devil sticks are a set of trick sticks featured back in the early 90s. it is composed of three sticks: a baton stick and two for for control. i remember watching it on tv ads where kids would master the rhythm and the art of balancing, twirling, and juggling the baton. well, i got a set for myself and thought i could show off my own skills. turns out that i had no skills, i even had trouble balancing the baton on my my control sticks. i gave up and soon the fad was over (like yomegas, tamagotchis, tickle-me-elmos, and the rest of them).
yesterday, i got my NEW set of devil sticks. they’re called crutches and the object that i’m trying to balance with is my ankle. before i explain why i’m using crutches, let’s rewind and playback on the scene after sunday service yesterday afternoon. i had just dropped off my sister to work and raced directly to jacq’s house. when i got there, she told me her dad was really sick, so i might need to help drive her to waterloo, load luggages, and stuff like that. i told her sincerely that i had a soccer game, but i can help. jacq was being very considerate and told me to go play soccer. well, it turns out that soccer wasn’t all that great, though it was an incredible experience! i was on the field playing forward position, dashing across the field to receive the ball. the goalie charged at me, i faked the ball around him, shot it, and then BOOM! the 200 lb defense man (out of no where) came crashing into my right ankle. i collapsed, lying speechless in agony. i was later sent to ER, where i was told that i got a pretty bad sprain and i had t0 walk on crutches for a week or so. if i had chosen to go to waterloo, would this have happened? iunno, but i do know that i’ll be missing jacq’s birthday in waterloo on wednesday 
. now plans have changed, and i’m stuck learning how to balance my foot with these sticks.
i’m immobile. i can’t walk, i can’t drive, and i can’t even pick up the phone without stumbling over things. i’m weak, but there’s a lesson well taught. the wonderful thing is that i’m experiencing what it means when scripture says, if one part suffer, every part suffers with it. i find myself balancing on one foot many times, getting off of a seat requires strenuous work on other parts, and my arm pits hurt from those devil sticks.
i went on youtube and checked out some cool tricks on crutches. here it is:
and the guy who started it all
Bill Shannon