Shattered to Shoutin'

Just a few days ago I wrote a post about how I planned on getting healthy. I had it all planned out. What I was going to eat, how many times I was going to eat it, how many times a week I would go to the gym and then my plans changed. Two days ago, I broke my ankle. The details aren’t important. Just know it had to do with nine ninjas, a ketchup packet and a raccoon (LOL!). Anyway, instead of hitting up the gym five times a week I am now sitting in a wheel chair waiting for the call of when I should expect to go under the knife. But don’t throw a pity party for me though! That’s not what this post is about, but the contrary. I pouted enough yesterday for everyone who will read this post combined! Now it’s time to pull up my boot strap (just one, LOL) and keep it trucking.

In life, most of us have plans. And it is a good thing. In fact, in my last post I just wrote that “failing to plan is planning to fail.” I still hold that to be true. But what I did not take into consideration is that if our plans do not align with God’s will our plans will fail us every time. See, this goes way beyond a workout regimen. As I sat in that hospital bed I asked my brother-friend, Brandon, “I know that God has a purpose for me. What does this have to do with anything?” Brandon simply responded, “There’s definitely a reason, it just may not be time for you to find out yet.” That stuck with me.

If anyone has ever had a broken bone before, you know that not much sleep is going on. I thought about my question and Brandon’s answer. So in the middle of the night, I decided to do my devotion. I prayed and read and prayed some more. Finally, it came to me. Sometimes God has to break us in order to build us up again the way HE desires us to be.

After a bone is broken a cast is put on to make sure it heals the proper way. But before the cast is put on, the doctor has to reset the bone. It is not comfortable but it is necessary. You see, if you just put the cast on without the doctor resetting the bone, it will not heal properly. God sometimes has to break us and reset us. Again, it definitely is not comfortable but it is necessary.  God is the Doctor and the Holy Spirit is the cast. God will reset us and the Holy Spirit will protect us.

 I’ll admit, (and if you were honest with yourself I’m sure you could admit this as well) there have been times when I prayed for God to get me out of a situation. When He did, I in return said, “thanks, God but I got it from here!” WRONG! I wanted my plans to go my way even if it was not in God’s will. DEFINITELY playing with fire. So God had to not only break me down but slow me down. Although a broken ankle is painful, what is even more painful is to be outside of God’s will.

Just because the Doctor reset the bone and the cast is on it, it does not mean that I will not hurt that bone again. Sometimes it takes multiple breaks for us to realize that we need to slow down. If we were smart we would take heed to ALL that the Doctor has instructed us to do. If you are broken now it is for your break through later!

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24