It's All About Who You Know

One of the negative side-effects of the great weather that we experienced over the weekend was that I was becoming stir crazy and wanted to get outside and go for a long walk!  But my wife’s current situation and her inability to walk even short distances quickly snuffed out the practicality of that desire.  As I thought about it on Sunday, I suddenly had the inspiration of a transport chair.  I was also pretty sure that Medi-Cal would cover it.  Although I had been ruthlessly denying any need for such a device, the reality of its benefits and the freedom that it would enable us to have overcame my stubbornness.

Well, to make a short story even shorter…  After doing a little research I remembered a friend who is a thrift store/garage sale expert (I could say “junkie” but “expert” sounds more impressive!)  All it took was one call and she found a used (and not too abused) chair for $10.00 bucks!  I started the Medi-Cal process today, but this used chair will work great until we get a new one.

Our friend who found the chair is an older lady who was very compassionate and helpful to me during the early days of my wife’s diagnosis.  She stood by my side and offered all kinds of practical and emotional help when family members tended to go the other direction.  After delivering the chair yesterday, we sat down to talk and she reminded me of what she had gone through when her husband had suffered a long sickness and early death and strongly encouraged me to take care of myself.  She also shared some potential courses of action that I could take in the care of my wife.  Some of these ideas which came from her own belief system and experience, I did not agree with but told her that I would prayerfully consider her thoughts.

This morning as I lay in my bed, I began to review our conversation and was impressed to get up and look at Proverbs 3:5-6.  When I grabbed my trusty God’s Word Bible, I turned to Proverbs and read in a personalized manner: 

“Trust in Me Jim, with all your heart 

 and lean not unto your own understanding. 

 In all your ways acknowledge Me,

 and I will make your paths smooth.”

The one thought that seemed to jump off the page before me was that of not leaning on your own understanding.  According to Strong’s to “lean” is to try and “support yourself.”  As I looked at that I instantly recalled an incident when I was helping my wife drink her hot cocoa at breakfast.  When I leaned across the table I had to support myself near my right elbow, but for some reason I experienced a sharp pain when I put my weight on that area against the kitchen table.  The remembrance of that mishap seemed to say that this was an example of leaning on our own understanding.  Depending on yourself can sometimes lead to a painful experience.

Then I remembered another series of events that left me with some long term damage.  Soon after my wife and I were married, I began a photography business (while working part time at our Baptist Church as their Youth Minister).  During this time I picked up a regular contract shooting pictures for the Catholic Diocese Newspaper in our local county.  During that two or so year period, I covered countless ordinations, special services and events in churches, at retreats, and at convents and also took pictures to go along with special articles that we being written for the paper.  It was a little funny as I look back now as I had a small MGB convertible with very little storage room.  Many times I had to bungee down one of my equipment cases to the trunk rack.  I would comment that the stuff in that case strapped to the rack was probably worth more than the entire car!

Anyway, in order to get the best angle for many of the pictures during services, I needed to be in front of the pews between them and the alter, but I couldn’t distract those in attendance.  So, I would simply sit (or lean) on my knees throughout the long services.  After a while I began to have some problems with pain in my knees which lasted for numerous years after that and still occasionally flares up to this day.

This morning I was able to relate how that experience was similar to one’s leaning on their own understanding.  Depending on what you think, see or have experienced instead of depending or leaning on the Lord for His understanding can result in a long term negative situation for you.

All those memories this morning also helped me to see the need to stick to my knowledge of God’s understanding of my wife’s health.  In conversing with our friend yesterday I did gently inform her that I could not base my current actions on her experience, but on what I believe to be the truth as stated in God’s Word.  To me God’s Word is infallible and I must “lean” on it, especially when things in the natural tend to look alarming! 

For me Proverbs 3:5-6 can be summed up by saying “It really doesn’t matter what you may see with your eyes.  What matters is WHAT or better yet WHO you know in your heart.”  This is the course of action that I will continue to take with my wife.  Yes I realize that I do have to make sure that I take better care of myself, but I will never give up on God and His will for her.  How about you today?  Are you wavering over something in your life?  Let me suggest then, that you take some extra time in making sure that you thoroughly know God’s will for your situation.  (Remember that God’s will is in His Word – and faith begins where the will of God is known) Then be strong and let Him “make your paths smooth” or “direct your paths” as the NKJV states.  Have a great day!  Stay (or get) in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”