Growth Opportunities

Today's reading from 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young -

Strive to trust Me in more and more areas of your life. Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust Me in all situations. Don't waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment - accepting things exactly as they are - and search for My way in the midst of those cirumstances.
Trust is like a staff you can lean on, as you journey uphill with Me. If you are trusting in Me consistently, the staff will bear as much of your weight as needed. Lean on, trust, and be confident in Me with all your heart and mind.  Psalm 52:8; Proverbs 3:5 - 6

It seems like there was a bit of a reprieve at the beginning of January where things were very quiet. In the last few days a few thiings have come up to help me 'lean on the staff of trust' more.

I received a letter from my long term disability insurance coordinator yesterday. I spoke with her last week following my medical oncologist appointment. During the conversation I told her that the oncologist had said we would discuss my back to work plan at our next visit. At the end of our phone conversation she was very pleasant and said that she would continue to be in touch. This letter was not quite what I thought she had meant about continuing to be in touch. It was brief but basically stated that the insurance company considered me capable of returning to work as of  February 1st. There was a form included that I am supposed to have the oncologist complete regarding my 'return to work' activities. The letter also stated that if there were any reasons that I was not able to return to work as of that date that it was my responsibility to provide the details and necessary documentation to her before then. A little anxiety producing given that today is January 22nd.

There was also a call from the occupational therapist at the rehab center where my Mom is currently. She indicated that Mom may be able to go 'home' as early as today but I would need to have some things in place prior to that, including obtaining a wheelchair for her,  a different type of walker and a few other pieces of equipment. She called early afternoon with this information. I explained that Mom was in a SL4 designated lodge and that she had a case manager that I had been told was responsible for assessing and authorizing additional equipment such as what they were suggesting. I gave her the phone number for this person. She called once again this morning saying that the case manager at the lodge said that she didn't authorize wheelchairs and the lodge couldn't provide one temporarily.

As it turned out for today, the physiotherapist told the occupational therapist they were not ready to release Mom from their care, they feel she requires more time in the rehab center becoming steadier using the walker. In the meantime, I have been asked to contact a local agency daily to see if a wheelchair becomes available for Mom's use as it could take up to six months or more to obtain her own wheelchair through the aids to daily living program.

I also spoke with the social worker from the rehab center this morning and have some 'homework' from that conversation, I believe the outcome from this work should be positive for Mom's pocketbook.

How wonderful to go back to the 'Jesus Calling' reading for today, re-read it a few times over, view these circumstances as growth opportunities and then trust.

Take care everyone.