Idle Musings on an 8 month anniversary

Eight months ago today at 6:35 AM I had an encounter with an F-150 pickup truck while riding my bicycle. I was T-boned by the truck while going 19-20 MPH. Needless to say, I lost in the encounter and was thrown between 20-30 feet in the air. I ended up with 12 staples in my head, multiple cuts, a fractured left leg and the whole right side of my body was purple with bruises from the waist down. In short, I was a mess and the pain was pretty intense as I lay on the pavement.

When I got to the ER, they stapled my head and then Debbie (my wife) arrived. They told her it would be 45 minutes while they took X-rays, etc. So, she went over the Eisenbrauns and told them what had happened and asked for prayer. Then she went home and called people in the church to pray. By the time she got back to the ER, Dave (Eisenbrauns' business manager) was there. They prayed together, then people from the church started arriving and they let them into the ER. As they gathered around me they started praying. The pain started dropping as they were praying. It went from a 8-9 down to about a 5-6.

After everyone left, they put me in a leg immobilizer and told me I would probably require surgery for the knee. Later that afternoon a long-time prayer partner (back from University of Chicago days) called and we prayed over the phone. We both believed God that the pain would disappear and that I wouldn't need surgery.

The physical therapist and the nurses all kept telling me that I would need surgery and so, they wouldn't allow any food after 10:00 PM. I guess that was a forced fasting! They also assured me that I would be in extreme pain the next day from muscles tightening up and the knee.

I slept poorly that night, the staples in my head were very uncomfortable. But, next morning I woke up and the pain was gone. No pain, none whatsoever, no muscle tightness, no sore leg. The surgeon came in, felt my leg, had me move it, looked at the x-ray, shook his head and said I wouldn't need surgery. He told me I could go home that day, should keep the leg immobilized for 4 weeks and that he would see me in a week. He asked how the pain was, I told him there wasn't any. He offered to give me a prescription for painkillers, which I declined.

When I went to see him the next week, they did x-rays and asked me how the pain was. I said there wasn't any. I saw what they wrote on the chart and laughed. They wrote "denies pain." Now anyone who knows me knows I am a sissy when it comes to pain. I don't do very well with it, I grimace and groan, etc. If I am in pain, you know it. There was no pain.

I firmly believe that God answers prayer, and he answered the prayers so that I did not require surgery and did not feel pain.

In celebration of the 8 month anniversary yesterday I rode 50 miles. I figured that was an appropriate celebration. It was beautiful, the red bud, plums, pears, etc. Even the lilacs are starting to come out. God is wonderfully creative and he is faithful to his children.

Two miles from home, I went over an unusually rough railroad track and the seatpost on my new bike (compliments of the insurance company!) broke. This is the best bike I have ever owned, carbon fork, carbon seatpost, Ultegra components, steel frame. It cost me $30, the insurance company paid the rest. Anyway, the seatpost broke. I walked the last 2 miles home of what would have been a 52 mile ride, but suddenly became a 50 mile ride and 2 mile walk. How did I react? I praised God (I Thess. 5), after all he is in control!