Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Courage


Boy was I caught off guard. I have been walking for an hour and a half every day the past 4 weeks around Lake Elizabeth and have by going at the same time every day met some very nice people. I have a new friend who as we pass we comment on the latest sports news. A couple of nights ago, for the first time since I broke my leg and tore my achilles tendon ran (can we really call it that?) a half mile. It was exhilerating and yet I had a rough time of it with my legs. Today I decided to jog a bit on my trip around the lake and this friend along with all my other friends there was shocked to see me "picking up the pace". When he met up with me the second time as we both made it around the lake in opposite directions he chided me for not running. So, to preserve my sense of manhood, (like that is some big deal) I stopped and explained how come I couldn't run anymore. I showed him the scar on my leg where I had the rod placed in it and the scar from my achilles tendon surgery. Puffed with my bloated sense of courageous perseverence, I explained that it was tough for me to run very far so I had to stop because of the achiness. My new friend then told me why he couldn't run. While serving in Viet Nam, he had to come home and an aluminum rod was placed through his spine to save his back. He rolled up his socks and showed me where shrapnel scarred his leg. The truth is, some wounds really are war wounds and some courage is bigger than other bits of courage. "...with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 b

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