Weary Week

This has been a weary week. On Monday afternoon, I fell walking to my car after work. As is usually the case for me, I did not trip. I was walking in a straight line, there were no bumps in the level sidewalk, and I was not doing anything but walking. Still, I managed to do this to my knee, shin and ankle:

As you might imagine, it hurts. It hurt a lot when it happened, and as the surface wounds started to heal, I realized that I must have also twisted my foot more than I thought. Advil, Alleve and Tylenol have been my constant companions, and I am so very thankful for them. But consistent pain has a way of wearing a body out!

Besides my physical pain this week, there has been some level of emotional pain as well. Three deaths, one due to COVID, have touched my life over the last few days. An extended family member, a friend, and a friend of many of my friends all passed away between Sunday and Wednesday. I will not be able to attend gatherings for any of these, just as I have not attended gatherings for most of the recently departed. This is such a hard time, and I am tired. I feel like I should have just stayed in bed all week, or at least taken a nap or two.

In the midst of all this, two quotes have really touched my tired heart:

"It's true that life is hard for everyone." - John C Maxwell (Developing the Leader Within You 2.0)

and 

"Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die." -Isaiah 57:1-2 (Bible, NLT)

That first quote comes on the first page of the 5th chapter, on problem solving. I think that when we are going through hard times, we tend to forget that we are not the only ones facing difficulties. We let pain overwhelm and absorb us, often dismissing friends who may actually understand our pain very well. 

"You can't possibly know how hard this is!," or, "This is harder than anything anyone has ever gone through!," might be what I am thinking, but that is not truth. The truth is that life is hard for everyone. It is harder for some than for others, but no person is exempt from the pain and hardship this life brings. When I accept that everyone has hard times, I increase my capacity for patience, kindness and gentleness...things I strive for always.

The second quote, from the Old Testament, reminds me that death is a good thing "for those who follow godly paths." Of course, I can never know who is truly following, but I do know that God reaches out to each of us until the last breath we draw. He sends reminders that Jesus died to pave the path into an eternity of "joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable, love unstoppable"* that starts today. It is a journey through our present pain so that we may thrive in spite of troubles.

Peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) comes into play here, too. When I truly understand that my dear friend, my loved one who has passed away, is finally at peace, I can be at peace as well. Knowing that I will one day find my peace, even though today may not be that day, I can rest in that promise and muddle through. Maybe I can even do that with a smile. 

So yes, this has been a weary week. I have cried and felt grumpy. I have also laughed and felt loved,  knowing that I am not alone in this hard life...and knowing that there is more. 

Oh, and there has been knitting (of course!).

Thanks for stopping by, friends. I pray that you are finding a way to thrive, even through the hardness of this life. Now it's time for me (and you?) to Knit in Good Health until next week. 

*From Thrive, by Casting Crowns