A miracle is defined as an “an effect
or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known
human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.”
I've experienced a couple of them in my life – things that could be
explained no other way than to say it was by the hand of God. And I
experienced a couple, as well, as a result of my elbow situation.
The first was the complete absence of
pain. I waited seven hours after I broke my elbow to go to the
emergency room, due to dangerous driving conditions in an increasing
snowstorm and the lateness of the hour. Not a life-threatening
situation by any means, I knew it could wait till the break of day.
And while those initial hours weren't comfortable, as long as I
didn't move my elbow, I wasn't in pain, either, making the wait
bearable. Once surgery was scheduled for later that afternoon, I
turned down the offer of pain medication in the interim because I
simply wasn't experiencing any. Initially told I might be sent home
after the surgery, my doctor dismissed that idea immediately when he
came in for a pre-surgery chat, afraid that I would wake in the night
in terrible pain and be on my own to deal with it. He highly favored
an overnight stay. I agreed to the plan, but was ever so thankful
that the situation he described never developed. Even after the
insertion of a plate and screws to hold the broken pieces of the bone
in place, I was never in need of a single pain pill. It was beyond
amazing, and I was thankful beyond words! The recovery process was
made so much easier and the time off from work so much more enjoyable
because I was pain-free. People joked with me about incredibly high
pain tolerance or maybe the complete lack of pain receptors in my
brain; I gladly gave the credit to God.
When a second surgery became necessary
to straighten my arm, the doctor presented three scenarios of actions
he would take, depending on what he found when he got inside.
Suspecting that the simplest would be all that was necessary, the
operation was done on an outpatient basis, and I knew I would be
going home this time when he was finished. He ended up performing the
most invasive of the three options, even removing the plate and
screws he'd put in before, and sent me home with a prescription for
pain which I filled before reaching my front door. Perhaps it was a
lack of faith on my part, but a miracle is by definition something
you can't conjure up on your own. Could it really happen twice? I
thought it best to be prepared. As it turned out, I could've saved my
money; I never took a single pill.
Surely the absence of pain was blessing
enough, but there was more. Aging is commonly associated with the
loss of bone density and the general weakening of the skeletal
structure, so as I've gotten older I've taken to combating the same
with my speech, simply declaring that I have the firm muscles and
strong bones promised in (Isaiah 58:9-12 MSG). As soon as I knew my
elbow was broken, I heard the enemy whisper, “ Strong bones?
Clearly not so much...”. But it turned out he was wrong. In a
post-operative conversation, the doctor told my husband that he had a
hard time putting in the screws to hold the plate in place because my
bones were as strong as those of a person in their 20's! Not to give
away my age, but that's several decades away from where I stand
today! Again I was thrilled with the goodness of God.
Another definition of miracle is simply
this: a wonder; a marvel. The Bible promises that signs and wonders
will follow those who believe, and perhaps there is a purpose to
their presence beyond just the joy of an unexpected blessing. They
give us opportunities to testify to those who are wondering about the
goodness of God, and a chance to tell them how marvelous He truly is.
“You were chosen to
tell about the excellent qualities of God”
(1 Peter 2:9 GOD'S
WORD)
