Sound of Surviving Blog

I broke my foot on Thursday night. No fancy reason, I just rolled my ankle weirdly and broke the bone in my foot. I have never had that much pain as I did that night. They had to keep me in the hospital overnight for two nights, because the sodium check they did in the ER showed my sodium at 120. I found out for the next 6 weeks, that I won’t be able to walk on that foot, quite a feat, considering my left side is already weak from my stroke. Most people who break their foot can use crutches, but with only one usable arm, that was out of the question for me. It wasn’t until after arriving home, that I realized anything fun I had planned for the next 6 weeks was now off the table. I wouldn’t be able to volunteer, or go to camp in Georgia, or go to North Carolina to see my brother and sister-in-law with the rest of my family, or go swimming, let alone go anywhere at all in the car. I was immediately frustrated and pretty depressed. Then I realized I had two choices. Either go through these next 6 weeks frustrated and sad and moping, or find joy in the things I could do in that time. There are plenty of times when we go through circumstances that it feels like no one else could possibly understand, and it feels as if we’re being punished. But if we choose to be happy, no matter what our situation, we defeat the enemy. The devil wants us to sink into the depths of despair, to pull us further away from joy, and ultimately, further from God. Despite what the devil, or the world, may tell us, true joy is not found in money, or dream vacations, or fame, but in the everyday, ordinary pieces of our lives. We always have the ability to be happy; we just have to choose joy.