More From Lorraine Baldus

My devotional on Palm Sunday was about starting over, and I used the example of doing needlework. Sometimes I would make a stitch in the wrong place and needed to take it out and do it again. Likewise, there are times in our lives when things we don’t expect happen, such as an illness, divorce, or the death of a loved one. Our lives are changed, and we need to start over in a new direction.

In October 2022, I was camping with my family. I was inside the camper with my daughter’s dog, a pit bull named Sparkles, while the rest of the family were out in other parts of the campground. Sparkles needed to go out, so I held her collar as I walked her outside to the tie-out leash. I was almost to the leash when Sparkles saw my son-in-law and bolted to him. I was unable to let go of her collar quickly enough, and she pulled me face down to the ground. In the process my shoulder was severely dislocated, fractured, and three tendons were torn. I was in extreme pain and could not move my arm.

I had surgery a couple weeks later to place two screws in my shoulder, and afterward my arm was in a sling for two months. Even a slight movement was painful. I had no mobility in that shoulder, and I had to start over in relearning to use that arm again. Physical therapy was brutal. At first, any movement of my shoulder by the therapist caused terrific pain. I had to train the muscles, tendons, and shoulder joint to work again like they used to. After four months of therapy, I am able to move my arm with very little discomfort. However, the shoulder has not gained full movement yet. As I do the exercises at home, I continue to see small progress in how high I can reach. I may never regain full mobility in the shoulder, but I am learning how to compensate for the restriction.

Starting over is never easy, and in the long run things may not turn out the way we would like. However, one thing in our lives that never changes is knowing that God is always with us. I know God is motivating me to keep pushing myself to do as much as I can with my arm.

If you are having to start over in some part of your life, always remember you are not alone. Along with the support of other people, you constantly have the support of your heavenly Father who loves you and cares about you. Keeping this in mind, we are able to face any obstacle set before us as we begin a new direction in life.