I couldn’t outrun them much longer. They had me cornered. The game of tag would soon end with my defeat. And that’s when I had an idea – a very bad idea.

I’ve often jumped in our gym, grabbed the net and pulled myself up to the basketball rim. I do this to fix the net or to pretend like I can dunk. But I’d never pulled myself up, while pulling my legs up to my chest (so my kids couldn’t tag me) I had the rim “break-a-way.” The six inch drop caused a jerking motion, which was immediately followed by the feeling of someone ripping a turkey leg off of a bird – but I was the turkey and my chest, shoulder and arm were ripping.

I knew it was bad. We packed up, Beth drove me home and my body started to shake. I’d never experienced anything quite like it. Beth dropped our kids off with family, which was a huge blessing, and returned home to get me. Since it was late, ER was the only option. I was feeling faint, so Beth supported me as we walked to the car. Getting the seatbelt on proved a challenge, but when I got settled, I had a different thought:

“Hey, it’s like a date,” I declared. Beth smiled.

Our date included three hours split between a waiting room, an ER room and pharmacy. In spite of the pain, discomfort and concern, I actually kinda’ enjoyed the night. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I’ve been pondering that strange reality. How could a night, in which crippling pain shot through my body every time we hit a bump on the road, give us anything good? Here are my conclusions:

I took comfort in being cared for by someone whom I could fully trust. It had been a long time since I’d felt completely dependent upon another person. To know that I could fully trust Beth soothed my soul.

We’re suckers for adventure. I like my adventures to be pain-free, but our experience definitely released some adrenaline.

I love my wife. I love talking with her and being with her. With four young kids, we have to fight for alone time. Sometimes, we might even need an injury to steel some time away.

I don’t want to ever repeat this. Ever. But I’m thankful for the reminder of how blessed I am with my wife. As far as a wife can be measured, I’m the richest man on this earth. I’m also blessed to have four kids who took care of their dad (who never gets hurt). They helped me change shirts, mow the lawn and everything in between.

We often learn great lessons in times of pain.

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