If you've been following Live The Prep Life for a couple weeks now, you'll know that I broke my wrist last month. If this is a new story to you, you can read more about it in this blog post and in this one. Anyway, I got my cast off just in time to go to Palm Beach, but I still had to wear a brace when I wasn't swimming or near water. However, last Thursday, my doctor said I no longer had to wear my brace, which means that the saga of my broken arm is officially over.
While this plot twist didn't make for the best summer, it helped me realize some important things and learn some valuable lessons. Today, I thought that I would share five things I learned from this experience with y'all, so I hope you enjoy!
Make The Most of Everything // About five hours before I broke my arm, my mom asked if I wanted to go swimming at our local pool. I said no, because I just wanted to stay home and catch up on everything - check Instagram, watch YouTube videos, that kind of thing. Besides, I had all summer to swim, right? Wrong. I wasn't able to go swimming for the next four weeks. This just goes to show you that you never know when something bad or unexpected might happen, and you always have to live in the moment and make the most of everything.
There Is Always Another Way // After I broke my wrist, I couldn't do anything that involved motion in my left arm. I couldn't open a water bottle, put my hair in a ponytail, or even hold my phone. I was so limited, and it was really frustrating. However, I quickly learned that there is always an alternate solution. I taught myself how to open a water bottle with one hand, and I learned how to hold my hair so I could tie it up in a somewhat sloppy, yet still functional ponytail. Don't ever feel like there's only one solution to a problem. Remember: two plus two equals four, but so does three plus one. There's always another option.
It Gets Easier // As days went by and my arm continued to heal, life got easier. I wasn't in any pain, and I started regaining my strength. I could hold my phone again (I didn't try to hold anything heavy, though, for obvious reasons) and I could rotate my arm a little more each day. As I got used to having a cast, it became less of an annoyance and simply something that was on my arm. There were days when I hardly noticed my cast, and as I said earlier, I learned how to perform everyday activities again.
Things Could Always Be Worse // There were times when it felt like breaking my arm was the worst thing in the world, but it wasn't. My break could've been more severe. I could have broken my right arm, or even my leg. Even with my broken arm, I was still able to walk, run, and travel. I went to The Woodlands and I had a lot of fun, even with my broken arm. I was able to have access to a doctor, which meant I could get a cast on and my bone would heal. Humans tend to take a lot of simple things for granted, but it's really the simple things that make up the big picture.
Look On The Bright Side // I tried to be positive about my broken arm. I used my experience to learn a few valuable lessons, like the ones I'm sharing with y'all. I tried to look on the positive side, and think about how good it would feel to get my cast off. Because of my broken wrist, I got to write a blog post about the lessons I've learned and a blog post about how to take outfit pictures with a cast. I'll get to tell this story to my children one day. If I could do it all over again, I would have done everything in my power to not break my arm, but that doesn't mean I didn't try to find the good in this situation.
God Is Always Listening // When I was in the emergency room the night I broke my arm, I continuously prayed that my arm would be okay. I so desperately wanted for my arm to be anything but broken. Yes, it turned out that my arm was broken, but the break was the least severe kind possible. After that, all I wanted was to get my cast off in time to go to the beach. I knew it was unlikely, but I still prayed constantly in hopes that God would hear me - and He did. I got my cast off two days before I left for Florida. While I still had to wear a brace, I could get in the ocean and enjoy my vacation. While the events of this story may not have been ideal, God knew what He was doing. He had a plan in place for me (Jeremiah 29:11) and He listened to my prayers. If you are going through a tough situation right now, just know that God is always right there and He will always hear what you have to say.
Have you ever faced a tough challenge? What are some lessons you learned from that challenge? Let me know by leaving a comment!
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