Butterfly Photography - NOT!

Well, you wonder, what does THIS photo have to do with butterflies? (Moaning and groaning) A lot!

After surgery for disc removal and bone fusion, this is my neck for a month. After a month, I go into a soft collar. (Note that I did keep butterflies in my life by adding a soft butterfly scarf for comfort.)

My restrictions are:
~ No work except desk work.
~ Collar on during the day.
~ No strenous activity.
~ No bending over.
~ No lifting anything over five pounds.

It's not hard at all but it is frustrating. Although I still carry a camera everywhere, I rarely take a photo. I can't bend my neck, not supposed to bend over, and keep out of rough wooded territory since I can't watch my feet. If I fall, I could cause enough damage to require the surgery to be redone.

I miss my butterflies and caterpillars. I can't feed caterpillars, collect or release butterflies, take many photos, or take my normal fields and woods walks. I am not able to be on the computer as much as I'd like and I can't read unless I hold a book up in front of my face, causing very tired arms.

While thinking about the restrictions of the collar and wondering if people always had the collar after bone fusion in their necks, I realized that as frustrating as it is, I am extremely thankful for the collar.

I realized my collar protects me. It protects me from instinctive reaction to a childs yell (turn to see if he's hurt), people bumping me in a crowded restaurant, the grandchildren playing ball, and other things that could cause the bone to fuse improperly or for Dr. Lora to have to redo the surgery.

It protects me from myself and from others. It allows my bones in my neck to grow properly.

It protects me in the same way God's 'rules' protect me. It protects me from (1) myself, the old carnal sinful nature that is instinctive in all of us. It protects me from (2) others who may lead me into things that are not healthy for a growing child of God. It protects me from (3) Satan, who is always looking for ways to keep me from growing properly.

The more I thought about my collar and its purpose, the more thankful I became for the loving laws of God. Jesus gave us the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love others. If I truly follow those two laws, I will be protected from many dangers in life.

Matthew 22:36-40
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."