So, I’m on this hiking trail and meet a doctor and a lawyer…. there’s a joke in there somewhere, isn’t there? There just has to be!
What if I add that I meet said doctor and attorney from my little spot on the ground where I’d just rolled my ankle and sat, stunned and helpless? I was incredibly grateful.
Doctors and lawyers both get bad reps, today they were angels to me.
In the midst of training for a ski trip and trying to exercise my roommate’s dog, some beast mode had gotten into me. I was trail running… I don’t trail run. Hiking and being outdoors is normal behavior for me, running isn’t. Doing so with my shoes tied kinda funky – to relieve pressure on my Achilles tendon a rest, is just bad form. I’m sure that’s what caused me to crash.
Two ladies and a long-haired dachshund (that I’d passed minutes earlier) were the first to see me and ask if I was okay. Through stifled tears, I told them I wasn’t sure yet. I was truly afraid to stand up. Brittany bent down in examine mode immediately and said: “I don’t think I have a wrap with me”. Definitely medical-minded, I asked if she was a doctor, thinking what are the odds? She was (not an ortho, but yes, an internist). Well, thank you, God, for putting her there!
Sadly, she looked skeptical when I asked: “can I get it in a ski boot in 3 weeks?”. But I’m going to hope to prove her wrong, by being really, I mean really lazy for a couple days. I even used the grocery pick-up service. Have ya’ll tried that? Fantastic product! Kudos to Kroger Click-List.
I digress (sorry about that ~ I do it a lot).
So, when I went down, I was 2.5 miles from my car, 3.5 miles from what I’d originally planned to hike but my new trail friends were parked at a trailhead less than a mile away. Thank you again, God.
They were very sweet, compassionate and helpful. Brittany led us out, with my dog in tow. Paige followed behind with her adorably cute dog, Jack and kept a good chat going. First challenge conquered, we made it and piled into Paige’s small SUV. Three ladies, an 80-pound lab mix and little Jack, who promptly sprawled himself out for a nap. They drove me to my car, which turned out to be my second challenge. Driving with a sprained right ankle.
On that drive home, pain was minimized by being refreshed in general. Lately, the world is nothing but division, bitterness and downright hate. Factioned, almost. It feels we live in a world where so few give anything of themselves. Those ladies didn’t have to help me, but it was such a kind thing to do. They insisted it was no big deal, but I had to stop myself from gushing too many thanks.
Later in the day, I caught some social media feeds about Candace Payne.
Candace is a Chicagoan who made the news for charging a sizable number of hotel rooms on her personal credit card. She rented them for homeless people during the Polar Vortex. Now THAT is humanity, people. And to glimpse an act of it is glorious!
Between her story and having felt humanity today…my heart is filled a little. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that goodness is still alive.
Be Nurtured and Grow 