By Steph Fink
My adorable ten year old niece, Cassie, wears two different colored socks, intentionally, every day. Since her Aunt Mo (as she calls me) is not hip I asked, “What’s up with the mismatched socks?”
Her adorable Shirley Temple curls bounced in steady rhythm to her animated response, “That’s just what we (the girls her age) do (wear mismatched colorful socks)!”
Recently, I’ve worn unmatched shoes. Like Cassie, my unmatched-ness was intentional, but not for the sake of fashion. I’m healing from two broken foot bones.
That’s just what we (the broken footed), do (wear mismatched shoes)!
On the outside surface of my foot, you’ll see that my incision is healing beautifully, textbook really. But what you won’t see is that from the side of my foot, it’s still very swollen, because breaks take time to heal.
Something else you won’t see is, I’ve been watching the clock. I’m on a time table, people, a well-intentioned time table. Pre-op, my surgeon said that I’d begin jogging again in two to four months. My two month vision and time table began ticking in the recovery room.
I’ve seen a couple of common threads this past month in my life and in the lives of some of my precious friends.
Breaks take time to heal.
It is naive to think that once the outside is healed, that healing is finished. I have some friends that are healing some very serious breaks. And…
Once a bone has been broken, it takes time to heal.
Once a heart has been broken, it takes time to heal.
Once trust has been broken, it takes time to heal.
Once confidence has been broken, it takes time to heal.
Once a dream has been broken, it takes time to heal.
Once a relationship has been broken, it takes time to heal.
And like the swelling in my foot, it takes time and rest and tender attentive care to be restored from the injury that’s left me, that’s left us, with a slight gimp.
I told my physical therapist that I’ve been doing short walks, thinking that I would be praised. Oh, how I love me some praise! But my physical therapist did the opposite; he cautioned me to only walk when necessary because it takes time to heal and swelling to go down.
So instead of watching the clock, I’m going to turn it around.
Stop watching the clock and be more focused on the Healer.
I can smile because, “The Lord is near the broken-hearted.” Psalm 34:18
If you’re healing from a break, I’m so very sorry for your pain. I want to encourage you to stop watching the clock and focus on the fact that God is near the broken footed and hearted! Because after all, that’s just what we (believers) do (believe)!
Past or present, what’s something that’s been broken and is taking time to heal?