4063
Pt. 1
Scripture tells us that "all things work together for good to them who love God..." (Romans 8:28)
I must be living proof
The year was 2011, and I "took it on myself" to trim some oak tree limbs which hung over my driveway. To be fair, the offending tree was in my neighbor's yard, but several large limbs hung six to eight feet above the space where I parked my car. As you might imagine, every Spring last year's brown and brittle leaves would cover the concrete, and I found myself sweeping them up every April and May.
Grabbing an aluminum straight ladder from my back yard, I set it up against an old wooden basketball post; which a former homeowner had erected on one side of the driveway. Now, I began to climb.
I say, "I began to climb" since those four words distinguish the procedure from the three words, "I finished climbing." (I didn't).
For you see, after I reached the fifth step, a height of five or six feet above the concrete driveway, the aluminum ladder began to shift to the left. Since I was unwilling to ride the ladder to ground level, I selected the one remaining option. I jumped.
Now, I was faced with one additional decision
Pt. 2
You know how time seems to slow down when you are involved in an unexpected and momentous situation? I had often wondered about this scenario, 'til I read something on the internet. And what I read made plenty of sense.
"The reason time seems to slow down, when you're experiencing a potentially catastrophic situation, is because so much is happening in such a short amount of time, and your brain is processing so much information in the space of seconds; in order to come up with a workable solution."
Well, that was exactly what was happening during those brief few seconds. Quite obviously, the second decision I needed to make involved how I intended to land. Falling flat on my face or back was a non-starter. Too much potential for too much damage. Landing on two feet, well, I honestly wasn't keen on breaking the bones in both feet or ankles.
Based on my limited options, I felt like the best, (but still very poor option), was to land on one foot; which I proceeded to do. But, as you might imagine, my foot only "softened" the blow. There was no thought of remaining upright. Too much momentum. A moment later, I was lying on my side.
And I knew. I just knew. I had broken my ankle
As Mrs. Fairfax of the Victorian novel, "Jane Eyre" asked herself,
"What to do? What to do?"
Pt. 3
Somehow, I managed to stand to feet, well, foot
What happened next was reminiscent of my childhood. I was forced to hop scotch to my front door which was easily thirty feet away from where I had fallen.
Arriving at the front door I rang the doorbell, and yelled to my wife,
"I'm hurt!!!"
(and again)
"I'm hurt!!!"
Jean heard my frantic screams, and threw open the door. Seeing me standing there on one foot, and in obvious pain, she momentarily allowed me to lean on her, as I hobbled to the nearest dining room chair, and sat down.
I wish I could say my treatment regimen was quick and easy. It wasn't. I will not bore you with a list of doctors, clinics and hospitals I employed during the month which followed my fall. However, when it "was all said and done," I was informed that I had literally powdered my right ankle. Ultimately, an orthopedic surgeon performed major surgery, and installed a couple of metal plates and screws, as well as a florescent yellow cast; which ran from mid foot to just below my knee.
Pt. 4
Speaking of that yellow florescent cast, I can tell you that this little goodie is the most crucial part of the story. (Yeah, it is)!
For you see, as I was "crutching" around the house one day, my wife suddenly said,
"What is that dark spot just above the cast?"
Well, of course I couldn't see it since it was directly behind and below the back of my knee. Sitting down, I turned my lower leg so I could see what Jean was talking about.
The spot was about the size of a dime, perhaps slightly smaller, almost black, and (I kid you not) shaped like a valentine. (I soon learned it was no valentine). No, my friends, I was diagnosed with a fast growing melanoma; a mole that had to be removed as quickly as possible; in order to prevent metastasis.
A date was scheduled for the surgery, and the valentine, I mean melanoma was removed; leaving me with about two thirds of my original right calf. But I was alive and, of course, this was all that was important.
Afterward
As you might imagine, I was anything, but happy when I fell off that ladder, and broke my ankle, submitted to surgery, and hobbled around in a cast for weeks. I can tell you, this experience put a crimp in my busy lifestyle for a while.
And yet... And yet, I can truthfully say I would not be moving and living and breathing today had I not fallen off that ladder, and sustained a broken ankle.
There is every reason to believe that "the valentine from hell" would have removed me from this world had my wife not seen that ghastly little visitor a few millimeters above the top of... the florescent yellow cast. God knew before He spoke the stars into place that on such and such a day I would develop a malignant mole, and that the only way it would be identified in time was for me... to fall off a ladder and break my ankle. We serve an amazing God who has it all figured out!
"And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God..." (Romans 8:28)
by William McDonald, PhD
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