You've seen, I'm sure, the famous poem, Footprints in the Sand. In a dream, footprints in the sand showed two sets. The dreamer realized that the second set was the Lord's. She noticed that in the toughest times, there was only one set, and asked God why He wasn't there when she needed Him most. God replied that in those times He was carrying her. Footprints. I've been thinking about God's footprints in my life. It's Thanksgiving week. So ... maybe I'll write a few "footprints" accounts of God's footprints in my life. Jesus told His disciples, "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). So ... maybe I will, too.
My earliest memory ... you know, the kind that is certainly my memory because no one else was there to tell me ... was when I was three years old. I remember waking up in a crib. I didn't sleep in a crib, so that was odd. And my wrists were bound to the mattress. And my foot was suspended and an nurse was attaching a giant (to a three-year-old) bottle of fluids through a needle into my ankle. "Oh," she said, "you're awake." As it turns out, I had been in a coma. I had contracted spinal meningitis. The doctors had told my parents there was very little hope because they had no treatment. (Yes, I'm that old.) So they prayed and their church prayed and ... lots of people prayed. And ... I lived ... without much explanation as to why. A short time later, I got sick again ... but it turned out to be an infection from that needle in my ankle, and that was quickly managed and I was out by Christmas.
I still have the scar on my ankle. I see it every time I put on socks. It serves as a reminder. I could have died at the age of three. I didn't. Clearly God had other plans. Clearly my existence wasn't a cosmic mistake. Clearly God still has a purpose for me. That's what that scar on my ankle tells me every time I see it. God's not through with me yet. It serves as a footprint of God in my life.
I have a family member with a similar story of improbable survival, and regularly see their presence as an example of YHWH's love and concern for His children. I too believe that this happened for a purpose, and I can't wait to see what that ends up being.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange to me when those who claim to be christians, dismiss the notion of YHWH intervening directly in people's lives.
What a great story. Praise God for His goodness to you (and your parents) for healing you and seeing fit to give you a full life. I agree that it is a very good thing to look back on one’s life in order to see God’s Hand upon it. (I’m at the age of doing that regularly myself.) And if you can’t share the insights of that reminiscing at your weblog, where can you? (Hmmm, maybe I need a blog.)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I am sure that needle in your ankle was very painful. I had a steroid shot in my ankle once (for tarsal tunnel syndrome) and found it excruciating; the ankle is a very sensitive spot--which you don’t realize until it is injured in some way.
I have a follow-up inquiry for your account, if you care to share: When did you become cognizant that your unexpected healing and recovery at age three was from the hand of God, i.e. clearly a part of His plan for you and your life? Was it as a youth (perhaps your parents imparted that to you), as a teen, as a young adult, or not until only recently (i.e. when we develop that late-in-life retrospective wisdom)?
ReplyDeleteLorna,
ReplyDeleteAs for when I knew, that I don't remember. My parents were godly parents and typically related everything to God's hand. (In response to an unposted question) I don't look at my ankle very often. It's much closer to my face when I'm putting on a sock. :)
I was curious about when exactly that incident impressed you on a truly personal level because I know it can take a long time for many people (following a negative event) to get to the point of truly believing Romans 8:28. I think it can often take a bit of maturity (as well as time) to turn from “that was a horrible thing that I wish had never happened” to “God will use this for my good and His glory.” (If your parents had helped you see that from an early age, you were very fortunate, I would say, as not everyone has that benefit and must struggle through it alone.)
DeleteIn any case, don’t stop wearing socks & shoes, or you might completely forget about it, eh? :-O
I'm a person with a longterm self-image problem. The event was one of the early things that impressed me as God's hands on my life, refuting my self-talk about worthlessness and all.
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