There are times when I feel all kinds of crazy things. Times when I wonder if God is really real. Times when I can’t imagine that He sees or cares about me at all, even if He is there. Times when I’m sure if He does see me, He’s awfully disappointed in what He sees. But I’m not in one of those times right now.
No….I’m as sure as I’ve ever been that God is so here, that He’s real, and that He cares.
Three very recent episodes have blown away any room for doubt in my mind. Let me recount them for you:
Episode #1 – A Rainy Morning
This year, I’ve been very worried about the Women in the Word Bible study that I help organize. We’re doing a new kind of study with a teacher from out of town, so the curriculum is a bit risky from a worldly perspective. I’m convinced that it’s the right study for us right now, but I would probably be more comfortable with a sure thing. Plus, registrations are down significantly for both the morning and evening sessions. I’m not sure why; I could speculate on a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with me or the teacher or the curriculum. I’ve been trying to tell myself to leave it all up to God, but in my performance-based nature, it’s been a struggle.
The first morning of the study arrived and wouldn’t you know it – it rained. We haven’t had more than two drops of rain all summer long and the weather chose THIS morning to break the drought by dumping 3 inches all over the city. Don’t get me wrong. I was grateful for the rain. But couldn’t it have waited one more day? I alternated between grousing and gratitude all the way to the church that morning.
And right in front of me, smack dab in the middle of my windshield where I couldn’t have missed it without turning my face inside out, appeared the most brilliant rainbow. Opulent red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet – each color unusually distinct, streaked upward from the dark horizon in front of me. “I’m here,” God seemed to say. And all of my grousing faded away in the elation of the thought that maybe God had sent that rainbow – which lasted only five minutes – just for me.
Episode #2 – A Tough Road
Speaking of our Bible study, the evening before the second week of our study, I received an unusually late phone call from an unfamiliar number. It was a friend of the out-of-town teacher who is leading us through our fall study. Our teacher was driving into town and was still an hour away when she became “violently ill” and had to pull over to the side of the road. She had called on a doctor friend who was coming to her rescue, but her ability to teach our study the following morning was in serious doubt.
I immediately began to pray with the newly introduced lady on the phone, and then quickly called the rest of the women’s ministry team to fall on their knees and beg God for help. We prayed against what seemed to be a spiritual attack – the timing was just too bizarre. Not only was this the night before she was to begin the meat of her teaching, but the family she was to stay with in town was in upheaval with a daughter who had just been admitted to the hospital. On top of that, I wouldn’t be able to be there to help because my own daughter was scheduled for surgery in the morning. Crazy stuff! I finished my phone calls and opened my Bible, praying psalm after psalm of protection, refuge, and praise back to God.
The following morning, I woke to make the last preparations for my daughter’s trip to the surgeon. I paused long enough to call my new acquaintance to see what news there was from our teacher friend.
“I’m shocked,” I heard on the other end of the line. “She’s on her way to the church and she says she feels well enough to teach. I thought there was no way she would get out of bed today. Thank you so much for praying!”
Episode #3 – The Right Person At The Right Time
Later that same day, my nine-year-old daughter arrived at the children’s hospital to have a benign tumor removed from the bottom of her right foot. We knew that the surgery would not be terribly straightfoward, but we had an excellent surgeon who specializes in tumors that grow near the bones of children. I mean, how much more specialized can you get? After waving a tearful goodbye to my baby girl as she went into the operating room (that is, I was tearful; she was almost giddy for the adventure), her father and I settled into the waiting room for what promised to be at least two hours. You can imagine my surprise when my pager went off 45 minutes later calling me to the consultation room to talk with the doctor.
“Your daughter is fine,” the surgeon began. Then, shaking her head. “I’m really surprised. This is way more complex than I thought, and we’ve got a few things to talk about.” My heart began to sink. What had gone wrong?
My daughter’s tumor turned out to be a very rare nerve-based tumor the nature of which wasn’t revealed by the biopsy or any of the previous tests. It couldn’t be completely removed, and the nerve between two of her toes had to be severed. The only long term effects would be some sensation loss in two toes, which isn’t bad at all. But with the additional complexity of the tumor, both the surgery and the recovery would take longer than expected.
But, as it just so happened (yeah, right), the pathologist on duty at the hospital was an experienced neuropathologist, and my daughter’s tumor was of the sort that only an experienced neuropathologist would be able to accurately diagnose. Because he was immediately available, our surgeon had been able to consult with him on the spot to help her do the best job possible. The rest of the surgery went well, and my daughter is recovering nicely.
God is so here…..
