THIS IS LOVE!

A few weeks before all the COVID lockdown, I stumbled over a pothole during my prayer walk. POP!

At first I thought, “Oh good! I didn’t hurt myself,” but, as the day went on, my leg became increasingly painful to walk on, and over the next few days, I got to the point where there was shooting pain to bend my leg to sit, to stand, or to even roll over in bed. It left me in tears to move my leg at all.

Isn’t that so like the enemy? When you’re trying to spend time with God and become a better version of yourself, he throws a monkey wrench in your gears.

But I was determined. Even if I couldn’t walk or hardly stand, I was determined to keep my morning and evening prayer times, so I sat and prayed, or I lied down and prayed. I was hoping and believing that, one day, God would restore what the enemy stole from me, and I’d get back to my dearly loved prayer walking again.

As the weeks went by, I had to start calling in to work because I couldn’t stand up to do my job; however, I knew I’d get better, and then I’d get back to life, but then it happened…the COVID lockdown.

NEVER in my wildest nightmares did I ever think this would happen. Our government has NEVER told us how, when, and where we’d be allowed to come and go…EVER. We are America! Land of the Free! Home of the Brave! We’ve ALWAYS been given proper education on how to protect OURSELVES against diseases and then allowed to protect ourselves, not grounded, like a parent does to their child so, I had never even FATHOMED that THIS was a possibility.

I assumed when my leg was well, I’d be back at the mall doing some shopping, having lunch out with my friends, at the park with my kiddos, or having date night out at our favorite restaurants with my husband. I never thought I’d get well to sit at home on my couch, so, I prayed on my couch. I stayed on my couch, and I cried in my couch. (I went into an emotional funk. What can I say? I’m human. 🤷🏼‍♀️)

And then God stepped in. During that time of me praying and hitting a low point, God restored my leg. I was ready to start prayer walking again, and get OFF that couch.

BTW, Burger King’s “Couch Potatriat” commercial–ding, ding, ding, worst commercial EVER! You will never save the world by sitting on your couch, watching TV, and eating a Whopper. That is absolutely RIDICULOUS! If you have to stay at home, find SOMETHING productive to do for yourself or someone else: pray, learn a new trade, read a new book, study a new book of the Bible, send an encouraging text to a friend, give a friend who is struggling a call, or maybe buy a Whopper to be delivered to your neighbor (Or better yet, pick a place that has BETTER COMMERCIALS that teach you higher ideas than that being selfish and lazy are heroic acts. 🙄) It’s about physical distancing, NOT socially distancing yourself from others, but I digress.

As I prepared for my first day to return to prayer walking, I planned to just walk one lap and see how it went. I reminded myself, don’t forget to watch out for that pothole, so I wouldn’t have to go through this all over again, and then I headed out the door.

It felt good to be outside again. I felt the cool morning breeze against my skin. I heard the birds chirping their merry tunes. I heard frogs croaking for their mates. Yes, Spring was in the air. Even Mittens, our kitty, greeted me at the door for our walks. Obviously she missed me too. 😉

Then I got to that EVIL pothole, but it had changed form. It was now filled in. I smiled, finished my lap, and walked back into the house. I saw my husband’s face peeking around the corner at me.

“Did you do that?”

He smiled back. “I knew you’d want to get back to your walks because they make you happy, and I didn’t want you to hurt yourself again.”

I walked to him and slid my arms around his neck. I looked into his dark brown eyes. “Thank you. You will never know how much that means to me.”

“I love you, and I want you to be happy, so I thought I’d surprise you.”

I couldn’t help myself. I gave him a warm kiss because I could SEE how much he loves me.

THIS is what love looks like!

So, during this pandemic, let us not get so focused on saving ourselves that we forget to show love to someone else. Sometimes filling in a pothole, mowing someone’s lawn, or picking up groceries and leaving them on a person’s doorstep is all someone needs to know they are not forgotten.

So physical distance yourself, but don’t socially distance yourself. There are people hurting, and sometimes just reminding someone they are not forgotten makes the difference between surviving through a pandemic and living through one, so love someone today. You never know the good it will do them and your own heart, until you just do it. ❤️

•