Growing up with Polio

Polio takes its toll on a body. It can kill, or it can maim. Or it can seem barely visible in some people. In my case, I was a rambling two-year old who quickly turned into a toddler who couldn’t walk, who had to be fitted with long-leg braces from the waist down to the toes, given two arm crutches, and who had to be taught to walk all over again. Polio was also challenging for my parents. First, it was a challenge just to get me correctly diagnosed. I was taken to the doctor more than once and told that I just had a cold. And I was sent home. This happened several times until the day my Mother told the doctor that I couldn’t walk. The doctor’s staff told my Mother to bring me in the back door. (Since they didn’t know what I had, they didn’t want to risk exposure to other patients.) And then we were off to the local Children’s Hospital, again going in through the back door. At that time, the diagnosis of polio was confirmed. Epidemics can make people act in ways we would not expect them to act. Nothing could stop me, though. I wanted to be like everyone else. I pushed myself. My brother was two years older and I didn’t want him to have the upper hand. So I learned to read early and had read all of his school books by the time I started school. I kept reading his books for years. Skipped the 3rd grade, too! Games with friends were never a challenge for me. I always invented a way to join in, like playing hop scotch on two crutches and only one leg (holding the other with the brace off the ground). And I played baseball by hitting the ball with my crutch instead of a bat. Someone had to run the bases for me, though. One feat I could never master was running. But I will one day. You’ll see. God promises! My grandmother, a committed Christian lady, prayed, and prayed some more, for my healing. She even took me to “faith healers” who held tent revivals at various locations around the South. They would ask for anyone who needed to be healed to come up on the stage. My grandmother would put me up there. The “preacher” would then pray over me, tell me to take my braces off, and walk across the stage. No matter how hard the evangelist prayed, I still couldn’t walk without the assistance of my braces and crutches. And I grew up thinking that I just didn’t have enough faith. Being brought up in a very strict church community, I was used to hearing all about “fire and brimstone”, but very little about God’s love. I just knew I wasn’t good enough to go to heaven, until I went to a church camp one summer. That’s where I first heard about God’s all-encompassing love for me and his gift of eternal life. I asked Christ to be my Savior. However, going right back into a home where my parents were living the secular life, and not having a Christian role model close to my age, I quickly slipped into worldly activities. In the back of my mind I never thought I would find anyone who could love me just as I was, so slipping was easy. I still didn’t grasp the unconditional love of God. Polio is a virus that never lets go. It is controlled (with a vaccine), but not eradicated. Surgeries became a way of life for me. The older I get, the more the surgeries are required. But, looking back, one of my earlier polio experiences still influences me today. I often tell this story to other people hoping it will encourage them like it did me. There is always someone who is a lot worse off than I am. When I was about seven years old, I was in the Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, SC, for another surgery. A little girl was brought in for treatment. This was before the Shriners started their Burn Centers. This baby’s flesh was burnt so badly that you couldn’t tell if she was a white baby or a baby of a different race. Her hands were burnt off and her feet were burnt off, leaving only stubs. But this baby had strength of steel. She kept living. It just had to be a God thing. I thought at that time that, if she had the courage to keep living with the conditions she was facing, then I had no reason to complain about the lot I was dealt in life. Her determination to live changed my outlook on life drastically. Especially when I found out that her parents did not want to claim her. I cannot validate all the information I just wrote, but this is what I remember from my childhood mind. And it stuck. God was with her, and He would always be with me, even if I wasn’t with Him. God surely is with each one of us, no matter our circumstances. I learned to compensate for things I couldn’t do by inventing new ways of doing them. When I had surgeries that required me to be off of my long-leg brace, I learned that I could do laundry by taking a small load in a bag and putting it in a washer, then dryer, a little at a time. I lowered an ironing board so that I could iron from a chair. Many, many little things were/are possible. My life has little room for “NO!”. I am getting older now. More surgeries are certainly in my future. God continually shows me that He has me in the palm of His hand. He knew me from birth. He knows me now. He knows my future. One of my favorite verses is what God tells me I can look forward to when I get to heaven. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-5. Hallelujah!!!

I am Back

If you followed my writing please stand by to see new postings Jenny

Happy New Year

If anyone is out there or reads this blog, I apologize for not keeping up with it this past year. I hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday season, always remembering to put the "Christ" in "Christmas". I hope to continue to update this blog this year.

Buttons is out of surgery, ya'll. Her white blood count was a little low this morning, but the vet said that was normal considering she had her annual shots a few weeks ago. They said she came through really well, is awake and looking around. I'm sure she's looking for Mom! I have to wait until 2:30 to pick her up. That's going to be a long time.

I don't remember whether I told you about the incidents with reading about or hearing about Joseph. There were four incidents in a row that brought the story of Joseph to my attention. The only reasoning I can make out of it is that no matter what happened to him, he didn't blame anyone. He said it was all in God's plan. I wish I had that faith, to believe it was all in God's plan and ultimately not to blame people. It's easier said than done.

A few quotes I've heard lately: "God will use us in proportion to our willingness to be shaped like Christ." by Dr. Charles Stanley. "Don't ever underestimate the impact of your life on others." by I'm not sure who.

OK, on to Exodus now. I've got a lot of catching up to do, and I promised one friend that I would indeed post this weekend to my blog. So, I have to keep my promise. I know that I've missed some verses and passages, and maybe one day I'll get back to them. But for now. . .

Exodus 6:2-3 - God says he is "Yahweh - 'the Lord'" and that he appeared to Abraham, Issac, and to Jacob as "El Shaddai - 'God Almighty'". but that he did not reveal his name of Yahweh to them. I wonder why?

Exodus 6:6-8 - God really lets the people have it. He keeps telling them what he is going to do and then adamantly tells them "I am the Lord". He's really emphasizing that fact and he is trying to ingrain this on their hearts.

Exodus 27 - I can't help but think, when reading about all the precise measurements of the Ark and Altars, Courtyard, etc., of what it would look like. I wish someone would make an exact to-scale replica. Or, if one does exist, I sure wish I could see it.

Exodus 34:29-35 - Lord, I want a "radiant" face. I want it to be known by my face that I had spoke to you. I want you to speak to me so that my face is "radiant".

Exocus 39:3 - Bezalel made gold thread with real sheets of gold. Can you imagine the precision needed to cut a sheet of gold into a strip so small as to be as pliable as thread. And then he wove it into the fine linen! Amazing!!

Exodus 40:12 - God tells Moses to present Aaron and his sons to be anointed, even after Aaron made a golden calf for the people. See how God forgives.

Numbers 7:1-89 - The dedication offerings by the 12 tribes of Israel were all the same. So why were they each recorded individually?

I must say here that sometimes the jottings I post about the Bible may not be in order of the Books of the Bible because this year I'm reading through the Bible chronologically, as I stated in an earlier post.

Leviticus - People were allowed to bring birds (turtledoves or pigeons) as sacrifices for sin. Where did they get the birds? Were they raised as a heard of cattle or sheep? Were they pets?

Leviticus 16:1-34 - Several things come to mind. First, again God restricts the area Aaron goes and what he sees -- no one allowed to see God. Next, vs. 21, Aaron lays his hands on the goat's head and transfers the peoples' sins to the head of the goat. Then God says in verses 29 - 31, "you must deny yourselves". I'm not quite sure of what this means.

On Feb 22, I heard a Joyce Meyer sermon on TV. She said "Don't CRAVE to get rich." She also quoted Phillippians 4:11-12 - "learned how to be content". Then she said "How you behave in the wilderness determines how long you'll stay there." Makes sense to me. And reminds me of the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness. Took a long time for a lesson to set in.

Leviticus 17:11 - First mention that I've read of the blood being given in exchange for a life, like Jesus' blood being shed on the cross for me! Praise God!!!

Leviticus 19:2 - God tells us "You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy." We should act and behave as we are holy, for God says so! No excuses!!

Leviticus 19:18 - "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is also one of the Beatitudes. In the Old Testament, God basically tells us how to live.

Leviticus 21:17-20 - Why does God exclude people with "defects" from qualifying to give sacrifices at the altar? What does a defect have to do with this? God knew in advance that these people would become handicapped,l so why exclude them?

Numbers 3:39 - Isn't it amazing that the total of all the counted males was an exact 22,000 number - even - not 22,001 or 21,999, but an even number.

OK, friends, now I am caught up with my notes. But, there are some missing. Hopefully I will take the time to create them soon. As for now, good night and God Bless. Until I write again. . . thanks for reading.

Genesis 15:5 - This is only one of many references to stars, how numerous they are. And to think that He placed each one in the sky, in an orderly fashion. Every time I look at the night sky, I marvel at God's handiwork.

Genesis 17:7 - God again made a covenant, but now He says this is an "everlasting covenant. I will always be your God. . ." God will never leave us. We are the ones who leave God. I'm so thankful for his forgiveness!!

Genesis 18:14 - "Is anything to hard for the Lord?. . . " I just LOVE this reference, knowing the answer.

Genesis 18:1-15 - God tells Abraham that Sarah will have a child. Abraham is 100 years old, and Sarah, too, was old. Can you imagine how you would feel if God told you something like this? I would probably be like Sarah, and laugh. But this is a true testament of God. He keeps His word.

Genesis 16 to 22 - Isn't it just like women. . . Sarah and Hagar not getting along. Sarah jealous of Hagar even after Abraham did what she asked. God showed so much patience and love with these women.

Genesis 22 - What can I say? God tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. I can't imagine how I would react. I would be pleading "No, Lord -- not my son. Take me instead." But Abraham, we are told, didn't even question God. He just obeyed. What faith he had in God. If only I was a little like Abraham. . .

Genesis 24:1-4 - I Chronicles 1:32-33 - Abraham married another wife, as told in Genesis. But in 1 Chronicles, the Bible says "concubine", not "wife". Which is it?

Genesis 25:22 - Rebekah was pregnant and she actually felt the twins struggling in her womb. Then the Bible says "So she went to ask the Lord about it." She didn't hesitate. She just naturally went and talked to God. Isn't this a great example of everyday prayer. Shouldn't we talk to God, Jesus, as if they were beside us? Which they are.

Genesis 25 - 27 -- I don't quite get the whole thing of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright. The Lord said that Esau would serve Jacob. Buy why did he have to steal Esau's birthright? And it turned out okay. Also, Issac tricked people about Rebekah, saying she was his sister, not his wife. There are some things I'm sure I won't fully understand.

I don't think I will ever catch up this year with my jottings. Maybe one day. I just get busy and don't take the time. Well, here's some more for your perusal.

Genesis 8 - During the flood, even the "underground" waters were flowing and stopped when the flood was receding.

Genesis 9 - God made a covenant with Noah that he would never again flood the earth. And the sign of the covenant is a rainbow. I've always loved seeing a rainbow. How wonderful is this reminder of God!!!

Genesis 9:18 - 10:1 - I don't really get why Noah cursed Canaan, the son of Ham. I guess it was wrong to see your father naked. I'm just not sure . . . Even Noah, as blessed as he was and as favored by God, got drunk. Shows us, all sin. . .

Genesis 11 - Tower of Babel. I believe that God has an ego. First, He didn't want Adam and Eve to stay in the Garden of Eden after they ate the fruit of the tree of good and evil because He didn't want them to eat the fruit of the tree of life. And now here, He says that the "people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them." So, He said, "Come, let's (again, more than God, i.e., God, Jesus, & Holy Spirit) go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other." God didn't want people thinking like they were God.

Here's a question for God. Why does he say in Genesis 6:3 that "humans. . .normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years. . ." but many people after this passage, i.e., Shem, lived to be 600 (Genesis 11:10-11)?