Choose Joy

Most of you reading this know of the problems I have had for the last four years with my knee. I just thought I would let you know how faithful God has been to me. The day that I got sick with my second infection I was off work and running around. I got a call on my cell from an attorney's office in O'Fallon IL wanting to know if I was interested in doing some freelance paralegal work for them. Now the first time I was sick I was off for four months and got no pay because there is a time limit for it to kick in. I ask them how they got my name and they said I had sent them a resume four years earlier (when I graduated with my paralegal degree). That night I was back in the hospital and off work for a year. During that time I did get my disability payments (1/2 of my salary) but I also had the work from the law firm that I could do at home and make about twice what I was making at the hospital. Is God faithful or what. He knew before I got sick that money would be tight and he provided. I spent about six months total that year in a wheel chair with no knee. I had three surgeries and got a new knee replacement. When people would ask me how I was I would try to be honest about how much pain I was in. But I would also say I am doing fine. I'm going to be ok. Recently I figured up how much time I have been out of work in the last four years, it comes up to two years and seven months. I have had 14 surgeries on my knee, had it removed twice, once for nine months and once for four months. Through it all I have had a smile on my face. I have tried not to complain to anyone. I chose JOY. I am so glad I did. It made my time recovering so much easier. I knew God was taking care of me and I chose to sit back and let him do it.

I am going back to work day after tomorrow. I have been praying about this job for months. I told the Lord you know what I need and I am going to trust you to provide. The job I am going back to is a desk job. I will work no evenings, no weekends, no holidays, and take no call. That is almost unheard of in nursing. I even got a raise. I will be working with the same people I have been working with for the last two years.

So when you are down or in a bad place, choose joy, it really helps.