A NEAR TRAGEDY

Last Friday I worked for several hours pulling weeds and trimming shrubbery in our yard. It was hot, humid, and tough work. I actually was enjoying being outside and being productive, but it was tiring. Stooping over and over to pull weeds and trim is one way to trim the waistline. It was working.

In the front of our yard are several cactus plants that have to have attention every so often with weeding too. You have to be very careful or they'll spear you or cut you. They are also very toxic. If you get any juice from those plants on you, then you'll pay. They can scar or even kill.

I have read that these plants make natural guards for forts or houses in that no one would dare get close, especially at night. Believe me, I have be pricked by these cactus more than once.

Because of that I take extra care when working around them. Friday, I had worked an hour or more before getting to these cactus. As I worked around them, I used gloves and a long hoe to keep me away from them.

I carefully bent down to pull a weed out by hand, and then it happened

All of a sudden my cheek bone jolted. Pain pierce me. I could not see. Blood flowed down my face. It happened before I could stop it. A hard, long, pointed bayonette jabbed into my upper cheekbone. It went lightening fast into my cheek and banged on the bone of my cheek.

I stumbled backward unaware of what exactly happened. When I gained composure, I realized I could see, but was hurting severely. The sharp end of a cactus blade had cut into my face less than an inch from my eye. I was hurting and bleeding, but I could see.

Earlier that morning, Wanda and I had prayed over our day and asked God for his blessing and protection. I lifted my hand and gave thanks that I could see and had not lost vision in my left eye.

I am totally convinced that I would have lost my left eye if that blade had hit me only an inch of so higher. God was merciful to me. I am grateful more than I can say. I haven't had any infection or irritation. My lower eye socket is both black and red, but I can see.

Thank God, I can see.