With What We Have
I laid awake that night with my foot throbbing in pain. When I got up in the morning my foot was so stiff and swollen that I could barely make it down the stairs. I allowed things to 'settle' for 2 or 3 days and then I climbed again. Each climb was not quite as slow as the one before and my recovery time got better. As the first few months went by, I continued to climb- continued to get stronger.
When the time came to schedule a surgery to remove the 9 screws from my foot, I met with my surgeon and had new x-rays. He held up the x-rays with a very concerned look on his face and asked, "What have you been doing?"
I said, "Nothing."
He replied, "Don't tell me nothing. You broke the four screws that go into your ankle in half, and those screws don't break!"I said, "Well, I've been climbing mountains."
Every choice in life involves both a cost and a reward. The reward? The usability of my foot far exceeded everyone's expectations. The cost? Oh, well. My foot was so damaged that I wasn't supposed to ever be able to walk normally, much less climb mountains. Before the surgery the doctor had told me clearly, "I can't fix this. I'll do the best I can and you'll get what you get."
So while part of him was upset with the broken screws, the other part was delighted by the fact that I was able to do things he wasn't confident that I'd ever be able to do. We all have (or someday will) 'tent issues'- problems with our physical bodies that make certain things physically impossible or challenging. Our goal should be to DO THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body." One day your body will be made new. Until that day, do all that you can to care for this one, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on December 5, 2025
Posted in Daily Devotions