Lately my knees have been bothering me quite a bit. Arthritis, or something. I’ve had trouble with my feet on and off since I was a kid, too. There was a time, in the mid-70s that a doctor wanted to take apart my foot and sand the bones. I politely declined his invitation.
Despite the problems, up until a few years ago I was in fairly good shape, running and riding a touring bicycle that I’d built.
Needless to say, but with my knee joint issues, I’m no longer running, and rarely ride my bike. This week I’ve been doing a lot of odd jobs, and going up and down stairs is a real strain. At any rate, I dropped my two high schoolers off at their school, and stopped afterward at a grocery store. Waiting at the cashier to checkout, a fellow came up behind me. He may have been sixty years old, or so. His face sported a nice tan. He kept his white hair short and neatly trimmed. I noticed his running shoes, short running pants, and nice white shirt. He looked like he could be headed out to run or maybe play tennis. I thought of my aching knees and got to feeling pretty old. Then I noticed his arm. He had a towel draped over his left arm, and a large bag of ice on top of it. The cashier asked him what happened to his arm. He didn’t say at first, saying it was a bit of a story. She said something nice to him about hoping it would get well. It was then that the fellow confessed that he had had some problems at his morning dialysis appointment. The women said that in her “past life before the grocery store,” she had been a nurse and knew about things, but didn’t want to go back, liking the grocery store better. She was very compassionate, though, in her tone. The fellow said, “In my past life I was healthy, and I’d go back to it right away.”
My attitude reminded me of an old Joan Bias song about being angry for not having shoes, then seeing a man with no legs. I regretted my discontent at my aching knees, and my envy at his apparent athletic abilities. Compared to that fellow, I’m in terrific health, terrific shape.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians 4:11
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . .
JonahzSong 