The Little Leaf that Could and DID!

   Some of life's lessons come from experiences, other people, accidents, failures, etc... But what about a stubborn leaf stuck on the porch. Sometime during the middle of October an oak leaf got stuck in the cracks of the floor of our back porch. I did not think much of it until the next day, when the leaf was still there... and the day after that, and the day after that... For over a month that leaf just stayed there, upright and proud. It just did not give up, in spite of foot traffic, rain, high wind and even snow. I thought for sure that I would come home and it would be bent over or even gone - BUT it hung in there!!! I even posted pictures of the stubborn leaf on face book so friends could see the progress. 

   Finally a couple of days ago, I decided to give this tenacious leaf a permanent home and it was framed in a picture frame, with the caption, "The Little Leaf that could...and did!" God used this in my life to teach me to hang in there and not give up. For several months I have had moderate back pain and numbness in my left leg. I met with a doctor and she signed me up with Physical Therapy for twice a week for a month. PT helped some but did not take care of the problem. Finally today I was able to get a CT scan and some answers. They call it "Degenerative disc disease" in 3 lower vertebrae and "disc protrusion". I have no idea what all this means, but I do know God wants me to be a little like the Oak Leaf and "Hang in there!" and trust Him. I do know that I may need to make some changes in my "hobbies" especially wood working. God has better plans, for us just like He did for the Oak Leaf!!!

   When Linda and I were in Oregon in May of this year, I decided to climb up the path that leads to the top of Multnomah Falls. On the way down I took a hard fall flat on my face. I believe that some of this ailment comes from that fall. The rest is simply attributed to "Old Age" degeneration. 

   To top it all off, Linda's back pain is recurring, so both of us are a pain in the back! To God be the Glory as we trust Him daily...