This is good; strengthening what is weak is a good thing. I have to keep telling myself this because the road to getting there is really, really hard.
Before this surgery, Caedmon would try anything. He would climb up and down the stairs, climb up and down furniture, try to climb onto the table, tackle his brother. When we first introduced him to a reverse walker he actually pulled himself right up in it and started running. He would walk his walker off curbs and up them, try to climb up on rocks with it, go through sand, grass, anywhere he decided he wanted to go. I love this about him.
Just before the casting, Caedmon had started to walk on his own, or at least try. We were so ecstatic! We didn’t know if that day would ever come and we were shouting and happy-dancing all over the house!
After the surgery, Caedmon was in a full leg cast for 7 weeks. He had been in a cast for 3 weeks before that until the doctor’s figured out why he was getting sores on his ankle. So, for a total of 10 weeks there was no regular bathing, no regular movement and no walking, standing or crawling.
When the cast finally came off, Caedmon did not know what to do with himself. He continued to scoot on his bottom because that’s what he had become accustomed to. He cried to be carried down or up stairs. He cried if we tried to help him stand. He cried if we encouraged him to walk. He refused to crawl. My risk-taking, try-anything boy was reduced to a crying, do-nothing mess.
This was very hard. It felt like we had gone a million miles in reverse and I wondered if he would ever get back to where he used to be so he could grow beyond it.
It has been a hard slog but he slowly is getting back his strength and his love for adventure. Everyday he tries some new things, everyday we see his body responding. Everyday he is working toward whatever he will be.
Going through this experience has helped illustrate the promise: My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Caedmon was weak, his bones where misaligned. He then had to go through a time of more weakness, not being able to do anything, in order for his ankle and foot to be strengthened enough to handle the rigors of walking, running, jumping, and whatever else gets into his head to do.
There are many times my mind is misaligned, I am weak and incapable of handling some of the rigors of this life. I struggle. I go through times of even further weakness and I wonder why God is leading me this way. And then, as I get to the other side, I realize how much I needed this, how much stronger I will be through His strength building on this more solid base. His strength is made perfect in my weakness, praise the Lord!