Essential hardware for healing

I know this photo doesn't seem to exactly match the headline. It's an antique ornament from my grandmother's house. After Mama Darkey (our special name for her) passed away, the ornaments were divided up among the children and grandchildren. I love the unique, delicate shape of this one. Its fragility. Its subtle coloring. The mingling of shiny and dull. The rubbed off bits and the slightly corroded hook at the pointy end.


I wonder whose it was originally and how old it is exactly. I pull out this ornament and the other I received and imagine Christmas celebrations of long ago reflected in their surfaces.


This minor setback has given me lots of time for reflection. Steel plates and screws in my ankle will stabilize my foot and my walking eventually. More time spent with loved ones will strengthen essential relationships. More attention to those nagging to-do projects (the ones I can do from bed anyway) will build a firmer foundation in some critical areas of responsibility. More rest and exercise will help me physically, emotionally and intellectually ... and more time spent in prayer and in the Word will reinforce my faith life and my continued walk with Jesus. 


So friends ... I need your comments more than ever now. Please share your thoughts on "essential hardware" and/or an experience where good things came from less-than-ideal circumstances. Use the comment section below or send me an e-mail. Happy Tuesday!