I realize that it's been a while since I last posted. I figured that February was a month not worth reporting about. Here's why.
Have you ever had an experience that, as you look back on, if you had just made one choice differently, it would have made all the difference? Well, mine was on February 21st. If I had just chosen to not go and play basketball that morning, I might still have two good ACL's, rather than one good ACL and one ACL that's not so good.
For those who can't read between the lines :) I tore my ACL (at least that's what the doctor says, though it's not definitive). Now I realize that even if I would not have played basketball that day, it may have happened at a different game or even practice, or just walking down the street. But what if? Have you ever thought that?
On the flip side, what would have happened if one fateful day, I decided not to talk to Shiree? Would she still have married me? Would I be married to someone else? That decision I made so many years ago to go up and talk to her was one of the best decisions I ever made!! If taking back my choice to play basketball means losing a choice like this, I am happy with my alleged torn ACL.
It is interesting what I have learned from this experience. One of the best things that has come from this is a change in attitude. For those that do not know, the country is in a recession and the economy is doing very poorly. That means that businesses are a lot less likely to hire people. The three top organizations that I wanted to get a job with all have a hiring freeze. It's amazing what unemployment will do to your attitude when one of your primary goals in life is to provide for your family.
So, what happened to get me out of my funk? I tore my ACL. Pretty wierd, huh? I began to realize how much control I DON'T have. God is the Great Master of the universe and is all powerful. What He asks of me is to provide for my family with what he provides for me. Consider the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin. Yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these. (Sermon on the Mount) If God can take care of something like a lily, how much more will He take care of one of His children? God giveth me my breath, and He can take it away. If He takes away my ACL, then He can give it back. That, I know!
I know that trials strengthen us and, if we choose, can help us turn our lives over to God. For me, it took a torn ACL. For you, I hope it's not that drastic.
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4 comments:
Isn't God kind of an asshole for tearing your ACL? Why does misery make people more religious, just to give a meaning to your suffering? if God really loved us so much, why would there be suffering at all? if you think about that last one, you will realize there is no God and we are just smart monkeys making up what we want to be true...sorry man...
Anonymous: That's definitely one way of looking at things...
However, as you can obviously tell from my post, I don't see things that way. I see that God has a plan for me and part of that plan was to learn how to cope with adversity. For some reason, unemployment wasn't enough for me and so He gave me the chance to learn from a torn ACL. (Which has provided even more opportunities for me - looking back on it now 7 months later).
As for misery making people more religious, it's a choice isn't it? When you experience misery, you choose to turn away from God and not believe in something greater than yourself. When I experience misery, I choose (or at least do my best at choosing) to turn towards Him and allow Him to teach me. Just like muscles in your body, when there is resistance and tearing, your muscles grow stronger. If you choose to let your muscles remain stagnant, they atrophy. It's the same way with us. Only through resistance can we become stronger.
As for the rest about "smart monkey's," "no God" and "making up [truth]" you can believe whatever you want to believe, that's what's so great about America and about God's plan -- you're not forced to believe or practice something you don't want to. For me, I choose to believe that there is a God who loves me enough to give me suffering. (I wonder if you -- Anonymous -- have ever thought about suffering as an expression of God's love rather than proof of His inaction or lack of involvement). Moreover, just because I can believe whatever I want, doesn't mean that I can change truth. Just because I believe that turtles should fly and birds should build railroads doesn't make it "truth." Truth exists independent of whatever I believe or whatever you believe or whatever our nations' leaders believe. I have chosen to seek out truth, wherever it comes from--religion, science, sports, politics, etc. I figure, the more truth I can gather, the better off I am.
And the truth is, I believe there is a God with a special plan for all of us. Mine included a torn ACL? What does yours include?
P.S. I appreciate your comments and your perspective "Anonymous," but next time, please don't litter my blog with profanity. I support the free exchange of ideas, but there are much better words to use than vulgarity.
Good Morning Cory, I would just like to say that even though I do not believe the same as you about God I find your response to anonymous's post was quite refreshing. Too many people take offense at other peoples words that they do not think about their reply and therefore do not express their beliefs in a very intelligent way. Especially when speaking about one's religious beliefs. That being said, my real reasons for this post is to say, I too have torn my acl. I tore it in May of '09 playing soccer. Although, I am not unemployed I work for a company that really doesn't care about its employee and I am finding it difficult to work in a job that is very physically demanding. I have applied to other employment opportunities that will not be so taxing on my leg but fear that no one will hire me if I may have to take time off to have surgery which is still not known, I am waiting to see an orthopedic surgeon. Anyways, I wish you and your family all the best.
Tracy
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