The Lord God Made It All

I have been delving once again into the fascinating story of how we got our Bible, something that I think is all too little considered today.  When one comes to the Bible realizing how many men and women died for and because of it, the perspective really changes.   How the Bible has been providentially preserved for us is one of the greatest stories of history.  But I am not going to reiterate that here today; my purposes for bringing up this topic are slightly different.

The topic of translation is what I have been considering these past few days.  Translation can be a sticky topic.  Do you pick something modern and easy to read, or old and difficult so your English will improve?  Does it matter if the language is gender inclusive or not?  Or what original text was use in the translation?  Or even the purpose for having a new translation?  I’m not going to go into all that either.  Instead, I thought it would prove interesting to show some of the different translations side by side (or one after another as in the case of this blog) with only comments about the purpose of each translation.  The conclusion you may draw yourself.  I have picked a  relatively non-controversial passage – Job 39:19-25 -  for my analysis.

1395 Wycliffe’s Bible

Translated from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe.  Is now thought to be translated by several people underneath Wycliff.  The text fully conforms with Catholic teaching and includes the Apocrypha.  Was unothorized but extremely popular.  Wycliffe Bibles are the most common manuscripts in Middle English with 250 surviving.

Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke? Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.  He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.  He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.  An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.  He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.  Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.

1535 Myles Coverdale Bible

Translated from the Hebrew and Greek (Erasmus’ Textus Receptus) by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale.  Was the first complete Modern English Bible (not just Old Testament or New Testament or single books).  Was the first complete English Bible to be printed.   Was the first officially approved English translation.  Coverdale based his New Testament on Tyndale’s translation and used Tyndale’s partically translated Old Testament along with his own.  Coverdale did not use any unpublished translations left by Tyndale after his martyrdom.  Instead, those portions of Scripture Coverdale translated himself working from German Bibles and the Vulgate.  A few years after the publication, Coverdale further reviewed his translation at the request of Henry VIII to create what is known as the Great Bible of England.

Hast thou geuen the horse is strength, or lerned him to bowe downe his neck with feare: that he letteth him self be dryuen forth like a greshopper, where as the stoute neyenge that he maketh, is fearfull? he breaketh ye grounde with the hoffes of his fete chearfully in his strength, and runneth to mete the harnest men. He layeth asyde all feare, his stomack is not abated, nether starteth he a back for eny swerde.  Though the quyuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shilde glistre: yet russheth he in fearsly, and beateth vpon the grounde. He feareth not the noyse of the trompettes,  but as soone as he heareth the shawmes blowe, tush (sayeth he) for he smelleth the batell afarre of, ye noyse, the captaynes and the shoutinge.

1569 Bishops Bible

Translated in response to the 1560 Geneva Bible, which, though excellent, remained a Bible of a political and religious party that the Anglican church were offended with.  The Great Bible by this time was acknowledged to be severely deficiant, so the Archbishop of Canterbury led the way for a new translation.  The resulting Bible was then translated from the original texts, but the Apocrypha was translated from the Latin.

Hast thou geue the horse his strength, or learned him to ney coragiously? Canst thou make him afrayde as a grashopper? where as the stoute neying that he maketh is fearefull. He breaketh the grounde with the hooffes of his feete, he reioyceth cherefully in his strength, and runneth to meete the harnest men. He layeth aside all feare, his stomacke is not abated, neither starteth he backe for any sworde. Though the quiuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shielde glister: Yet rusheth he in fiercely beating the grounde, he thinketh it not the noyse of the trumpettes: But when the trumpettes make most noyse, he saith, tushe, for he smelleth the battaile a farre of, the noyse of the captaines and the shouting.

1582 Douay-Rheims Bible

English Translation of the Latin Vulgate.  Was a Catholic response to the highly influential English Protestant Bibles.  Was sold widely in England and had a significent development on 17th century English.   Because it was translated from Latin, however, it is considered extremely difficult to read in some places since Latin is a language composed primarily of nouns as opposed to the Greek and Hebrew verbs.

Wilt thou give strength to the horse or clothe his neck with neighing? Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror. He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.  He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword. Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter. Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth. When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

1599 Geneva Bible

Reprint of the 1560 translation from the Hebrew and Greek texts.  The Geneva Bible is the most historically significant English translation.  It is second only to the King James in the majesty of its language.  It was used by Shakspeare, Cromwell, Milton, Knox, Donne and Bunyan. It was the first mass-produced Bible affordable to the general public.  Was published with extensive notes, making it the first study Bible.  Because the language is stronger than any other translation, this Bible was prefered over the Bishop’s Bible in England by the masses.

Hast thou given the horse his strength, or covered his neck with neighing?  Hast thou made him afraid as the grasshopper? his strong neighing is fearful.  He diggeth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth forth to meet the harnessed man.  He mocketh at fear and is not afraid, and turneth not back from the sword, though the quiver rattle against him, the glittering spear and the shield.  He swalloweth the ground for fierceness and rage, and he believeth not that it is the noise of the trumpet.  He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, and the noise of the captains and the shouting.

1611 King James Version

The most well known of all the English translations.  It was the third of the royally commisioned Bibles.  Instructions were given to the translaters to guarantee that the new version would conform to the structure of the Church of England and subsuquent beliefs about ordained clergy.  The basis for this Bible was the Bishop’s Bible.  It took over half a century for this Bible to supplant the popular and influential Geneva Bible; afterwards its supremecy was unchallenged until the end of the 19th century.

Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?  Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.  He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.  The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.  He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1885 English Revised Version

The original intent for this version was to adapt the King James version to the current English lanuage without changing idiom and vocabulary since many words were either obsolete or the meaning had changed.  The hope was that the new version would be to the 19th century what the King James was to the 17th century.   This was the first major English translation to depart from the Textus Receptus in favor of the Crictical text anaylsis.  The translation itself is regarded as excessively literal and flat.  However, this version is significent as it was the first to challenge the 300 year supremecy of the only viable Bible in England.  The RV is the forerunner of the entire modern Bible translation.

Hast thou given the horse [his] might? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? the glory of his snorting is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet. As oft as the trumpet [soundeth] he saith, Aha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1901 American Standard Bible

Has its roots in the earlier English Revised Version.  American religious leaders were invited in 1870 to work on the RV project.  Any suggestions by the American team would only be accepted in two-thirds of the British team agreed.  This idea was backed up by an agreement that is their suggestions were placed in the RV appendix, the American team would not publish their own version for 14 years.  Their suggestions numbered about 300, and were often based on differences between American and British vocabulary.   As early as 1898, the RV was published with the American suggestions included.  In 1901, the Revised Version, Standard American Edition (the official name of the American Standard Bible) was published in North America.  The language is limited to Elizabethan English and excessively literal, ensuring that it would never supplant the tranditional KJV in American churches until the Revised Standard Version of 1952.  By the time the copyright expired, interest in the translation had waned and textual corruption never became an issue with the ASV as with the RV.   This Bible is sometimes known as the Standard Version.

 Hast thou given the horse [his] might? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet. As oft as the trumpet [soundeth] he saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1952 Revised Standard Bible

The first motions to revised the ASV came as early as the 1930s, but the Great Depression held back work until 1937.  32 scholars were brought together for that task.  Some wnated to set up a corresponding translation committee in England, but WW2 cancled those plans.  The RSV was the first Bible to seriously challenge the popularity of the KJV.  The intention was to create a clearer version of the Bible for the English speaking church.  Like the RV and the ASV, this New Testament of this Bible was not translated from the Textus Receptus but from Nestle’s Greek text which was continually being updated as archeology progressed.  This was the first Bible to do away with arcahic pronouns.  It also challenged several key doctrines of the Church, such as the virginity of Mary and prophecies of Jesus.

Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with strength? Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. He paws in the valley, and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. He laughs at fear, and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear and the javelin. With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1971 New American Standard Bible

This version is considered to be the most literal of all 20th century translations.  The purpose of a new translation was fourfold: 1) the publication should be true to the original languages; 2) they should be grammatically correct; 3) they should be understandable; 4) they should give Christ His proper place; therefore no work would ever be personalized.  As the name implised, the NASB is a revision of the earlier, theologically liberal ASV.  As all other 20th century translations, the Greek text used for the New Testament was not the Textus Receptus, but Critical text analysis (Nestle’s Greek text, 3rd edution of Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica & the Dead Sea Scrolls).   The translators sought for word to word translation in contemporary English except in certain cases where word for word literalness was detirmined to be unacceptable; current idioms were then used with literal renderings included in footnotes.

Do you give the horse his might?  Do you clothe his neck with a mane? “Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; and he does not turn back from the sword. “The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin.”With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet. “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, `Aha!’ And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

1978 New International Version

Because the Revised Standard Version did not follow orthadox Christian doctrine, several groups of Evangelical Christians came together to translate a new English Bible.  The translating process lasted ten years and involved scholars from around the world from over twenty different denominations including Baptists, Evangelicals, Methodists, Lutherans, and Anglicans.  The translators wanted to produce a Bible that would fall be tween formal and functional equivalence.  Instead of translating word for word, greater emphasis was placed on thought for thought.  Like other 20th century Bibles, the New Testament wasn’t translated from the Textus Receptus, but the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament and the newest Greek fragments that had been recently discovered.  There was also a push to smooth out apparent contradictions in the original text.  The NIV is the most popular of all English translations.

 ”Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

1982 New King James Bible

Originally known as the Revised Authorized Version, the NKJV was an attempt to update the vocabulary and grammer of the NKJ while preserving the beauty of the 1611 version, something none of the modern translations had been able to do.   Unlike all other 20th century translations, the NKJV did make use of the Textus Receptus in its translation of the New Testament and did not use the same “dynamic equivilence” as other translations.  Like other 20th century translations, the NKJV lacks the archaic pronouns of the 1611 version.  Verb forms were also modernized.

Have you given the horse strength?  Have you clothed his neck with thunder? Can you frighten him like a locust?  His majestic snorting strikes terror.  He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; he gallops into the clash of arms. He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.  The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin.  He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;   nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.  At the blast of the trumpet he says, “Aha!’   He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of captains and shouting.

1991 New Century Version

A youth Bible geared to a grade 5 reading level published in 1991.  Uses gender inclusive language.  Translated using Critical text analysis.

Job, are you the one who gives the horse its strength or puts a flowing mane on its neck?  Do you make the horse jump like a locust?  It scares people with its proud snorting.  It paws wildly, enjoying its strength,   and charges into battle.  It laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing;  it does not run away from the sword.  The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side,   along with the flashing spears and swords.   With great excitement, the horse races over the ground; and it cannot stand still when it hears the trumpet.   When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’  It smells the battle from far away; it hears the shouts of commanders and the battle cry.

2001 English Standard Version

The ESV is the most modern attempt to give the English speaking work an accurate translation in the traditions of Tyndale and the KJV.  The translators sought as far as possible tp capture the precise wording of the original text and personal style of each book, taking into account the differences of grammer, syntax and idiom between the original languages and English.  The ESV is more literal than the NIV but more idomatic than the NASB.   It upholds orthadox doctrines, such as the deity of Christ and the virginity of Mary.  It also replaced archaic pronouns with modern ones and updated verbs.  Like all 20th century translations, it used modern compilations of Greeks texts in favor of the Textus Receptus; it also utalized the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate to shed light on difficult passages. 

Have you given the horse strength?  Have you clothed his neck with thunder?  Can you frighten him like a locust?  His majestic snorting strikes terror.   He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;  He gallops into the clash of arms.  He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;  Nor does he turn back from the sword.   The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin.  He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;  nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.  At the blast of the trumpet he says, “Aha!’  He smells the battle from afar,  the thunder of captains and shouting.

2002 The Message

Paraphrase of the original languages by Eugene H. Peterson.  His work was aimed at two groups of people: 1) those who hadn’t read the Bible because it was old and irrelavent; 2) those who had read the Bible so much that familiarity jaded them.  Peterson felt that he should be always looking for ways to make the Bibical text relavent to the current conditions of his congregation. The Message is very commonly used today in corporate worship.

Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess and adorned him with a shimmering mane? Did you create him to prance proudly and strike terror with his royal snorts? He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited, then charges into the fray. He laughs at danger, fearless, doesn’t shy away from the sword. The banging and clanging of quiver and lance don’t faze him. He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast races off at a gallop.  At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily, smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off, catching the rolling thunder of the war cries.

Recently, I was reading my Bible before going to bed and I meandered over to one of my favorite Psalms.  As I read through it, I was suddenly struck with how appropriate it is concerning current economic and political issues.

Psalm 37

1 Fret not thyself because of the wicked men, neither be envious of evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like grass and shall wither as the green herb.
3 Trust thou in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land and thou shalt be fed assuredly:
4 And delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee thine heart’s desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in Him and He shall bring it to pass.
6 And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as light and thy judgment as the noon day.
7 Wait patiently upon the Lord, and hope in Him: fret not thyself for Him which prospereth in his way, nor for the man that bringeth his enterprises to pass.
8 Cease from anger and leave off wrath; fret not thyself also to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off, and they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.
10 Therefore yet a little while and the wicked shall not appear, and thou shalt look after his place and he shall not be found.
11 But meek men shall posses the earth, and shall have their delight in the multitude of peace.
12 The wicked practiceth against the just, and gnasheth his teeth against him.
13 The Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for He seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn their sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 But their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the just men.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of upright men, and their inheritance shall be perpetual.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the days of famine they shall have enough.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the fat of lambs: even with the smoke shall they be consumed away.
21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again: but the righteous is merciful and giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off.
23 The paths of man are directed by the Lord: for He loveth his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast off, for the Lord putteth under his Hand.
25 I have been young and am old: yet I saw never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 But he is ever merciful and lendeth, and his seed enjoyeth the blessing.
27 Flee from evil and do good, and dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment and forsaketh not His saints: they shall be preserved forevermore: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous men shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom, and his tongue will talk of judgment.
31 For the Law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not slide.
32 The wicked watched the righteous and seeketh to slay him.
33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him, when he is judged.
34 Wait thou on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee, that thou shalt inherit the land: when the wicked men shall perish, thou shalt see.
35 I have seen the wicked strong, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and lo, he was gone, and I sought him but he could not be found.
37 Mark the upright man and behold the just: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But their transgressors shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous man shall be of the Lord: he shall be their strength in the time of trouble.
40 For the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and shall save them because they trust in Him.

Notes from my Geneva Bible

Verse 1: He admonisheth us neither to vex ourselves for the prosperous state of the wicked, neither to desire to be like them to make our state better.

Verse 3: to trust in God and do according to His will are sure tokens that His providence will never fail us.

Verse 6: As the hope of the daylight causeth us not to be offended with the darkness of the night: so ought we patiently to trust that God will clear our cause and restore us to our right.

Verse 10: He correcteth the impatience of our nature, which cannot abide till the fullness of God be come.

Verse 12. the godly are assured that the power and craft of the wicked shall not prevail against them, but fall on their own necks and therefore ought patiently to abide God’s time and in the meanwhile bewail their sins and offer up their tears, is a sacrifice of their obedience.

Verse 18: God knoweth what dangers hang over His and by what means to deliver them.

Verse 23: God prospereth the faithful because they walk in His ways with an upright conscience.

Verse 25: though the just man die, yet God’s blessings are extended to his posterity, and though God suffer some just man to lack temporal benefits, yet He recompenseth him with spiritual treasures.

Verse 30: these three points are required of the faithful: that their talk be godly, that God’s law be in their heart, and that their life be upright.

Verse 33: for though it be sometime so expedient for God’s glory and their salvation, yet He will approve their cause and revenge their wrong.

Verse 36: so that the prosperity of the wicked is but as a cloud which vanisheth away in a moment.

Verse 39: He showeth that the patient hope of the godly is never in vain, but in the end hath good success, though for a time God prove them by sundry tentations.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves every man, one to another: deck yourselves inwardly in lowliness of mind: for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. 

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exult you in due time. 

Cast all your care on him: for He careth for you. 

Be sober, and watch: for your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren which are in the world. 

And the God of all grace which hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a little, make you perfect, confrim, strengthen and establish you. 

To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.

1st Peter 5:5-11 (Genevan Version)

My Genevan Bible notes the following about this passage…

Verse 5: He commendeth many peculiar Christian virtues, and especially modesty: which admonition all of us stand in need of, but especially the younger sort, by reason of the outwardness and pride of that age.  Because pride seemeth to many, to be the way unto the glory of this life, the Apostle witnesseth on the contrary side, that ignomy of shame is the reward of pride, and glory the reward of modesty.

Verse 6: Because those proud and lofty spirits threaten the modest and humble, the Apostle warneth us to set the power of God against the vanity of proud men, and to hang wholly upon His providence.

Verse 9:  The persecutions which Satan stirreth up are neither new nor proper to any one man, but from old and ancient time common to the whole Church, and therefore we must suffer that patiently wherin we have such and so many fellows of our conflicts and combats….which are dispersed throughout the world.

Verse 10: He sealeth up as it were with a seal the former exhortation with a solomn prayer, again willing them to ask increase of strength at His hands of whom they had the beginning, and hope to have the accomplishment, to wit, of God the Father in Jesus Christ in whom we are sure of the glory of eternal life.

When I left the orthopedic’s office for the last time in 2002, it was with a heavy heart.  For four weeks my right foot had been encased in a plastic boot to be worn 24 hours a day in the hopes that the swelling and cysts in the ligaments and tissues would subside.  According to the orthopedic, the ligaments and possibly the tendon itself had been torn and stretched.  Surgery, he said, was the last corrective measure he could take and even then, the chances of getting back to normal were slim.  There was even a possibility of the ankle becoming worse.

Four weeks in the boot had brought down the swelling, but I was still in a great deal of pain.  The atrophied muscles in my foot ached with only a little exertion, and I had shooting pains between my shoulder blades – consequences of walking in the boot for over a month.  I thought surgery wasn’t an option because the thought of aggravating my condition was frightening.  I couldn’t imagine it being worse than what it was then.  Better to walk in perpetual pain than to run the risk of being further maimed. 

My parents put me in with a chiropractor to help alleviate the pain in my back. Secretly, I cherished an inner hope that all would be well – after all, I had read so many “miracle stories” about people who had life-long pain completely cured. By January, 2003 it was clear to me that not even chiropractic treatment was going to completely fix my problem.  My back was recovering nicely, but my foot continued to ache.  I couldn’t walk well, much less run, and my ankle was continually giving way, causing several nasty spills.  Worst of all, I discovered that horseback riding made the problem significantly worse. 

By the end of it all, I was becoming angry and bitter.  It was obvious to me now that my childhood dream of owning a horse was going to remain just that – a dream.  I couldn’t walk long distances – thirty minutes on the road left me hobbling.  Consequently, I stayed indoors more and more, shutting myself off from the outside world I loved so much.  Instead of enjoying the beauty of the country around me, gazing at the clouds, observing wildflowers, horseback riding, biking long distances, hiking and the like, I found myself staring at piles of laundry, sinkfulls of dishes, and hours of housecleaning.  In a matter of months, my life had turned completely upside down. 

Looking back now at that irritated, confused seventeen-year-old, I tend to shake my head in a bemused fashion.  I don’t really think I’m any wiser now than I was then, but I have to laugh when I remember how stubborn I was.  And since I’m still very stubborn, it makes me wonder what I’m missing now.  I know what I was missing then.  The last thing I wanted as a young girl was to be a house keeper.  That didn’t mean that I was adverse to the idea of having a family, but the idea of filling my daylight hours with sewing, cooking, cleaning and like things was a bit too much.   Horses were an idol in my life – I thought upon them exclusively.  So now I have some measure of understanding why God entered this trial into my life.  He saved me from ruining myself and bringing grief to my parents.  The very nature of my injury caused me to look at what I disliked most and accept it.

Over the next several years, I adjusted to the way my life was going.  The thought of being a wife and homemaker someday wasn’t so bad, I slowly allowed myself to become more feminine, and even learned to cook and sew.   Horses were enjoyed from afar, mostly from pencil and paper. I still walked in pain, but it was something I could live with.  Until last summer.  I was walking on a Friday morning in July, enjoying the beautiful play of clouds in the sky, when my ankle suddenly gave out and I found myself hurtling towards the asphalt.  I compensated quickly, as I had learned over the past few years, and caught myself before I smashed my face.  I was shocked.  My ankle hadn’t given me any indication that something was wrong – no tingling, aches, or pains.  It was highly unusual.  I stood back up, dusted myself off and continued walking.  By that night, my ankle was throbbing and it was six weeks before I would really walk again.

My mother did a considerable amount of research over the winter, and, to make a long story short, found out that perhaps there was something we could do after all.  All the symptoms pointed to a repeatedly injured tendon at the junction of the ankle.  In January of this year my sister fractured her foot and ended up at a foot and ankle surgeon.  While there, my mother discussed the possibility of repairing my ankle, and the doctor said it was not just possible, but probable to repair it.  In fact,  he said to my mother that he was confident that the pain could be eliminated and then possibly I would even be able to walk well if the right surgery was done.

I decided to try it.  By this time, I was in so much pain that I had some incentive.  My parents and I had a growing concern that the next fall I would take would injure something else like a hip and put me in a multiple injury situation.    Even if I never walked the same again, wouldn’t it be worth it just to make it through the week without the constant ache and the fear of falling?  We prayed about it and  on July 10th I went into surgery.

Initially the physician we used said he did not expect any surprises in surgery, but I guess I had “one up my sleeve,” or I guess in this situaiton I could say, “one up my sock.”   During the surgery, the doctor found that the ligament was far worse than even he had anticipated.  It was so frayed and stretched that he said to my parents during post-op that if I had done anything more to it, even a mild sprain, it would have been impossible to repair as an individual tissue unit of itself.  As it was, the doctor had to insert a titanium screw into the outer ankle bone.  This screw had needle and suturing thread secured in it and then my frayed ligament was sewn to the screw.   I get to keep this screw for life and the only downside of having it is that it won’t set off the security alarms at the airport like I had hoped.

I spent the first few days in the trailer.  My entire lower leg had to be elevated and it was encased in a firm splint and wrapped around with two ace bandages.  Except for when the doctor needed to check on the stitches, my leg remained this way for two weeks.  There was some sort of surgical cleanser on my foot that smelled terrible and, yes, the whole thing itched.  Even chigger bites don’t itch that bad.  Fortunately, one of my sisters has a good supply of knitting needles. 

My grandparents sent several good books to keep me occupied during my recovery – ones that I had wanted for a long time.  Several families sent flowers that Mom placed on a nearby table so I could see them.  Now I understand why flowers are given to people who are suffering physically – they really are beautiful to behold and cheerful.

There was a mixed bonquet from the Smith family.  Mrs. Smith also sent us a wonderful, delicious meal that was one of the few things I kept down during the first week.  Mrs. Kizziar also sent a wonderful picnic type meal and helpful items for my family.

Sunflowers from the Wahlquist’s garden…

Roses from the Hulslanders.  I dried these and placed the petals in an old lantern that’s now sitting on my nightstand.   They also brought a delicious meal for us.

The anesthetic didn’t bother me, but the pain medication did.  Not only do I remember almost nothing of the first five days, but I ended up getting terribly sick, so much so that I told Mom I would rather endure the pain in my leg than have to continually… well, I won’t describe it.  It was two weeks before my stomach really settled from that.  The memory loss was, well I can’t remember!  After I came out of the fog, my siblings took great delight in informing me of all the strange things I had done while on the medication.  Rather embarassing, but at least only my family had to witness it.  One of the things I found out is that my mother slept very little the entire time as she was caring for me through those nights and then caring for everyone during the day.    I don’t remember needing help every half hour or so in the night time, but she was there for me when I was spaced out on the pain medication.  The domino effect on our household meant my dad took extra vacation time to help us all.  This is all a blur to me.   I’m one of those people who don’t like to be a burden to others so maybe it’s a good thing it is a blur.

Two weeks after the surgery, the doctor removed the stitches and I went into a walking boot.  He left the tape over the incision in place to keep the skin from moving too much.  Those purple lines are where he drew on my foot before the surgery so he would know where to cut. The stitches themselves (I didn’t get a picture of them) were bright blue.   My mother saw the stitches at the one week mark and remarked to me, “Now that should keep you in stitches for a while!”

Here’s a close up.  That blood you see there is left over from right after the surgery.  At this point, the skin was already closed.

This picture was taken after the tape was removed (about four weeks after the surgery) and the same day that I began walking without crutches (boy, was that ever a relief!).   I had also been crawling around on the carpet and my knees were raw. 

Walking was understandably difficult after putting no weight on my foot for five odd weeks.  I thought it would be hard for my foot to remain steady with my weight pressing down on it, but such was not the case.  It was steady, even more so than my left foot.  What was different was the amount of stiffness and the fact that a great deal of blood had pooled in the veins on the underside of the foot. Every time I put pressure on the foot, it was the same sensation as when one’s foot falls asleep from lack of blood, only much stronger because my weight was forcing all that extra blood very quickly out of the veins.  For days, I felt like I was walking on pins and needles.

Soon the pins and needles subsided, but the stiffness did not. The doctor recommended that I literally “write” the entire alphabet with my foot.  The first time I tried it, I almost went through the ceiling, the ligaments hurt so bad.  My mother has quite a sense of humor.  After enduring the first set of alphabet letters, she poked her head into the living room and quipped to me, “How about lower case now?”  I just looked at her.   She added in a whisper, “Another font?”   With time, the exercises became easier.  Even so, I still wasn’t walking comfortably.  It was ironic that now my ankle was too stiff to move whereas before it was too mobile.  The doctor recommended physical therapy.

Well, physical therapy was something I had never experienced before and I had little idea what to expect.  The physical therapist was a lovely Indian woman named Nayna, and in two weeks she did amazing things with my ankle.  She had me bicycling (indoors of course) upt to two miles each visit, balancing boards, something called total gym, and special foot exercises.  Nanya told me that the muscles were very strong (that surprised me) but that the ligament was stiff because it had been remodelled.  Thanks to over a month in physical therapy, it’s certainly not stiff now!

As you can see, the scar has healed beautifully.  It will remain purple for a few years, but should eventually turn white and fade.

This past week, the doctor finally released me from treatment.  I have to wear a brace until Christmas time and keep up with my exercises, but I’m over the worst of it.  And the best part of it is, I am finally walking without pain for the first time in six years.  I’m not afraid of falling.   The prediction is that it will take me a full year to have the full percentage of restoration that I should have.  Right now my goal is to walk our street, which I have not done at this point (but hope too soon!).  The next goal is to walk the zoo.  After that, well… they do say it’s best to get back on the horse after you’ve fallen off.

This post is really written for my benefit and not anyone else, as I wanted to journal the events of the past few months.  There are some things I am thankful for, and I would like to list those things here.

I am thankful that God used this affliction for good because it has helped me focus on what God wants me to do in my life.  If I hadn’t been limited by pain, I would have certainly walked down a path that I would have eventually regreted.

I am thankful for the many hours off my feet, August of 2007 and July through September 2008, as these were times set aside to work on the hymnal project for my father.  I am thankful that I had something productive to do that would please my dad and I am thankful for the time to do it.  Not to mention that simply reading the hymns as I’ve typed them into the computer has deepened my appreciation for those Christians who have gone on before.  I have also learned a lot about music. 

I am also grateful for the support of my family during my convalesence.  I couldn’t have done it (or anything else, for that matter) without them.

Walk in the light! and you shall know
That fellowship of love
His Spirit only can bestow
Who reigns in light above.

Walk in the light! and you shall find
Your heart made truely His,
Who dwells in cloudless light enshrined,
In whom no darkness is.

Walk in the light! and you shall see
Your darkness pass away,
Because the Light has come to be
In which is perfect day.

Walk in the light! and you shall share
Your path, though thorny, bright;
For God in grace walks with you there,
And God Himself is light.

Bernard Barton, 1784-1849