the ankle…

This morning was the coolest, crispest morning in months.  That’s why at 5:15 a.m. rather than getting a few minutes more sleep before heading to the 7:00 a.m. men’s breakfast, I decided to go ahead and get up for a short 2 mile run.  It was great!  I started out as faster than I can remember.  I even said about halfway through, “I think I’ll pick up the pace” and I did…

…about 45 seconds later in an attempt to “hop” onto the sidewalk from the blacktop, everything came crashing down (and I mean all of me) when I sprained my twisted my ankle like never before.  What I mean to say that I heard a POP or two and I hit the ground.  Lying there I was just CERTAIN that I had broken a bone.  In a desperate attempt to just get up and pretend nothing had happened, I did just that.  In a fervency of prayer I said, “dear Lord, please don’t let this thing be broken”…

…for about a minute I stood there to make sure that I could walk the mile home.  I have to say that so many things came to my mind in that moment.  As two cars passed me by (both saw me fall over) my first thought was of the “Good Samaritan.”  As strange as that may be, I thought about how I could use a ride home and how at 5:30-ish with perhaps a broken ankle or torn ligament/tendon, it would have been a blessing.

My next thought was about Sarah.  I had no cell phone and I wondered if I didn’t get home, would she come looking for me.  I’m glad I was able to limp back home but my first conversations were about how much I need Sarah.  Sometimes this becomes taken for granted but then things like this happen and I can’t imagine how I’d make it without her.

My final thoughts about this came as the pain became almost overwhelming while in the office today.  I came home around 4:30 p.m. even though I’d planned to stay for Toastmasters at 7:00 p.m.  I just could not bear the pain any longer.  I needed to be home and just rest.  But I began to think about suffering.  I don’t suffer from much…but as Paul proclaims “I want to know Christ; the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his SUFFERINGS.”  Well, I pray that prayer a lot and, when sufferings come, it is INDEED the fellowship of the sufferers that brings comfort and strength to me.

I praise God for being with me during this experience.  I am so thankful that nothing is broken or torn.  At this point my ankle looks like a One-wood.  I imagine I won’t be running for a few days.  But, I’ll live to run another day.