Yesterday, I called my mom at the hospital. I received surprising news. She was waiting to move to rehabilitation. I know this was the plan, however I am still amazed. On Thursday, she had a 6 hour surgery to remove a tumor in her brain. Four days later, she is going to rehabilitation. That is pretty incredible.
My mom moved to the rehabilitation center last night. My sister sent a copy of her schedule. She is getting therapy from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Wow, that is a busy schedule. This morning, I open up the bible to a passage in Jeremiah that says, “when people fall, do they not get up?” Well, yes. Most of the time. Not always. My mom is certainly getting up again.
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?
When someone turns away, do they not return?'”
–Jeremiah 8:4 (NIV)
My mom is ready to fight this brain tumor and diagnosis. This makes me reflect on my own life. If my mom can have a 7 hour day of Physical Therapy, what is my excuse? I do have asthma. Is asthma enough to hold me back? My mom had a brain tumor, and it is not stopping her from fighting her way back.
As I went for a walk this morning, I didn’t use the inhaler. I thought about running a marathon, and I thought how ridiculous. Then, I thought about how people have completely recovered with Physical Therapy, from not walking to running. You have to take one step at a time. One moment. Start again each day. Try to do more tomorrow, than you did today. You just keep moving forward. If you don’t start, you can never move forward. I thought, yes, I have started too. Two days in a row. Today was easier than yesterday. Tomorrow will be easier than today. I need to decide that I will keep moving forward.
Do people always get up again? No. Sometimes, you fall down and lay there in a heap of self pity. You moan that things will never change. Poor me. Life is so hard. You keep complaining and don’t try again. How can you move forward, if you never get back up again? You cannot. Satan rejoices. Don’t make Satan’s job easy. Get up. Fight. Trust in God.
When we sin, we can always go to God. We can repent. We can ask God to forgive us. Some never repent or change their wicked ways. They make excuses. They justify their sin. I am right there too. I fall into this trap often. Do you pursue your own course? Are you like a horse charging into battle? Or, do you let the Lord guide your steps? Even the stork and dove know to follow the ways of the Lord. They know their seasons and when to migrate. Do you know the requirements of the Lord?
I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.
–Jeremiah 8:6-7 (NIV)
I can trust in my own knowledge and understanding. I can never exercise again, because I have asthma. Or, I can trust in the Lord. Instead of falling and never getting back up. Get up, and try harder. I can follow my mom’s example. I can get up and call on the Lord to guide my steps. I have to try and put in the effort. God does not want me to fall and just lay down defeated. No way. I am here for a reason. When you fall, do you get back up again?
Embrace This Beautiful Life 