The View from My Chair
On September 15th I had a new knee joint put in my right leg. It is amazing to live at a time when a two-to-three hour surgery and a two day stay in the hospital results in having a joint that will eventually be pain free if you follow the doctor’s orders and do what the physical therapist asks you to do.
In just a little over two weeks I have made great strides in my balance and walking. I’m so grateful for the home health care nurses and the physical therapists who have helped me tremendously, but that’s not what I want to talk about in this post.
When I returned home, I spend those first few days in a recliner in the corner of our living room. I did have to get up to exercise, use the restroom, and get to our bedroom to sleep. However, other than that, I was cared for by my family and friends who waited on me hand and foot.
There were times when I just sat and watched them work and interact with one another. They laughed and talked while they worked. Here are a few of the things I saw:
- I saw compassion. Compassion is what causes a person to want to help others. I never think about having compassion without thinking of the passage in Matthew 9:36 where it describes Jesus who was moved with compassion toward those he saw because they were in need. Compassion is what compels a Christian to seek out those who are in need of the healing that only Jesus can give. I saw compassion in my children and grandchildren as they did whatever they could to help me physically and emotionally. What a great sight!
- I saw kindness. Along with all of my family there were neighbors who stopped by to see how I was doing and some of them even brought food to share with us. I think it would be safe for me to say that we don’t live in a world that is full of kindness anymore. But there are still kind people in this world. Those who helped me in the hospital and those who have been so kind to me and my family since the surgery have truly shown great kindness. There have been so many offers by so many people to do anything we might need, that I know kindness is alive and well. In every list of the attributes Christians should strive to have, kindness is always found.
- I saw love. I have no doubts about being loved. I never really did, but there is something about putting those vows you took 50 years ago at your wedding to the test that proves just how loved you are. When you are in need of care for every part of your being, and the person who promised to love you in sickness and in health stands by your side and fills that role willingly, you are loved.
What a beautiful view I had from my recliner. I just sat back and watched as God’s love worked through my physical family and my spiritual family. That view helped me to see what I need to show when this new knee is up and running.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” (Matt. 7:12)
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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
