I have always had a growing passion for people who have suffered from brokenness- both physically or emotionally and want people to know there is always hope for healing. This blog’s mission has evolved toward offering any hope and encouragement I am able to give. Things I share here, come from the deepest part of who I am- and I always hope my words will sink into the deepest part of you too.
Encouragement is my favorite word to live by…
It’s a gift, really. Giving it is a gift. Receiving it is a gift.
As my little motto on this blog says,
“Encouragement is like food for the soul… Everybody’s hungry for it.”
I really believe that to be true.
Here’s the rather interesting thing-
The two most viewed blog posts on this site are “Ten Tips for the Woman in a Leg Cast.” And “20 Truths for Life After Foot/Ankle Surgery.”
I have received more messages regarding these two posts than any other on my blog.
Isn’t that crazy?
As many of you know, I have been down that difficult road of surgery and the painful path toward recovery quite a few times.
I have such a heart for people who are broken. Funny thing is I usually use this word to describe the emotionally broken, not the physically broken. But with this increasingly popular direction of these two posts, I have learned that there are many people in need of encouragement after their own painful ‘physical breaks’. The messages I have received have been incredibly precious to me- and each one has inspired a profound passion for those aching, tired, frustrated and depleted souls. Oh, the stories I have read!
It has been so fulfilling to know that those two posts have encouraged people in their healing journey.
As 2015 unfolded, with my slow recovery toward walking like a pro again- I was reminded over and over how very difficult it was to get to this place of healing and wholeness. I reflect on the experience often when reading other people’s stories. I keep thinking about how much I want to tell all these hurting, frustrated and scared people- I was once them. This past Christmas season was my constant reminder of how far I’ve come since last Christmas. I was able to live my life JUST as I did before my injuries and surgeries. There wasn’t a day that went by, where I didn’t feel deep gratitude for being able to drive and shop and walk around my house- function like a whole and healed human being. I kept flashing back to the previous Christmas season, crawling on the floors, stuck on the couch, desperately wishing I could move and take care of myself. It was truly traumatic. It was long. It seemed never ending at times. I had moments of helplessness and hopelessness.
I cried a lot.
But I learned how to survive, much like I did with the other surgeries I have had in the past. I’m just so glad I shared what I learned in those posts.
One thing I wasn’t able to share in those particular messages, was the greatest piece of hope I can give!
So to all of you who are broken and in that hard place of trying to heal and get whole again…
I AM THE FUTURE YOU!!
I want ALL you broken people to know that it WILL get better. I am proof of this truth! I am who you will be in TIME.
Precious time.
As hard and hopeless as it may seem at times, I promise this road you are on now will end. It will END.
One day, in the not-so-distant future, you will look back on this trying time and realize you managed to somehow survive it all, just like I did. It’s so hard to see that from where you are. I know. I remember. It gets mighty dark in that pit.
Let me be your light?
Healing looks different on everyone. Honor yours, okay? You WILL be whole someday. (I know there may be some lasting reminders of this season, through perhaps a limp, a pinch, numbness, or aches and pains that may stick around a bit longer…)
Hold on TIGHT to the big picture- this time in your life does not define you, it is merely a tiny dip on your timeline. Don’t let it consume you. The future will come and in it you are HEALED. You WILL get your previous life back!
Don’t give your pain too much power. It has the ability to take over your thoughts and your hope. Don’t let it! Fight it with medicine, distraction, and gratitude.
Yeah, gratitude. Practice the exercise of finding your thankfuls every single day. This alone will keep you from sinking. Anchor yourself in the gifts you hold in your life, despite what you are going through now. Concentrate on your plans for the future, because you will have just that…
A future where you are healed and whole and back into life once again.
Let me be your hope! I was you last year. I have reached the end of my broken road and turned the corner to a new path that steers me far from that debilitating one.
It’s over for me…
It will be over for you too.
Are you experiencing pain? I understand because I’ve been there. Let me offer you hope. There’s hope for healing. I promise you that.
I promise you.
You won’t be broken for long.
I’m your proof.
Your future you is coming too…
There is HOPE for healing.
* Joining the lovely FTSF peeps with “In the future…” *
Bless you. What a positively refreshing post, Chris. My takeaway is “you won’t be broken for long.” Nicely done. I am so glad that you are on the mend and that this Christmas was so much better than the last. It must have been so frustrating last year. Jumbo hug to you. Off to share.
I love your takeaway Kelly. *Nailed it.* 🙂 Jumbo hug right back to you!
Aw, you are just amazing and seriously what a beautiful and hopeful message here, which I can’t thank you enough for sharing today as this past few weeks have been rough here and needed to hear this message here myself this morning. So thank you so much, Chris!! 🙂
Oh Janine! I hope you are okay, sweetie! I hate to hear that it’s been rough for you. 🙁 Hang in there and know I’m thinking about you and praying for you…
You are such a gift of encouragement! I have read more blog a this week about people struggling with physical and chronic illness! God surely had plans for you after your own struggles..to help bring others over the finish line..handing them bottles of hope along the way! What blessings!! You are a trooper beyond measure! I’m so inspired by your strength, faith, vulnerability, and positive outlook — and always you seek Jesus in the storm calling you to walk on water! Love your beautiful blog and heart!
You know what is the BEST? Having a beloved friend like you be such an incredible encourager to someone like me, whose love language is SURELY words of affirmation! Ha! Oh, how grateful I am for ALL your beautiful words, Kathy. You just don’t even know… <3
I read this post as a metaphor for physical brokenness. The whole post especial the gratitude paragraph can be applied in the everyone’s lives – broken or whole. We must always anchor ourselves in our gives and concentrate on our plans for the future. Great reminder.
You know Kenya, I was thinking about it metaphorically when I wrote it too. I just love your response- “We must always anchor ourselves in our gives and concentrate on our plans for the future.” <— LOVE.
Amen! I know there are times that I grew stronger through painful, heartbreaking experiences. Although I don’t want to go through them again, I know in the big picture, they were necessary to be the best I can be. Gratitude is a major ingredient in the medicine for physical and emotional healing, isn’t it?
Isn’t that the truth, Lynn? I agree- the new found strength and wisdom that comes from difficult circumstances is truly a gift. Gratitude is the absolutely a major ingredient to any healing!
Hi Chris! You know, much the same thoughts were whirling around here. A year ago, I was just a week out from surgery, gaining my internal jewelry! It was really great to have you to commiserate with me as we moved from broken to healed.
I think anyone can relate to a person who is ‘broken’ somehow. That’s how we connect! It’s much easier to understand defeat because it’s a common condition.
Let’s make this the year of healing and moving forward, while we help others do the same.
Blessings,
Ceil
Do you know I thought about you when I wrote this, Ceil? I did. What a journey we went through together, huh? It was hard. I’m so glad we have both healed! And yes… brokenness- so much of it everywhere. I still have healing to do in many more broken places.
This is such a needed and important post, Chris. When I broke my hand and had the cast all the way to my finger tips, I had SUCH a hard time remembering that it’d get better. And then when the cast was off, I couldn’t move. Today, full mobility! I’m so glad that you’re inspiring and spreading hope for those searching for surgery and healing the way you do with LIFE. <3
Kristi- I KNOW you have been there. I remember you were STILL blogging with ONE HAND! Nothing stops you, girl. I just love that. Didn’t you also do something to your leg or foot when Tucker was a baby? I have images of you scooting down the stairs holding him or something like that. Bless your heart! I’m SO glad you are HEALED from both of those hard hits, my friend!
Hi dear….from the bottom of my heart i wanna thank you for inspiring. And encouraging me to move on and fight these dark moments and shine …i have broken my left ankle on chrismass eve and had a surgery done …i am in recovery hoping and praying for my speedy recovery….please keep me in your prayers and positive vibes….
Bless you for that encouragement to others. It can be so hard to see the light at the end of the journey for many. It must seem that the pain and brokenness will never have an end. What a great inspiration you are for those who are there, stuck in the darkness still. 🙂
I feel a little sad – my most read post was something about how dirty I was….. because I was in my garden all day. But I don’t think that’s why it got so many hits!! LOL Imagine their surprise. ha
BAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh that’s good Leslie. That’s good. 😉
Such a lovely, encouraging post. Fortunately, I have not had many physical “breaks” other than birthing 3 babies and gall bladder surgery, but I do remember wondering if my body would ever recover.
Call yourself blessed my friend! But then again, you DID give birth 3 times… so you know what pain and healing and recovery WHILE taking care of a newborn is like. Yeah. You get it. 🙂
You seriously should be a life coach, Chris. I feel better every time I visit you! I remember all those FB posts about your surgery, pain, recovery…I’m so happy that is behind you. Many people in pain can’t see past it to a time when they won’t be, and this is an excellent reminder.
Do you remember on New Year’s Eve me sharing this horrid pic of my foot all stitched and black and blue and I said, ‘Let’s kick in the New Year on the RIGHT FOOT!” I cracked myself up. But there was an eery awkward silence in the www. I may have gone too far…
But the best part of my fell-to-dead-silence joke was my surgical messed up horrid looking foot was my LEFT foot so I really REALLY meant the ‘RIGHT FOOT’! Get it? PLEASE GET IT!! Somebody HAS TO GET IT! Lololololol!!!
And you DID, lovely Kitty – you really, truly did! You healed, and we walked and talked and walked and talked and hugged and laughed and WALKED and it was so utterly wonderful. I’m SO glad you’re better, and what a wonderful way of encouraging other people.
I do love your heart, my dear <3
Oh, how I want those days back RIGHT NOW! The sun. The heat. The walking and talking and sweating and laughing and singing and US. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate my healing. 🙂
And I love yours. <3
For nothing is impossible with God. 🙂
#TRUTH. 🙂
Your words are always there to remind us that we are not alone, whatever the pain we are dealing with. Thank you Chris for being such a beautiful light in our world, in our life. It’s precious. You are precious.
As are YOU, my beautiful friend. As are YOU. <3
“Encouragement is like food for the soul… Everybody’s hungry for it.”
We. are.
And for others to say: I see you. I hear you. You matter in the world. You were born for a reason.
Chris, it is so clear to see how GOD is utilizing you to LIFT others up, UP, UP.
This is your gift, darling.
I wish Kay would have known you.
xxx kiss and appreciation from MN.
Now see? There ya go again… making me cry. I cried when I read this before, and here I go again. YOU lift me up UP UP. Seriously. I will never let go of your words. Your encouragement. Your heart. EVER.
I wish I could have known Kay. But because of you, I feel like I do. <3
What I LOVE you about , besides the encouragement and all the other wonderful things (friendship, faith, honesty, optimism, humor) is your RESILIENCE! I completely forgot about your injury, and I feel so bad that you suffered so much. You really didn’t complain about it on the blog – there were a few posts, but you just got through it. You’re tough! And that’s a compliment. And I am so glad you were able to offer help and advice to others. YOU are their beacon of hope (and faith).
Oh Allie- gosh you are SO good to me! All those words to describe me? I’m humbly grateful, my friend. Truly!!!
Honestly last winter, there were a lot of tears and swearing over here. LOL! It really sucked. BUT- I didn’t want it to spill out here. I still wanted to offer encouragement, and writing through my pain (I wrote a few posts about it) and then offering my two posts specifically about that was both cathartic and motivating for me. So there’s that. As selfish as I can be, I really do try to dig down and reach out- it’s amazing how that helps when we have that ‘others’ mentality. (Aside from the pity parties I DID have!)
Wow! I can SOOO relate to this. You know everything that I have dealt with in the past year, so you know I can relate!! Thank you for sharing your heart and using your story to encourage others. You are a strong woman and I admire you!!
As are YOU, my friend. As are YOU. I’m just SO glad you have managed to survive and endure what you have been through. Your faithful steps through it all have been inspiring to me. <3
I believe it. I really do.
I feel the same way about people who are hurting emotionally and physically. I am drawn because I know that healing DOES happen.
It was quite a 2015 for you, wasn’t it?
Yeah… oh my oh my it was quite a year. I’m really glad it’s over. 🙂 Thanks lovey!!!
Such a beautifully written post, my friend.
May your words be a light for those who right now see only darkness.
Thank you so much Christina! When I check my stats and see how many people went by those posts, I honestly say a quick prayer for all of them. I just know that place they are in. Some much worse than I ever was. It is SO hard to endure the pain and recovery. Bless them.
You are amazing! What an inspirational post!
Aw! You’re so kind, Liv. Thank you so much, my friend! <3
Chris, this was absolutely amazing! I was blown away not only by learning what you’ve been through but how God worked this trial for such good in your life! The way it has shaped you to be so filled with empathy for others is nothing short of awesome and redemptive! Hugs to you my friend xoxo
Aw thank you so much Sybil!! You know what is crazy? I remember thinking after writing the “Ten Tips for a Woman….” that it was something NO ONE would care to read. I was just stuck in that mindset and needed to write it out- and I thought it was a wasted post. THAT is amazing, ISN’T IT? Who knew it would be the most useful and purposeful one of all. I just love that! 🙂
Chris – you are truly so great at lifting other people up- it is a gift. Keep it up. Beautiful article. Thank you for sharing it and for sharing your love and light to the world!
I am going through all this right now! And the timing could not be worse which is making it a lot harder. My elderly mother is in hospital post stroke and this has added so much extra work to my family as I am currently out of action.
Thanks for the post, it makes me feel a little more normal!
Lucy, I’m SO glad you commented! And bless your heart with all you are trying to manage while being out of action. Sigh… It IS SO HARD- especially when you want to be there for other people you love- especially your mother. I’m so sorry. Hold on, my new friend. You can only do what you can do. Let go and try as best you can to honor your healing, and leave the rest up to others. <3
I do not go on Facebook, I am a Pinterest addict. I search for everything I need on here, encouragement, recipes,hope and giggles.
I am a SEIT, (special education teacher,who works in the homes of amazing families) and I fell at the end of June. I have twisted my ankle many times before, but this time felt different. When I was told I was going to need surgery, I looked for support, encouragement, hope and giggles , and found that in all of your posts. I had my surgery on 10/21/16, the first surgery I have ever have. I am grateful that you wrote these posts , and shared your journey in an honest, yet inspiring way. I read them prior to surgery and now post surgery. They give me hope and encouragement and a reminder to let things go and that this only a temporary set back. Due to the extent of my injuries, I tore 3 ligaments in my right ankle. I was not able to go back to work in September. I will probably be out till January. I know your posts will help me in this journey and I am very greatful to you for sharing your journey, it reminds me that I am not alone, and I Will make it through this. I am usually the caretaker to all of my friends and family. I am blessed to have two wonderful daughters, they are 17 & 12, and a very patient husband. We live next door to my parents, which is another wonderful blessing. As you said I am going to have to ask for help and take it when it is offered. You have helped me so much. I hope you are healed and doing well, may God bless you and yours with good health and happiness. Thank you again for sharing.
OH Leila! I’m so glad you commented, my new friend. I would like to send you my book. <3 I hope and pray it will give you more comfort, guidance, and encouragement as you heal. THANK YOU for your beautiful response to my posts. Email me your address and I will get it off to you asap. :) Chris@TheMomCafe.com
I will be praying for your recovery, your strength, and your perspective to remain fixed on that hope! I’m so glad my experience and my words have helped. THAT blesses me so much.
Dear Chris, I emailed you and I am so happily overwhelmed by your kindness. I am greatful for finding your posts. Thank you for reaching out.
I shipped you my book TODAY! You take care of yourself, my new friend. And remember THIS is temporary. I do hope and pray my book brings you some encouragement and comfort while you heal… XOXO
3 weeks into healing after a fall and ankle surgery. Never had to ask for any help ever but now I graciously accept all I can get. Spent the last 2 yrs. Caring for my mother going 100 mph each day 2 months after her passing and trying to get through that I fell and have been down. I’m so thankful for the little things I can do and the big things others do for me. It’s a long road but will be ever so thankful when I get to the healed status. Thanks for your blog
3 weeks into healing after a fall and ankle surgery. Never had to ask for any help ever but now I graciously accept all I can get. Spent the last 2 yrs. Caring for my mother going 100 mph each day 2 months after her passing and trying to get through that I fell and have been down. I’m so thankful for the little things I can do and the big things others do for me. It’s a long road but will be ever so thankful when I get to the healed status. Thanks for your blog
Kathy, I hope and pray you are well on your way toward healing and recovery! Bless you- for all you have endured with caring for your mother, her passing, and then this fall. Just SO much. I’m so sorry. If you still need more encouragement in your recovery, I would love to send you my book! Just email your address. My email: Chris@TheMomCafe.com
Hello Chris,
Thank you so much for you posts. I had surgery on my ankle for
bimalleolar fracture and dislocation on June 30th 2017.
After my surgery I was placed in a splint and aced bandage type cast and finally this Friday I get my hard cast. ( 7/21) Things have been tough and if the person hasn’t been through the same type of surgery they have no idea about the pain, pins and needle feeling and just the emotion one goes through with this type of surgery. Not sure what the timeline will be after I get my hard cast put on, but I will keep you posted. Thank you again and God Bless
Bobbie
Bobbie, I’d love to send you my book. You have already been through so much and I’m sure will be facing more difficult healing ahead. I hope it will offer you the encouragement you need, if you would like to have it. I’m so so sorry you have to endure such a hard road! Have HOPE. Although it might seem never ending, it WILL end. Promise. <3
My email: Chris@TheMomCafe. Send me your address if you would like me to send you a copy! 🙂
Chris,
Thank you for your blog and your posts. I am 21 weeks out from ORIF surgery on my leg and just started the PWB phase. I have a tibia pilon, distal fibula and tibia plateau fracture from a bad car accident. Basically my tibia is completely shattered at my ankle joint. The doctor told me it is a life altering injury and I should apply for Social Security disability. But then he also said, I will get out of it, what I put into it. I keep telling myself that, I have to just to get thru each day. It have to dig deep some days to not feel sorry for myself and get out of my own head. I have to shine my light bright so I can grow and learn and others can learn from my example especially my daughter. Do I have bad days, yes, do I have good days, yes. As long as the good outweigh the bad, I am happy. I have had a few setbacks which have discouraged me at times. This journey is so more mental than anything else, it is not on my timetable and that is the hardest lesson to learn. When you lose the ability to drive and walk in the blink of any eye, it changes you. Life is precious and should never be taken for granted. Love hard and live for the moment because the past is over and you can’t predict the future.
Oh Kimberly…
You have endured so much. Your strength, stamina, perspective, and wisdom are an inspiration! I’d LOVE to send you my book to give you a boost of encouragement, when needed. Email me your address, and I’ll ship it off to you asap. My email is: Chris@TheMomCafe.com