Carpal Tunnel and the Church

​Photo courtesy of https://rechargesportsinjury.com/carpal-tunnel-syndrome
So, I’ve failed to keep up my two-blog post per week plan over the last few weeks.  Several things have contributed as we’ve had an enormous amount of “life” happening.  Still, one of the primary deterrents to me doing something that I love (writing my blog) has been this intensifying pain and numbness in my right hand.  I have battled with carpal tunnel syndrome for years.  I have had several things contribute to this malady.  As a matter of fact, several things that I love have collectively contributed to make my hand a nearly constant source of pain, irritation and frustration. 

​The first contributor to my condition has been the numerous injuries I sustained over the years playing various sports and doing crazy things with my friends.  One of these injuries was a displaced fracture of my right radius and ulna sustained after sneaking onto the Talladega Superspeedway with Brad Ryan, Todd Lyles, Andy Ryan, and Jerry Hanks.  We had successfully climbed the 7-foot fence and three strands of barbed wire, climbed up inside the big orange “76” Ball at the top of a tower, and slid down the famous banked turns of the legendary track.  After accomplishing these great feats, we noticed a car coming around the service road along the top of the track’s walls.  The car had a spotlight shining down on the track and over the other side down toward the fence we’d climbed earlier.  We all jumped down the hill into tall weeds and laid flat on our bellies until the Police car passed by us.  Then, one by one my buddies jumped the fence.  I was last to go over and everything was fine until my foot caught that top strand of barbed wire.  Having jumped to go over the top, my foot catching that wire caused me to flip so that I fell headfirst into the ground about 9 feet down.  I apparently tried to catch myself and mangled my arm.  I could go on about the rest of that night, but I’ll leave it at the fact that it wasn’t pleasant.

​A few other contributors to my ever-increasing discomfort have been bicycling thousands of miles every year for decades, playing the guitar a lot for the last 10 years or so, and my fondness for writing.  All of these things, except for the illegal sneaking onto a racetrack nearly 40 years ago have all been good things.  Yet, after talking to my doctor today, the damage done to my arm and the irregular anatomy in my wrist probably reduced the joint’s ability to take the wear and tear of those good things.  That stupid decision has contributed in a big way to my hand being rather ineffective today.  Apparently, the bones may not have been aligned properly all those years ago.  How crazy to think that something so stupid could cause me to stop doing something I love and that I believe God has called me to.  As crazy as it may seem, I believe God has called me to be an encouragement to the body of Christ through my writing.  That said, my hand was really causing me to avoid sitting down and writing.  There is good news, however.  I am seeing a doctor who is going to repair this problem and it should restore my hand to its proper functioning.
 
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.  The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.  I Cor. 12:12, 21, 25-26
 
The Church is the body of Christ.  Each member has a role that makes the entire body function properly.  If the hand is wounded the whole body hurts.  Sometimes body parts carry wounds from things that happened a long time ago.  It may seem that we are doomed to just have to live with these injuries.  There is good news, however.  And, it is even better news than my news about there being a doctor who can help restore my hand.  This news is that there is a Great Physician Who created us and who knows perfectly how to restore us.  He is even able to take the injury and use it to make us even more effective in the roles to which He has called us. 
 
I am grateful that I am going to see a skilled hand surgeon who will hopefully help restore my hand.  I am even more grateful that I know the Great Physician Who is and has been healing the wounds that hold me back from fulfilling God’s purposes for which He created me.  If you feel like your wounds are holding you back, take heart.  He is there and He can heal. 
 
All of us have either done things ourselves or have had things done to us that have affected our ability to live out our calling.  If you need help, I encourage you to talk to your pastor or to seek out a Christian Counselor/Therapist.  I know several.  If you’d like any information about any of these, just send me an email.  todd@woodlawnthebook.com

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