Small Steps, Big Gains

I came to Denver this morning with Christian and Bridget to help with the Rocky Mountain Energy booth at the Christian Home School Educators Conference. It was good to be at this event that I have visited in the past as a legislator. This conference provides great resources and support for parents that are homeschooling their children.  I actually spent most of the day in my power wheelchair which is unusual for my normal routine. This provided a good rest from some of the activities of the last few days. I will spend the night with Christian and Bridget then meet up with Debbie and Stephanie tomorrow morning.

 BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “Who despised the day when little things began to happen?” Zechariah 4:10

Zechariah begins his prophesy with chiding God’s people that it is “time to rebuilding the House of the Lord.” The captives that had returned to Jerusalem were so focus on building their own houses that they were neglecting the work on God’s House. The rebuilding of the temple seemed to be an overwhelming task, but the prophet said that, “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it….” Zech 4:9 He then makes the statement above about not despising the day of “small things” or “little things.”

I relate to this verse in the process of my recovery. Perhaps my challenge is to “remember the day when little things began to happen.” I recall posting the video of my first steps with a walker. I needed assistance to get completely up and then the steps were fragile, short and few. Now I am able to walk at least 50 feet at a time. During my last outpatient therapy session the therapist had me walk intervals of  40 feet at time. I walked three 40 foot segments, one of 45 and than the last of 25 feet. At the end of that time, I actually still felt fairly strong.

I also remember the time I visited my primary care doctor who recommended my hospitalization last July. I was reporting how my range of motion was still lacking in my shoulders. As I talked I was moving my left are from my side. He was quick to observe, “the last time I say you, you couldn’t do that!”

I recall when I first came home from the hospital driving a car was nowhere in my priorities or thoughts. I knew it would probably happen in time. My therapist began to encourage me and then I drove around our housing area about 1.5 miles. Now I am driving to my therapy sessions and some other appointments and am becoming more comfortable getting my wheelchair in and out of the trunk of the car.

Even this past week with my venture into a swimming pool and discovering what I could do was a new experience and step forward in my recovery.

My road to an anticipated full recovery is a long one, but it is marked by small, incremental steps of progress. Some of them I don’t even realize are taking place until I remind myself or someone else reminds me about how far I have come.

The application for us all is whatever the undertaking is, you need to begin. Take a small uncomfortable and difficult step forward and then keep at it. In time you will be surprised how far you have come.