Derailed!

So there I was, chugging along the train tracks of daily life, when suddenly, out of nowhere, WHAM!

Next thing I know my engine is down, sputtering alongside the tracks and the various cars of home and work and church and blogs, among others, form a massive pile-up, going nowhere. I've gotten side-tracked before. I know side-tracked all too well. I can be a great starter and a poor finisher. Sometimes my follow-through's just not there (it happens in tennis, too). Full of good intentions and chutzpa, I launch in, only to lose interest and bail out.

But this is different! This derailment totally took me by surprise, rendering me incapable of doing many of the things I've needed and wanted to do. Admittedly, I've had to focus on me, take care of me, make it through each day. And I don't like it.

Last Saturday, I was getting ready to leave the house and, seriously, I didn’t DO anything, but felt a sharp pain in my hip and down my leg. I tried to ignore it, but by the end of the evening, I was in excruciating pain, barely able to move. I had to cancel my Sunday responsibilities (that nearly killed me!) and made a first thing Monday appt with the chiropractor.

Pause here for me to say THANK YOU for all the prayers and support and encouragement through emails and phone calls and facebook posts. God hears and heals. Not instantly in this case, but slowly, and so surely in His perfect time. I so appreciate my enormous “family” – blood relatives and "brothers and sisters" near and far who have expressed loving concern and prayers for my strength and healing.

Little by little, stretching and heat and resting and trusting, I am getting back on track. I am reading Six Hours One Friday and thinking much about my life in light of Christ’s sacrifice, my pain in light of His suffering – for me. And I am praying for you. If you are sidetracked by other distractions, I encourage you to get back on board. If you, too, are derailed by unexpected circumstances or crises, keep your gaze fixed on Christ, holding to your anchor points, assured that our Father truly is the Blessed Controller of All Things.