May 19, 2005

Man, I need to be better about this website. I think though, that I've been talking to Eric, and I'm probably going to take over site administration next week, and then hopefully I'll be able to figure out a new sort of direction to take this website. I mean it has been awesome for what it was originally started for, but now, I'm getting fairly healthy and there are less and less updates on my well-being because my status doesn't change as quickly.

I am however having surgery on my ear next week. Of course I was supposed to a month ago, but I postponed it in order to attend my grandfather's funeral. So now the date is May 26th, and I am absolutely dreading it. The post-operative procedures are absolutely ridiculous: First three weeks, no blowing your nose, no sneezing, can't lift more than ten pounds, no bending or stooping. Then three more weeks of no strenuous activites or serious pressure changes.

Why couldn't they have just let me have the surgery when I was already in the hospital??!! Well, ok, I guess I understand that; and I guess I will survive the recovery period. But it stinks to have been able to be active for a couple months and then to go back to not being able to be active.

But perhaps this is what is always hard: Not necessarily the initial loss or problem, but when you start the road to recovery and you have a set back; thats what really hurts. It's that gut-check moment where you find out what you're made of. Whether you are able to get up from a low moment and rise again to higher than ever - this is a mark of a champion, and a mark of a godly man or woman.

Again and again, Joseph was kicked down; and again and again, he rose up to excel in his new position. He beaten, he was sold to slavery, and he was imprisoned. But instead of giving up, he gave his best in service to God and his human masters and went frome the beloved son, to the beloved servant, the beloved prisoner, and the beloved second in command to the king.

David was the beloved of God, but reached a low point when he committed adultery, and instead of repenting, he made the problem worse by committing murder. But when Nathan pointed out what David had done, David repented and cried out to God, and David's house was blessed forever.

Peter reached a new low point when he had denied knowing Jesus three times and heard to crow. But Peter went through a painful restoration and continued to become the leader of the early church.

We all have setbacks, whether they come about by our own will or mistakes, or if they are the result of less controlable circumstances. It's easy to give up when setbacks occur. But I think that even in our setbacks, the one true God may and should be glorified. Sometimes it is in these setbacks that he prepares us for what we are to do next, or teaches us a truly repentant heart, or places us exactly where we need to be for his service.

And its when we start turning these "setbacks" into positives that we will get the most stares and questions, when people will actually see Christians and say, "Maybe there really is something different about these people."

And its also when we are able toshow again one of God's favorite devices: turning what seems to be weak and broken into strength - as in also the life that Christ brough us through his death and subsequent resurrection.

I'm about to get kicked off the computer at the public library, so hopefully next week I will learn how to run this site.

God's blessings to you all,

Daryl