Countdown to Knee Replacement Surgery

It's been weeks since I mentioned that Beloved will be having knee replacement surgery.  The doctor tried to schedule it for early this month, but we wanted to check off a few items on our "to do" list first.  Those things are pretty much done now, so we are gearing up for this 'adventure' in less than two weeks.  We intend to approach this with as much of a sense of humor as we can, since a merry heart is good medicine. 

Yesterday Beloved saw our family doctor for his pre-op physical. Everything is checking out fine.  He's been advised to stop taking all his supplements and herbal pills until after the surgery to avoid any unpleasant interactions.  He continues with the prescriptions for blood pressure and such.  Next week we will both go to the hospital for a 90-minute class to learn what to expect. 

In doing research for this particular blog post, I came across a welcome message from A.B. Simpson at Gospel.com.  He is commenting on the above-mentioned Bible verse found in Proverbs 17:22, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Here is what he had to say:

King Solomon left among his wise sayings a prescription for sick and sad hearts, and it is one that we can safely take. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. 

Joy is the great restorer and healer. Gladness of spirit will bring health to the bones and vitality to the nerves when all other tonics fail and all other sedatives cease to quiet. 

Are you ill? Begin to rejoice in the Lord, and your bones will flourish like an herb, and your cheeks will glow with the bloom of health and freshness. Worry, fear, distrust, care-all are poisonous! 

Joy is balm and healing, and if you will but rejoice, God will give power. He has commanded you to be glad and rejoice, and He never fails to sustain His children in keeping His commandments. Rejoice in the Lord always, He says. 

This means no matter how sad, how tempted, how sick, how suffering you are, rejoice in the Lord just where you are-and begin this moment. The joy of the Lord is the strength of our body, The gladness of Jesus, the balm for our pain, His life and His fullness, our fountain of healing, His joy, our elixir for body and brain.

I love this message!  I hope that it is an encouragement as you face whatever challenges God has allowed in your life today.