will. He knew exactly what I needed even though I was pushing through trying to keep going. I am so thankful for His amazing, tender love for His children. As soon as I "rearranged my mind" I began to rest in this new adventure in my weary body. What could I accomplish from the couch and in the bed? What could I read? What messages could I work on ahead of their due dates? In the midst of it I was asked to speak in mid-September. This means there is a VOM talk in August, a retreat in September, and Christian Women's Club in November - all of them a different message. It is exciting to see God opening these doors and I pray for His strength, equipping, and anointing for, "apart from Me you can do nothing of value."

In the last week my mind has been flooded with creative writing that has been dormant for years. It was a blessing to finish a tract that had been half-finished for a very long time. Then I have found myself venturing into short children's stories, and a tract on my mom seemed to evolve into a portion of the Christian Women's Club talk on "scars". How blessed I am. I don't want to squander this gift of rest and I pray for meaningful use of the time in His Word, in the labor of prayer, journaling, quietness, and rest. Isn't it just like our Father to know exactly what we need and when?