A WALKER AND GOD'S GRACE

You ever have those moments in life where you know a big change is coming - something that is going to radically alter how you live your life (short-term or long-term) - and you know that you've done as much research and preparation as you can, knowing that even with your best preparation, you can't know exactly to what you are getting into until it happens?

When we went to the medical supply store last Thursday to purchase the walker that Erin will be using to recover from surgeries this fall, she spent some time with the representatives, making sure that everything was at the right height for her. The platform attachments that are not pictured here also required adjustment to her height and particular situation. Thursday night, we spent some time seeing how she would navigate getting in and out of the car, as well as going throughout the house, moving furniture as needed so she could adapt to using her new 'assistant.' We also had to figure out how she would get in and out of the bathrooms, since neither bathroom door is wide enough to fit a standard walker.

However, it wasn't until we got home Friday after surgery that it really hit either of us how much this walker would change completely how both of us would get through life. After all, how many people our age deal with walkers and such? Even our friends who have used walkers could only tell us so much...at some point we would have to simply go experience life on our own, for the walker impacts each person differently.

Friday and Saturday were kind of low-key for us, mainly because Erin had the good fortune of still feeling the effects of the anesthesia. However, it was still full of challenges as neither of us had dealt with this kind of surgery & recuperation. Getting in and out of a chair...getting in and out of bed...many of the things that we do everyday without a second thought now had to be re-thought because of the need for the walker.

Sunday, however, was a whole new ballgame - for us, and for many of you. How many looked at Erin trying to get around in that contraption and it affected you in some way?

Working out of the house today (as I will most of the week,) I have spent quite a bit of time looking at this walker, and as I began to think about the Monday's Musings, I couldn't help but think about the parallels of the change that came to our house as a result of having to rely on this walker and the change that comes when we intentionally choose to rely on Christ.

When we choose to rely on Christ for, in , and through all things, it cannot but affect our every thought, our every action, our every circumstance, and even those closest to us.

As I saw Erin move around Ochsner today during her post-op visit, I could see such a difference in how she got around using the walker compared even to getting around North Cross yesterday. It became apparent that the more that she adapted to the help the walker gave her, the easier it became to do the routine. What on Friday and Saturday took a lot of thought and intentionality because it was new had, by this morning, started to become a little bit of second nature.

I'm sure after four weeks now and four weeks later this fall when she has surgery on her left ankle, the walker will simply become part of our lives. Yes, I said ours, for her now relying on the walker has also impacted how I go about my life and my routine, for I have to re-think things since she now is relying on something new.

On this Monday evening, let me ask the question of all of us - have we allowed our lives to be completely changed and transformed as a result of relying on Christ's grace, mercy, and love? Do we struggle with having to rethink every single component of our lives as we lean on Christ for the most basic of tasks?

Grace and Peace,

Lamar