OUR PRESENT TRIAL

James wrote, "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your life my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends. They come to test your faith and produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence." We have recently had some of those "friends" crowding into our lives.

Several weeks ago now, I ran a half marathon with a microscopic stress fracture in my lower right leg and now I'm paying the price by staying off that leg. Rog has been waiting on me and helping me a lot. As of yesterday, that pampering has come to a screeching halt and now I'm helping him.

He left early Tuesday morning to help a young couple move their furniture back from LaBelle, MO. When he and the young man he was helping had the truck almost loaded, Rog slipped and fell from the back of the truck and caught his left leg on the way down between two bars that were part of a hitch and torqued his leg with all his weight. He felt like it was a miracle that his leg did not break but it was very painful. After sitting there for a moment, he got up and walked on it for a minute. Then he noticed his foot was turning funny and then his leg felt as though it was going to collapse. The fellow he was helping helped him into the truck and finished the last 20 minutes by himself. Then they headed for the nearest town(Kirksville, MO) to the hospital ER. Rog waited and the young man headed on home with his furniture. They took x-rays and put a brace on his leg and sent him on his way to see his dr. when he arrived at his home.

Our son Roger was already on his way from Blue Springs, 3 hrs. away, to pick up his Dad and take him back to Blue Springs(KC). He spent the night there and then the next morning Julie came to Roger's house and picked her Dad up and took him to Elisa's house so she could take him back to Hutchinson to see the dr. At noon they arrived in Hutch and we ate lunch and then we were off to see an orthopedic dr. Rog said he really appreciated the shuttle service of all our kids. Today they had him come in for an MRI to see if surgery is necessary and to find out what exactly has been damaged. They know the mcl is torn and figure the acl and meniscus are messed up. He now has a hinged brace and is on crutches and moves very slowly so we make quite a pair.

This weekend we will have 5 of our grandkids coming to take care of while their mother, June, goes on a short mission trip. Pray for all of us as we are sure it will be a challenge but we know God gives grace. We love our grandkids and enjoy every opportunity to be with them.