It was May 2023 when my husband, Dave and I were mulching
around the shrubbery at our home when I first felt the “twinge”. With each
successive day the twinge in my knee grew more and more disabling. The
enjoyment of walking became a thing of the past. Cortisone shots and gel shots gave only
temporary relief. Finally, after nearly
a year of treatment, my orthopedist said “if you were my mom or my aunt, I
would tell you that you need a new knee.” And so, with calendar in hand I
scheduled my left knee for replacement.
October 19, 2024 became “the date.” Everything was scheduled
around that date. Countdowns began. But the discomfort continued to worsen and
I finally broke down and asked if there were any cancellations on the surgeon’s
schedule. If so, could I please have
that date? Three times they called me to
place me earlier in his calendar. We settled on August 29th.
With family and friends praying for my well-being I headed to
the hospital for an early morning surgery.
I was even blessed to have one of my Zoom small group friends come to
see me in the pre-op room to pray with me. I felt at ease and thankful. All went according to plan and I was sent home
later that day to begin the daunting task of recovery.
The next day I headed to PT for my first experience with
what was to come. Fortunately, again I
was blessed. A long-time friend of mine
has a son who is a physical therapist.
He along with his teammates continue to give me great care and
encouragement (along with a little “discomfort”) as I learn to bend this new
knee.
This brings me to the point of this post. For well over 67
years my left knee faithfully bent with little fanfare. I could run, I could jump, I could get down
on my hands and knees to mop the floor and more importantly I could kneel by my
bed to pray. How often I did this was
often subject to the needs at hand. I
found myself kneeling to pray when I was at my worst. There was that feeling of humility before my
God that kneeling produced. The question I now have is “why only when you were
at your worst, Carol?”
I recognize now that bending my knee comes at a cost. It hurts.
Not as much now as it did in late August but it is still something I am
very mindful of. When my therapist
stretches me for range of motion, I recognize just how much I took for granted
before.
And bending my knee before my Father also comes at a
cost. While at the moment I cannot
kneel by my bed I am bending my knee mentally as I come to Him for every need
that I have no matter how great or how small.
He is the Sovereign One who reigns in majesty over all of my life. He knows my frame. He knows my weaknesses. He knows my needs. Even before I ask them – He has it all in
hand. I rest in that.
Philippians 2:10-11 (ESV) says “So at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” There will come a day when EVERY knee will
bow. There will be no question. No matter the condition of the knee we will
bow in humility before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Will there be pain with the “bend?” I have to believe that for those who are in
Christ we will bow gladly. But for those
who know Him not and have rejected the gift of the salvation He provides the pain will not
only be obvious but it will be permanent.
So as my knee rehab journey continues, I will use it as an
illustration to myself that bending the knee is not only a physical gift but it
is a spiritual one as well. It reminds
me of just Who is in control and how great my need of His grace and
forgiveness.