Over a month ago, a distant family member was bitten (unknowingly) by a brown recluse spider. Unfortunately he didn't realize the bite was serious, so he didn't see a doctor until a few days later when he was in excruciating pain and his arm was swollen to more than twice its normal size. Waiting three days to seek medical attention almost killed him.
Just this week, more than four weeks later, D is finally moving from ICU to a critical care room where he will be able to get intensive physical therapy. He has lost forty pounds in addition to muscle mass and function. D's triumphs for this week include actually taking a small assisted walk and eating half of a hamburger! For someone who has been fed almost exclusively by a feeding tube, suffered unrelenting pain, and only dreamed of being able to walk again, it is a miracle that he has achieved these milestones.
Some people, genuine Christians, believe that miracles are a thing of the past. They feel that miracles -- the signs and wonders described in the Bible -- were used by God and Jesus to bring people to faith. While these believers do not dispute that there are many occurrences today that are unexplainable and definitely of God, they stop short of calling them miracles. Instead they describe them as evidence of the providence of God.* I'm not 100% sure, but I think their reasoning is that in our present time, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 We are privileged to have the Bible, God's words to us, a witness more powerful than any sign or miracle.
For me the debate is of a semantic nature. Whether one calls it a miracle or providence, I think we all can agree that it comes from God. The steps that D has been able to take, literally and figuratively, can only be attributed to God's healing hand.
I am thankful that God has blessed D with renewed hope and a sense of His presence. There are many people who are praying for D and God has definitely heard those earnest petitions. Both D and his wife are sustained by the prayers of so many on their behalf, as well as the minute to minute providence of God as he guides D toward healing and wholeness.
It is almost certain that D will never be the same person that he was before he was bitten. Among other things, he may never regain full use of his arm and he will likely need to be on insulin for the rest of life. But in spite of the losses he has suffered, he has also been blessed in ways he could never have imagined. Through this trial D has gained a greater dependency on, intimacy with, and sense of reverence for his awesome God. By grace, the Lord has made Himself known to D in ways that would not have been possible if he were still going about his active, pre-incident life. In this time of affliction, D and his wife have been given the blessing to "be still, and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10
D's experience is a testimony that out of adversity, the Lord brings blessing. Thanks be to God!
*A few years ago I was in a small group where two women almost came to blows over their differing opinions regarding miracles. By the grace of God, one of the women chose to focus on what she had in common with her sister -- their unity in Christ -- rather than dwelling on the issue on which they differed. I have great admiration for this women, because her older sister in Christ was definitely not backing down on her opinion. The younger woman's gracious attitude allowed our group to continue to focus on our study of God's Word, avoiding the evil one's attempt to sow dissension and division among the saints.
No comments:
Post a Comment