Explained or Understood

“I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you”, that is what the sign said.  It was hanging on a trailer at the Cruise In Car Show held last month on the church grounds.  The exhibit was not a car but one of those small engines.  One that goes “click…click…click…click…POW! …click…click…click…click…Pow!“, the piston firing only every 10 or 15 seconds.  Sometimes it fires even less frequently. I’ve seen engines such as this exhibited before and I confess they do fascinate me. I had a gentleman tell me he once ran his for over 24 hours on less than a gallon of fuel. Sometimes they can be found connected by a belt to a flywheel of a tool enabling them to do some type of work.  My favorite was the one used to crank ice cream.

Many times I have talked with the guys that display these small engines.  They are always more than willing to explain in detail how the engines work.  However, I admit I still do not fully understand. But then again, I do not understand my diesel truck, quantum physics, or labradoodles all of which have been explained to me.  Sometimes the lack of understanding is in the how; sometimes it is in the why; but never is it due to a lack of explanation.  It is just that I do not understand. Or, is it that I do not care to understand?

It has been ten days since the plaque was removed from my eye and the double vision is still creating some problem.  I am happy to say that it is not as bad as I had feared.  In fact, at some distances the double vision has cleared completely, but at others it still exists.  The most problematic is reading which I have learned to do with one eye shut. So as you read this if you think I am winking at you, you are right.

I am still under typical eye surgery restraints: no bending over at the waist, no lifting over 20 pounds, no strenuous exercise and no playing my saxophones.  The no running and no playing my horns are two things to which I truly long to return.  The “no bending over” has worked out nice, Lynette has learned to leave the seat up for me. I am reminded that it takes 30 days to create a habit and since I am under that restriction for only two weeks I do not expect that pleasantry to last much longer.

It is a few weeks until my next doctor’s appointment.  That time will be the first look to see if the treatment has done what is expected.  I will also find out how much damage was done to my eye.  The damage would be from not just the radiation but also muscle damage due to the surgery.

I am still holding strong to my faith that the Lord’s will be done.  With that I come back to the passage in Habakkuk.   For some people that passage may be a strange choice; but I trust that those who know me best are not surprised.  As I have tried to explain my travels of the past several weeks many have understood; others have some inkling of understanding; yet there may be some who have no understanding at all or worse yet just do not care.  My prayer is that all would understand and be able to stand with Habakkuk and say:

Habakkuk 3: 17-19

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk in my high places.