| 4/25/01 |
| Today is day 12 post TPLO. Everything is going well so far. Buster, on the orthodogs list has had a good day also. I think our problem now is boredom for all. Kids want to run and play with Magnum but it will be a long time yet before he can do that. I just want to go for a walk but that may be a ways off too. Magnum is anxious to run and it gets harder all the time not to let him go and we are still very early in our recovery. Magnum's owners had so many plans for him when they got him. He was going to be a great hunting dog. Now we have him 3 years and 3 surgeries later. My only expectation for him is to walk on all 4 without a lot of pain. I was just thinking about our plans. We make plans for ourselves and so often they go awry. Our Pastor's message this past Sunday was on faith walking. He compared it to going up in the catwalks in some of the biggest buildings in NY, without railings and blindfolded. Now, he said, I'll tell you where to go, take 3 steps forward. Would I trust my Pastor to direct me? Yes, within reason but he is only human, as am I. He can make mistakes. Would I follow his directions if I were blindfolded up on that catwalk with no railings? Probably not. His point was that we need to focus on WHO is directing our path. As a Christian, God is the one directing our path and we can always trust him as he can see tomorrow, next week, next year and beyond. We can only see now. The faith walk is not for the weak. Faith is not a crutch for weak people but a test for strong people. Where do you put your faith? We all practice faith every day in some way, where is yours? We put our faith in surgeons but they are only human. They fail sometimes. We always hope it won't be when they are working on us or someone we love but we never know for sure. I know that I can trust God to direct my steps, even blindfolded. If I should fail to follow his direction for me and go off my own way, I also know that his big, strong hands will catch me when I fall. His only desire for me is good. Sorry for the sermon, but my husband sent me an email today asking my thoughts for a job change for him which, could very possibly, mean a move for us. We love this house, the lake, the yard, everything about it but God sees tomorrow, next week, next year and beyond. So, if he wants us to move, I'll go. The place he is at now just changed his hours and I was really upset at first when he told me but I know that God is indeed in control. Just as God led us into homeschooling at just the perfect time in our lives, so He will lead my husband into the right job and us to the right place. I know I can trust him for all aspects of our lives, even Magnum's recovery. You need to know, if you are going into TPLO surgery, that it can go awry. It can be very bad when it does or it can still have a good outcome, we are still waiting to hear about Buster. You need to know that it is not all up to you how the surgery will come out. You must do your part but if it goes bad, and you've done your best, you can't blame yourself. No surgery is without risk. Weigh your options carefully and make an informed decision. We made the decision that we felt was best for Magnum as did all the others on the list for their pets. Would I make the same decision? Yes, I probably would because he needed a permanent fix. I wanted to give him the best possible chance at being painfree or as close to it as he could be. There is definately a risk involved with this surgery. If you know Jesus, then pray about it first and let Him lead you. If you feel led to go ahead then leave it in His hands. He is able, and even if it doesn't go the way you planned, He is there to catch you, uphold you, strengthen you and comfort you. |