God Surprised Me

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you will know that I have had a lot of problems with my foot.  These problems have been ongoing for about three years.  I have tried several pairs of new shoes, at least 4 different types of orthotic inserts, a night splint, exercises, a walking cast (twice), a cast, and a wheel chair.  All the treatments also had to take into account the fact that I am diabetic and have to be careful with my feet.

Around Christmas, our seventeen year-old daughter started talking to us about taking a vacation this summer.  She really wanted to go to New England.  We had talked about it a couple of years ago but couldn’t seem to make the details work out for the trip.  We discussed it and talked about how fast she is growing up and it won’t be long before she won’t want to go with us or won’t be able to go with us. 

So, I started praying that God would allow my foot to get better by summer.  I really didn’t want anything to interfere with our fun.  In May, my podiatrist tried a new orthotic in my shoe.  When I went back in the first week of June, my foot was greatly improved.  She told me to test it and start walking more – on soft surfaces.  I was excited. 

We left for New England on June 27th and I was walking.  I was able to do everything we had planned – including a hike that was about 3 miles long.  (That was the longest walk I had been able to take in about 3 years.)  We went to the Baseball Hall of Fame, The Norman Rockwell Museum, Franconian Notch State Park, Acadia National Park, whale watching, a wildlife park, Bunker Hill Monument (I didn’t hike the stairs but they did), USS Constitution, toured Fenway Park, Boston’s Science Museum, Old North Church, Plimouth Plantation,  Cape Cod, and the Marine Biology Lab at Wood’s Hole.  Lots of fun but lots of walking.

All of that is to say that I prayed for my foot to get well in time to do all of this.  It did ---- and I was surprised.  Why was I surprised?  Was it a lack of faith?  Why didn’t I pray for it to get better sooner?

I still have to be careful with the foot.  It doesn’t hold up well when I walk on cement floors – like Walmart or Home Depot.  A trip there can be a real killer.

So my advice, when you pray for something, have faith, trust God, and don’t be surprised when He answers you.  He loves you and wants the best for you..