Certain Man’s Wife took her poor left knee to the doctor yesterday.  They X-rayed both knees “for comparison.”

“Which knee did you say was hurting?” asked the puzzled technician.

“It’s my left,” said CMW, cheerfully.  “It’s actually what I call my good knee.  Usually it’s my other knee that is giving me trouble, but whatever happened on Saturday night happened to my left knee.  And it really hurt!”

“H-m-m-m-m-m.” said the tech, “I would certainly think it would be the right one.”

CMW pondered the fact that she might not look smart enough to tell her left from her right, but she actually can remember which hand she eats with and yes, checking it out, it was the left knee that was hurting.

Back in the examination room, the PA looked over the X-rays and did a thorough examination.  “Well, he said, “I can’t really tell what is wrong here, but I am inclined to think it is a meniscus tear under the knee cap.   And,” he added kindly, “this knee is is far better shape than the other knee.  It is stable, it has range of motion and it is just a far better knee than the other one.  I know it is hurting you, but the general condition of the knee is far better.”

CMW looked at the X-rays of the two knees, side by side on the lighted window and felt her heart sink down somewhere near to where the knees were located on her body.  The right one really does look pretty bad.  It is bone on bone, off set by a half an inch, has a spur sticking out the side, and a white collar of something or other that is tracing its way through the joint.  The strange thing is, that though it is sometimes stiff, and sometimes doesn’t want to work quite right, it really doesn’t hurt.  There have been a few times when she has had a cortisone shot in it when it was hurting, and it seemed to do better, and so, even though she realizes since the left knee has begun to give her trouble, that she favors the right a great deal, it hasn’t been a defining condition of her life.

Last night, after the left knee did another painful turn, and didn’t want to settle down, CMW lay wakeful in the dark and thought about all the stuff that this could mean.  If this left knee doesn’t settle down with the shot it got yesterday — If the MRI shows something serious —  if the right knee doesn’t hold up under the added strain of the good knee being out of sorts — IF  — IF — IF —  It was a good time to pray, she decided.  And so, until the Vicodin did its work, the prayers stayed to the anxious thoughts and calmed her uncertainties.

And then she read in God’s word this morning that He cares for her.  That He has the storm and the waves and the unknowns in His hands.  That He uses the things that seem like such a mistake or such a misfortune for good, and it is not up to the humans to decide what that good is going to be.

And so, today she is hobbling around — carefully.  If she had been more careful last night, the knee probably wouldn’t have twisted again.  Cecilia is home with a stomach virus.  Certain Man is home, working on remolding Youngest Daughter’s bedroom, and there are many things to take the attention of Certain Man’s wife.  Which is what she is going to go do now — dishes, putting away manger scenes, and hopefully doing some sitting down to the paperwork that has stacked up.

Which is another thing.  Do any of you ladies find that when you really have a reason to sit and do things like paperwork, or correspondence or such that you always see the things that NEED to be done that prevent you from doing the very things that would be best for you to do and need to be done anyhow?   My kids think I am crazy, but it is very hard to do sit down work when there is housework that needs to be done.  And today is no exception.  I need to get some things done so I can sit down in peace and CONCENTRATE!

Blessings, dear friends.  Could you say a prayer for this bum knee?   THANKS.