In all the trials..

The doctors were amazed my healing process has been so great. Four weeks after my accident my arm and a 6" cut on my back had healed up completely.

It was time to take out stitches. 

Even though I knew having them removed were going to be painful, I had NO idea how much pain it would be. The skin had grown over and they were deep in there. Like I'm talking screaming pain not crying pain. Thankfully the pain only lasted a day! 

I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome it was to take a shower without worrying about getting my stitches wet. 

A few weeks later my arm started to swell up, each day it got bigger and more painful. It was a total of 5 days and then it busted.

Now I won't go into detail but it was gross. I went to the emergency room with my grandparents because my parents were at a Tennessee game. I had an infection in two places and I had to stay for surgery. I went into surgery on the 3rd day. 

After surgery I realized they didn't close it up. I was then told that they were not going to close it up because they were cavities in my skin and they needed to close on their own. Ok, so I'm sitting there with two holes in my arm one weirdly shaped, and the other an inch wide and an inch deep. All that I can think is: Are you serious?? 

They then proceeded to tell me that to clean them every day I have to put soap around them and put the holes under water. The thought alone gave me pain.

 I will tell you I started praying right then to give me strength to do this because everything in me was not wanting to. I went home the next day.

I really need to take a shower but I will be honest it took me like 30 min to even convince myself to turn the shower on. I got in and God gave me the immediate strength to just do it. It stung, burned and I cried. But because He gave me strength, and I did it. 

It is amazing how God just instantly gives you the ability to do something you didn't think you could.

While all that was going on my back was getting worse.

We actually didn't find out my back was broken until two weeks later. They had missed it, while dealing with my arm. They sent us directly to a back doctor. He told us I had a 10% compression fracture.  He said I didn't need a brace, and there was no way to make it worse. He told me I could go back to work and do anything till I get tired.

So I did all that he said I could do. As days went by my pain got worse and worse. I couldn't do anything without having pain. 

We then told one of my doctors, and he ordered a CT late December. A few days later I got a phone call saying that my back had turned from a 10% to a 40% compression fracture. It had now affected two bones. I also found out that three hooks on the side of my vertebrae had been chipped off in my wreck.  

Life was getting harder and I was starting to realize what the rest of my life would look like with one arm.   It was hard to go to do something and realize you can't do it because you only have one arm. Even the things I have to differently still was frustrating because I wasn't so called "normal".

One morning as I was doing my quiet time I came across this verse and it was exactly what I needed. 

Isaiah 43:2-3a

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned. The flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord, your God. The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Wow! He is with us, in every single thing we face.I was just overcome with such awe. I began to reflect on everything that I had been through so far and in ever situation it is so evident that He has been with me! Although life isn't easy, I have a God who has given me the strength in all the trials I have been faced with. Even when I stumble or fail, He has picked me up and held me in His arms. He has given me joy to get through each day. God is good. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there.