There is nothing like a much-needed victory that seems impossible from the outset – I mean, like there is no way for your team to win! Remember the miracle ice hockey game in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid? No way to win . . . it would take a miracle! Indeed. And indeed we need a miracle too – likely with a slightly different face for each one of us, and our economy for sure. Even two weeks ago we would not have thought possible what is currently happening – yet here we are.
The simple fact is that we need God’s power if we are to see miracles in our lives, and I personally know that we serve a God who does miracles yet today ...
So, do you need a God of miracles? Check this out – for some of you, it might be, remember with me:
Our family of six moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California some time ago. We were settling into our new San Clemente neighborhood nicely, which was no small feat with Matthew a senior, Amy a junior in high school, Dylan 5 years old and in kindergarten, and Danny, two years old. Just six weeks into our new life, Danny came walking into our room on a Monday morning limping which was kinda' odd because it came out of nowhere. A little later, he was reluctant to walk, and I thought I better take him to a doctor.
After being reassured by a leading pediatrician that there was nothing wrong with my boy (except for a mild ear infection that he treated with Zithromax), I returned home. The next day, he was swollen around his eyes, and still limping. Our family has never had allergies, but given a new area, and construction being done on our house, I waited. Three days later, I returned to the same physician, who once again assured me there was nothing wrong with my little son. I grabbed him by his forearm and said, 'Look, I'm not an over reactor; he is my youngest of four children. . . but something isn't right here. . .' The doctor patted me on the back and told me my son was just fine.
A couple days later, I took him upstairs to give him a bath, and as I pulled his little Nike sweatpants down, his legs were very swollen, but worse, his diaper was drenched with dark red (sorry) blood. I'm no rocket scientist, but I knew we were in big trouble—kidney trouble. After a call to the same pediatrician, he told me to take Danny to Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC) immediately; and to pack a bag because we were going to be there a while.
In the ensuing hours, we learned that Danny was very sick. The next day we found out that indeed, his kidneys had failed. His blood pressure, sodium, potassium, cholesterol, and kidney levels (B.U.N.-blood urea nitrogen) were off the charts, and the specialists could not figure out the cause.
Three days later, I left the hospital for an hour to go see Amy's varsity volleyball game, (the other kids needed attention, too). At the game, a kinda-saintly lady approached me and said, 'Honey, I know your son is very sick, and well, I want to pray with you, and ask God to do a miracle.' I looked at her and said from my broken hearted, sleep-deprived state, 'yes, okay, please pray.' She did. I'll never forget that lady; I'll never forget that encounter. In all of my growing up years as a Christian, no one had ever told me I could ask God for miracles . . . until this lady.
After five days in the hospital, we were sent home, with no prognosis, no diagnosis, and not much hope. Danny was continuing to lose blood; there seemed to be no stopping it, and we were being treated by ‘the experts.’ They couldn't figure out what had caused it, but sent us home with blood pressure meds, steroids, hopes and prayers . . .
The first of the following week, we took Danny for more blood work and then got the call, 'take him to CHOC Orange Intensive Care Unit he has lost so much blood, he is in dangerous territory.' We took our sick little guy, admitted him, and soon had IVs in both arms and legs. Danny was prepped for a needle biopsy to get kidney tissue to be analyzed for diagnosis and treatment. The day dragged on while we waited for the nurse to take us to the O.R. for the procedure; instead, a team of six hematologists came and surrounded our bed. They had found a bleeding disorder, (Von Willebrand's Disease), and if a needle biopsy was performed, Danny would likely bleed to death on the table. What?! He was just playing with his pal, Cameron, his new next-door neighbor, (also two years old), trying to ride a skateboard to keep up with his brothers, and now, a bleeding disorder? Kidney failure?! It was just too much. It was the first time I realized that his life was literally ebbing out of him, and maybe we wouldn't take him home at all.
Nonetheless, after meeting that lady at Amy’s volleyball game, I was believing God for a miracle ... the next briefing will show you that my trust was well placed.
But before we get there, Friend, I want to tell you that your trust in God is well placed too. No matter what, God is good; no matter what, God is trustworthy; no matter what, God is with us. And as Paul said, ‘all things work together for good for those who love God!’ Romans 8.28.
Whatever miracle you need, turn to God, place your trust in him as he alone has the answers you seek~
Because he is trustworthy
Because he is the Miracle Worker, [read tomorrow!]
Christine