I hate the way pain medicine makes me feel. I do, however, like the relief it brings. What a dilemma!!
The PA at the doctor’s office yesterday told me I could start taking Motrin and begin to wean-off the oxycodone. It’s amazing how much better the rest of my body is responding to that move so far.
So, here’s to a good day of pain management and a potential shower with my new removable cast!!! Hope you have a good one too!
When I think about all the events of the past seven days there is honestly much that could get me down… and it all goes back to me:
Why did I park there?
How did I fall in a spot where I’ve walked a billion times?
Why didn’t I try to spin? Why catch yourself? (BTW that doesn’t work)
How much use will I regain? How many more surgeries will there be?
You see, this could turn into a list of questions that cannot be answered and might never be answered. So, why not count it all joy???
Things to be joyful about in this:
God is STILL on His throne and I KNOW He is at work in this.
I didn’t hit my head and REALLY cause damage.
My right elbow is coming along nicely.
Justin gets some pulpit time.
I get to watch A LOT of college basketball.
The love poured out from Ebenezer and a bunch of other places and several continents is unreal!!!
Drew gets more driving time.
Bill gets more thermostat experience.
EBC has the right staff in place and God is pulling us through.
This list could keep going, but I think the pain medicine is kicking in, so I will get to the point:
My prayer is that God will take this left arm and use it in a way that will bring glory to Him and build His kingdom … and I know beyond any doubt He will!!!!
The first recheck went well, but there is really not much news to report. I go back in ten days for another recheck. He did put in orders for therapy to start on the right arm. They did X-rays on my left arm and changed the cast. The new cast is lighter and can be removed for bathing! The X-rays showed that everything is still where it is supposed to be, but since I have not been able to move my arm, that is no real surprise!
So… I am waiting for the therapist office to call to set up appointments and that is all we know right now.
1. There are a billion infomercials coming on all kinds of channels that we pay to bring into our home at all hours of the day.
2. If my beard grows for a week I have give up, go to Shannon’s Barber Shop and let her take care of it. She did a great job and it was fun for Diana and me to get out.
3. Diana does not want to be called Nurse Babette.
4. Drew cleans house better when he is micro managed.
5. It is no fun knowing that my EBC family is gathered together and I can’t go.
In the next few days, I am going to try to get Diana to guest blog on this site. I hope she will. Pray for us as we go to the orthopedist tomorrow morning to see where we stand.
A number of you have asked what you can do for us, and we are humbled. Lots of folks are already doing a lot of things. Don’t worry, we WILL ask if we need anything! However, there is a very specific way you can pray for us in the next few weeks.
Dr. Mezzonatte did a great job putting my elbow back together, but there are some gray areas that we know of. One of them is, He is hoping the left elbow joint will stay tight as it heals and we begin therapy. If it does not, they may have to attach an external fixator (not the end of the world, just a longer recovery time). Pray specifically that that joint will stay tight and do what it needs to do to minimize recovery time.
We greatly appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. Pain is not too bad today. (strong pain medicine helps that a lot) We are hoping that will be a trend for the rest of the week.
I know there are several versions of this story out there, because I have heard several. But here is what happened: Bill pushed me off the sidewalk.
Naahh…. Bill would never do that. Thursday afternoon, I was loading some things into my car and as I walked back into the FLC I walked over that island outside the glass doors (that I have walked over a million times). I misstepped off the island and everything went into slow motion. The fall seemed to take about three minutes, although I know it was only a couple of seconds. I threw my arms out in front of me to catch myself and as I hit the ground I heard my left elbow break with a loud pop. Since there was no one around, I knew I had to get up on my own. I managed to get up and get into Bill’s office in the FLC. I called Omerea and she came over, helped me stabilize the arm and started making phone calls for me. She is a real champ!
Diana rushed over from Darlington and took me to the ER at McLeod. It was there that John Ulmer was on call. (John is a Physician’s Assistant with McLeod Orthopedics and one of our former youth). John did an incredible job explaining what he saw on the X-Rays and walking us through. John reset my left arm and splinted both arms. The surgeon told us that when he first saw the films, he thought I had been in a car accident. He said that people don’t normally break their arms like I did from a fall. Surgery was scheduled for Friday morning on my left arm and I was admitted to the 11th floor at McLeod.
The surgery went well, but there is a long recovery and rehabilitation period ahead for my left arm. The doctor says we really won’t know how close to full use of my arm we can achieve until it heals and I go through some therapy. Another surgery is in my future, but we don’t know if it will be days, months or years from now. The good news is that they are not planning to cast my right arm. The doctor thinks we will be able to get by with a hinged brace since the radial head in that arm is only cracked and the elbow is just chipped.
So, here we are. God is still on His throne and He will pull us through. Of that I have no doubt!!
On February 3, 2001, Ebenezer made a bold and daring move. Some said it was a great one. Some said disastrous. They called their former youth pastor as their senior pastor. And life has never been the same since …
And I realized this week that the tenth anniversary of that day had passed. I will never forget that day, nor will I forget the events leading up to it!!
Ebenezer had been through some tough years (some of which I was a part, and some before we came to Florence). In August of 1999 I was asked to preach for six Sundays while the Pastor Search Committee found an interim pastor so they could begin their search. I’ve been doing that almost every Sunday since then!!
But on the Sunday the vote … the Sunday when I had to preach a trial sermon … WOW. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of pressure or been on that much of an emotional rollercoaster in my life!! You cannot imagine and I hope you never have to experience it. It really brought me face-to-face with how much I love Ebenezer and how much I really had to trust God to carry me. I’ll never forget that day!
When I look back over those years, I KNOW God was in control and had a plan because there is NO WAY I COULD’VE MADE IT WITHOUT HIM!! We’ve been through some really tough times and some great times, too! And I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited about what God is doing in this place than RIGHT NOW!! My prayer is that He will restore my first love for this place and keep leading all of us toward HIS goals for Ebenezer!!!
Today, one of the points of the passage we examined in James 2 was not to treat someone who looks wealthy better than someone who looks poor. Great point for the church to ponder … But that has NOTHING to do with this blog!!
This morning, in my state of great illness (truth is I probably shouldn’t have preached because I think I am now a flu survivor) a young couple visited from Virginia Beach, VA, with their three small children. This young couple, Tony and Sally Gerstner, are from Harvey, LA (which is on the Westbank in NOLA). Sally was one of my youth when she was a kid at Woodmere Baptist Church (and I have every reason to suspect I met Tony when he was a kid, too!!)
They drove down to see us!! Of course I felt really bad about the fact that I am sick. We did go out to lunch after church and I kept my distance, but had a great time talking about old times and new stuff, too!! One of the great rewards of youth ministry is catching up with your kids and seeing what fine adults they’ve become! And, we got to meet their kids, too, which was awesome!! Eli (their baby) looks like he is ready to take on the world (and perhaps take it apart!!) Ian LOOOOOOOVES video games, so he and Drew are now great friends. And Alexandra (Alex), the princess of the bunch, is PRECIOUS!!! (If her aunt Erin was writing this, she would comment that Alex takes after her aunt!!)
It was great to spend time with these guys and see where life is taking them and just listen!! Had circumstances been different, we could’ve spent the entire afternoon together. But they didn’t want the flu, and I had to come home and pass out, so it is what it is. But it was GREAT to see them just the same!!
On their way back I told them to stop at South of the Border and let me know what they thought!! I’m really curious how that went!!!
I haven’t posted much in January. Honestly, its been hard to find the motivation to write. Things haven’t gone so well in some areas, but they are looking up!!
Dad is about the same. Well, honestly, he is losing ground. Still recognizes us but every time I see him and notice him losing ground more and more. It’s really hard to watch, and hard to see Mom facing what she faces. I wish I could stop it! Dad did help Drew and me install the new gas burner in the fireplace. It’s not really a set of logs, but a burner with decorative glass. REALLY puts out good heat!! And it looks great, too! Much thanks to Bryan Howell and Fire it Up in Florence for all of the good help, and to Rick Luhrs for helping me with engineering ideas concerning the chimney!!
Ebenezer is really getting into a good place. People are starting to listen to God, to seek being filled with His Spirit, and seeking His will and direction for their lives. Along with that comes attacks from Satan! And he IS attacking! We all need to be aware, watch our backs, and know that Satan is the true enemy, NOT EACH OTHER!! Our struggle is not with flesh and blood!! I love my church and I’m very concerned for it right now!!!
Man … hard to believe! The last day of 2010.
I remember, as a kid, thinking about the year 2000. Realizing that I would turn 34 in the year 2000. I thought surely it would never come. I would never live that long … (I have no idea WHY I thought that. I didn’t have a death wish, just thought it would be a lifetime away!!)
Those days seem like yesterday now. My children are young adults (well, Drew is 15 so almost). Every year flies by faster and faster. Life does have its ups and its downs.
I now find myself joining many adults in that middle zone … I’ve raised my children, and now with Dad and his NPH I am helping to ease he and mom through the next few years. Physically and emotionally, its a tough spot to be in …
But today is the last day of 2010. I am thankful to have lived another year. This afternoon I will perform a wedding for a young couple … He is in the Marine Corp and stationed in Hawaii. Praying for them and for all of the weddings I did in 2010. Praying for the families of the funerals of 2010. Praying today for my fellow Ebenezerites, that 2011 will be a great year to serve and build the Kingdom of God however He leads. Praying for the Wike family, that God will reign supreme in EVERYTHING this year!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! (almost!)
One Pastor's Perspective 