Oct 12, 2025 – Serving
Have I really let a week go by without posting a blog? It’s not because I haven’t thought about it every single day and even looked forward to exploring what God might have for me to share. But. Healing is a really tiring business I’m learning. I start the day doing whatever is required: eating or taking a shower or other usually simple, non-tiring things haha. When I’m done with the small tasks, I really just want to rest. But, while I’m resting, I’m thinking about what I want to write. When I get the time to write though, I just don’t have the energy to even dictate and then figure out how to edit one-handed.
I started physical therapy last week and learned that I’m using my surgery arm too much. So that’s why the one-handed editing is more vital than it was before when I didn’t realize I shouldn’t be helping with my right arm at all because of how they had to cut my bicep tendon and attach it to my humerus. My healing, and therefore my therapy, is a little slower (and more painful) than I expected; so, all of the chores that I had been starting to try and do lightly have gone away.
This morning, as I was listening to our church service and looking at the long hair on my dog’s paws that I would like to trim and his coat that I’d like to brush, I thought, “I still have to wait to be helpful, to be productive, and in some of my more pitiful moments, I might even say, to matter. Even if I use my left hand/arm, I’m still sort of lifting my right arm or turning and straining my shoulder. So, I really can’t do much without wondering if I’ve put stress on the screws in my shoulder. I was told that right after the surgery they moved my arm before I woke up and that it’s all taken care of/repaired, but they want it to heal (meaning all the tissues need to adhere to whatever needs to marry up again) and that’s why it’s immobilized. So, my brain is trying to understand the concept of healing but also doing therapy and moving but not hurting while still resting; so, I’m overthinking. I guess.
Yesterday morning while we watched College Game Day my sweet Don fixed banana pancakes for me. Our neighbor joined after a while and then she did the dishes which led her to scrubbing the countertops and even the cabinets, all of which, I’m embarrassed to say, needed tending to. As nice (and as needed) as the help was, it was really difficult to watch someone else doing what I should be doing. But as I learned, when I was on bed rest with the boys 26+ years ago, we have to allow others to help us because sometimes that’s exactly where God has us, being in need. I’m making an assumption here, but I think most of us would prefer to help rather than be helped. We want to be in control. And be of service. We don’t want to be in need and be served, except maybe when it comes to our personal journey.
Many of us listen to sermons or go to small groups or read books or listen to podcasts, etc in order to learn and grow in faith and understanding. We fill ourselves up and that is good, but the sermon today (entitled “Jesus Serves”, from a series about the “Goodness of God”) pointed out that what we glean is not just to build us up, but to build the Kingdom.
Jesus came to serve, not be served and we are to do the same in whatever capacity we are called to (even one-handed typing, which is why I’m stopping here for now so that I can at least post something today. Depending on how tired I am after our run to Lowes in search of paint and bathroom fixtures for the rental’s master bath, I may be back. I’ve missed reading and gleaning from my daily devotional books.)
Previous messages from Church of the Highlands: https://churchofthehighlands.com/media
