Just a few years later though, a particularly enthusiastic and brilliant doctor did something that actually took away her limp altogether. Yes, this beautiful young woman walked completely normally for the first time in her life. She went to work and we both were working. It was great.
But just a few weeks later, she fell and completely destroyed the effects of the surgery. I had also gotten hurt and now neither of us was working. I have for many years described that Christmas as the best Christmas we ever had.
What made that Christmas so wonderful was the generosity of friends.
Two years ago I was sent home from work never to return. In the midst of the horrible finances, we have been so blessed. I hope for all my friends and family that they never have to rely on the generosity of others. And yet, I can only hope that you experience the beautiful grace that is the generosity of others in the midst of an utter lack of ability to do for yourselves.
I've wondered why we've been blessed the way we have.
And although I don't want to even come close to taking credit for the generosity of others or saying that we somehow have deserved it, I have noticed some correlations during the times we have been the most blessed.
We lived, we didn't just survive. It's easy to feel sorry for oneself. Yup, been there, done that. It's easy to think, "If I crawl in a hole and I don't breathe, maybe we'll somehow get by," And it's easy to just simply be overwhelmed.
But, living is critical to life. There is a passage of scripture that is probably misquoted as often as it is used well. It says, "He who doesn't work, shall not eat." If it is so often misquoted, then what does it mean? Well, I can't answer that for you. It shouldn't ever be used as a stick to beat someone up with, I know that much. But, I rarely feel like I have this one down for myself let alone someone else. I frequently feel like I do either too much or too little. But, what it does mean always is that we need to do what we can to contribute to the world around us.
Living is something else too. We can live with wonder and awe. We can look for the beauty and the good, or we can just duck.
We are so blessed by the generosity of friends and strangers. They have made it possible for us to enjoy life to the degree we have. They have inspired us to keep working. They have helped give us the strength and courage to live.
When you weed a yard, fix a vehicle, give away hotel points, or even buy a cup of coffee, then you are in the counseling room, enjoying a sunset, or being a friend to a rider. What you do goes so far beyond the sacrifice you make. It goes so far beyond the blessing you intend. I heard today that everyone affects the lives of at least seven people when they do grow or fail. On behalf of my seven, I thank you for your help.