Pain, Falling Leaves, and Amazing Grace

This blogger takes good care of his body. From May-August he rides his New Belgium Beach Cruiser Bicycle and swims outdoors. In September he moves indoors to the stationary bike and lap swimming.

At some point last month, he pulled a hamstring muscle and was reduced to a hobbling hobo.The pain did not lessen. It felt like a "walking stick" of pain behind the right leg---from the knee downward. Finally he called his chiropractor. After 40 minutes of massage, gold prong electrical stimulation, and a lower back "adjustment" the pain lessened. It reduced itself to a small throb the size of a small beet behind the knee.

The chiropractor said to return in a week if it did not subside. With the pain no longer the focus, the scales dropped from the blogger's eyes on the ride home. The blogger drove through a film shoot outside of Riley's Pub. When the St Louis Police waved him through, the blogger waved back.

The blogger detoured through Tower Grove Park. There the trees were dressed in their full, fall regalia. Scarlet oaks screamed out,"Red!"; Dawn Redwoods were a contrast of russet brown and olive green; burning bushes were on fire. Tulip trees were bright yellow and the other oak trees added shades of orange. Only the Ginko trees stubbornly held onto their green leaves.

Autumn reminds us of change. Change is sometimes painful. Pain forces us to slow down and see things in a new way. We occasionally need help as we transform from pain to grace, like seeing falling leaves. Grace is undeserved favor, and if ever there is grace, it is the change of colors in Autumn's leaves.