Meinzer
Meinzer
I”ve had nothing but time on my hands for the last few weeks as I have been recovering from my wreck. sometimes too much time on your hands isn’t the best thing in the world, other times it gives you a chance to sit and reflect on your life. You figure out what your priorities really are. There are things that we do every day that we take for granted. Our own individual independence and freedom is one of them. I’m not talking about the ability to bathe, clothe ourselves, get our of bed unassisted and complete the simplest of tasks without help from others. I think we would all agree that we take those things for granted.
We take for granted the blessing of good health. We expect that every day, we will be able to get up out of bed, dress ourselves, feed ourselves and clean up after ourselves without the assistance of others. How humbling it is when we are made aware that we cannot do the simplest of tasks without the help of those around us. Putting your own socks on is one of the first things that we teach children to do when they are starting to dress themselves. Until about a week ago, I couldn’t do this basic task by myself. Injury prevented me from bending over far enough or moving my feet close enough to my hands so that I could do this task on my own. Let me assure you, you swallow your pride really fast when someone else must put your socks on for you.
I don’t write these things to draw sympathy from you. Throughout my process of healing, I have learned gratefulness. They say that raising children takes a village, but I am willing to take it a step further and say that doing life from the cradle to the grave takes a village. The people that you surround yourself with, your friends, neighbors, colleagues and mostly your immediate family are all part of that village. There is a story in the Bible from Mark chapter 2 that tells of a paralytic man who could not walk. Four of his friends lowered him through the roof of a building so that he might be healed by Jesus. When Christ saw the man and saw the faith of his friends who had brought him, the man was healed. Who would help carry your bed? Who would help put your socks on? Your village is important.
You reap what you sow. That is truth. If you are ugly, mean and hateful to those around you, don’t expect anyone to volunteer to help carry your bed when life throws you a curve ball. If you give grace, grace will be returned to you. How often we forget the rule that we teach our children, do unto others what you would have them do to you. I was reminded in this last month how important it is that I take my own advice and give grace to others.
My wife and I have been blessed by numerous well wishes, from cards and phone calls to neighbors bringing meals and cookies over along with warm conversation, I’m thankful for my village.
Don’t take one minute for granted. Be thankful for those around you and remember to be a blessing to everyone you cross paths with. I’m far from a perfect father, husband and friend, but so long as I recognize that and surrender to the One who is, life gets a little more manageable every day. That’s all for this time, keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God bless.
Meinzer is a fourth-generation rancher raised on the southeastern plains of Colorado. He and his family live and ranch in Oshkosh, Neb.
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