Foot Update--and an Announcement on Sunday

Thanks for bearing with me through that riveting series on homeschooling! (I'm teasing, but hoping that a few of you were delighted with all the details. I know what other homeschoolers want to know...but it can be a bit much, I bet, for the rest of y'all--especially four days in a row! Next time, I'll spread it out more.)

So how is my foot? I'm sure you're all dying to know. Well, I thought I was doing much better. The swelling is only in the quadrant of my foot containing my big toe, now, which meant I've been able to hobble around on my heel and outer foot edge pretty well, without crutches, when I needed to. I was even getting to where I could spend more than ten minutes in a vertical position, a couple times a day. But when I went in to get my stitches removed, my sweet woman doctor grimaced and said, "Ooooh, you're still a sweller, even at this stage."

Now I'm still counting my blessings--that it feels so much better than it did--but I was hoping to hear that I'm doing as well as anybody else at this stage. It bothers me to think that I could be doing better than I am. I truly have been elevating, icing, and elevating to the point that my tailbone is sore and my kids are singing praise songs if I venture downstairs more than once a day. "I deserve to be normal at this point!" a little voice in my head insists.

They removed my stitches, which felt like tiny pins going in wherever they pulled a stitch out. It was uncomfortable, but I stoically read a paragraph in my book through it all--three times through, I think. Then, as the assistant began to wrap my foot afterward, I closed my book and asked if my chair reclined at all, because I felt a little faint. I could see the spinning, dark circles in my peripheral vision closing in.

I was fine after a minute, a bottle of water and a few grapes. Now I will tell you, dear reader, what I wouldn't tell my doctor till after the stitches were removed--I had been having a flu of the intestinal variety for two days and had eaten hardly anything until the hour before my appointment. I didn't say anything, because I was afraid she would want to wait another week to remove my stitches!

Last week she was ready to do it, when I mentioned that I sometimes had blood sugar issues (we were speculating about my episodes of sensitivity to Lidocaine and Novacaine). She asked if I had eaten lunch and I had not; so she opted not to remove them then. I didn't protest because, truth be told, I was feeling a little green. Remember my fear that I might have a Motrin-induced ulcer? Well, turns out it I was having this icky stomach achy bug, and I think it lasted over a week, right up to my appointment this week. (Preferable to an ulcer, I must say.)

But I wanted those stitches out; they were itching and pulling a lot, and that area feels much better now. It was worth it. And I think I'm over the bug too, finally.

Still hobbling, though. She spoke optimistically of getting me into shoes, next week, if the swelling is down. I'm hoping!

***

On Sunday, Papa Rooster and I will be making an announcement at our church's annual meeting following the Sunday morning service. In 5-7 minutes, he'll be trying to communicate our intention--if the Lord provides--of starting a community of geographically proximate members, committed to a rhythm of daily prayer and labor, that will join with the new church plant in Kenosha. We may have a property; we may be looking at land if that property doesn't work out. Come to a meeting (date TBA--in the next 6 weeks) to learn how you can be involved; moving isn't necessarily required. --Think he can do it?

Please pray, if you would, that he can find the words to plant the seeds of this vision in such a short time. Pray for good soil in those hearts that God is drawing to help found this work. Pray for us as we plan that next meeting, when we will present our vision in much greater detail, and pray also for those who already are considering joining us. We especially hope to be able to announce, at the follow-up meeting, that we have a worship leader coming with us.

Oh, and pray for our kids. I told them today about the announcement on Sunday. "Does that mean we are definitely moving to Kenosha?" they wanted to know--freaking out a little. No, it doesn't, not yet, I told them. It probably does...but as we continue walking forward, if all the doors began to shut rather than open, then maybe we won't. And if we do, it doesn't mean for sure this summer--it could be another year or more.

But after Sunday, people will be asking them, "So, how do you feel about moving to Kenosha?" So we talked through how they could handle that, when they have mixed feelings about it. (I told them it was fine to say something like, "Well, part of me doesn't want to move, because I'm going to miss my friends. But another part of me is really excited.") Please pray that they can live well and not too stressfully in this state of ambivalence and uncertainty.

I know many of you have been praying for us to rightly discern the movement of God and follow his leading as we seek to establish this vision. We are so grateful for your intercessions. They humble us and raise us up at the same time. Thank you!