‘Knackered’ was the word the surgeon used to describe my knee before my total knee replacement last Wednesday. ‘Beautiful’ was how he described his handiwork when he came to see me just over an hour later in the recovery room.
This surgery was a gift to me from a good and generous friend. She had received an inheritance and as she prayed felt she wanted to help me. The NHS waiting list for a knee replacement is over 2 years and with the severe level of degeneration I was increasingly debilitated. So, this operation was private.
Knackered
It’s now Day 12 post surgery and though I’m doing well, I’m awake a lot through the night with time to reflect. Over the years since osteoarthritis began I tried to help myself with exercise, diet, supplements and latterly pain medication, but in the end I had to admit my knees were ‘knackered’ through this hereditary and degenerative disease. I was in need of ‘beautiful’ renewal.
A hereditary and degenerative disease! Isn’t that an apt picture of sin? Ultimately, try as we might, we cannot cure ourselves. We have to come confessing, ‘we’re knackered’ to the Great Physician who promises to make us ‘new creations’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Beautiful
Of course there’s anxiety over any operation. How painful will recovery be and how long will healing take? Most important, has the surgery gone well? My surgeon was superb. A busy man, going on to more work in theatre, he took time to say these wonderful reassuring words in the recovery room, ‘beautifully done.’ I was on a ‘high’ at least till the epidural wore off and the strong pain medication made me light headed and nauseous most of the time! I’m grateful to the kindness of the staff who helped me through these post op days in hospital.
Still, that initial feeling of euphoria reminded me of when I came to Jesus and sensed his cleansing, his amazing wrap around, beautiful love. That awareness of his presence has been with me now for 50 years this September.
Gift
It wasn’t easy for my pride to accept this expensive gift of knee surgery from my friend. Christmas is God’s beautiful gift of love for this knackered world. Think, how much more costly is the gift of Jesus? His birth in a stable was the beginning of a humiliation that would take him to the Cross to die for us. This Christmas, let’s humble ourselves and make room for him in our hearts.
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests’ (Luke 2:14).
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