Celebrate Today – with each new day there are new miracles. As of right about now, I’ve been on vacation for 7 days. Go ahead. Congratulate me now because this is an awesome accomplishment! My last vacation was 4 years ago and during that time I did a research project and wrote a social media policy. I don’t vacation well. I don’t relax well. I’ve learned something. You can teach an old dog new tricks. For anyone who’s curious, I’ve traveled comfortably and as the doctor required, we’ve stopped every hour to walk as a necessary activity to prevent blood clots. And – for the first time in over 2 months, I have slept through the night for the last 4 nights. So this is what vacation feels like.
I’ve shopped at a quaint country store, with rustic décor, homemade candles, tole painted furniture, and walls lined with quilts and linens. Comfort for weary souls and a feast for sagging spirits. Near the front of the store a tiny notebook caught my eye: Celebrate Today – with each new day there are new miracles. I don’t need an inscription on a notebook to remind me that miracles happen. Since being released from the hospital four doctors have assessed my recovery as remarkable. I’m not arguing; I’m convinced. This ability to heal is a miracle; God has blessed me with the gift of life and consistent healing.
Yesterday, I spent a full work day with my niece and her father who owns an online university. We reviewed textbooks that have been converted to online courses and compared improvements in courses developed six years ago to those published recently. Valuable education and support for my goals. True, there were few demands on my energy, but think about it. Unless you’ve lived inside my skin for the past 8 weeks, you can’t appreciate the miracle I’m describing. Just a few weeks ago, I was so exhausted after a shower a needed help to walk to the couch. God has blessed me, as he has blessed you with the miracle of healing. Sometimes I get impatient and want instant relief from the pain that comes with broken bones. God reminds me to wait. Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Do you remember the stories in Matthew where Jesus was traveling among towns and performing miracles? When he got to his home town where he grew up, his enthusiasm for miracles decreased. Why was that? Matthew 15:38 tells us “Jesus did not do many miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith.” To see the hand of God in our lives, to believe He’s in charge of miracles, we need unshakable faith. I never want to ignore this truth. Instead, my prayer is to have the faith of the woman in Matthew 9:22. Jesus saw her and said, “Take heart, daughter your faith has healed you.” There is no instant healing, but through this process I’m learning to be grateful for little improvements. I’m thankful for medical care, but I acknowledge that God put us together with systems of intricate cells, fluids, organs, and bones by his power and it is by his will that there is healing. Psalm 139:13-14 ”God created me like being knit together in my mother’s womb. I praise Him because I am intricately and wonderfully made. I know that full well.”
Many weeks will pass before I can drive a car, but I’m doing miraculously well and I know it is only because God has given me strength and health. My prayer is to practice what the Message translation advises in Proverbs 3. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health; your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.”
This is not rhetoric – Trust God, run to him, honor him, give him your best – Be blessed, my friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvIEJ_PmqJ8
Because of Grace we Press On