I had one of those days yesterday: from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed it was go, go, go. But in the midst of the “go-ness” I was privy to two miracles. Hang in there with me as I share them.
I spent part of the day at a surgery unit while a man from the church I pastor had a kidney procedure. I left there and my wife and I took my secretary, her husband and eldest son to lunch to celebrate her birthday. (#41 if you must know! 🙂 You can shoot me later Di). I left them and headed out for an hour long drive to Methodist Hospital in Indy to visit an old friend and someone I had never met (but friends of folks from the church). Their stories are the miracles. About 2 weeks ago they were both in hellacious car accidents within a day or so of each other.
Shirley and her husband and her son were members of the church I once pastored in Terre Haute. I had grown close to them especially when Carl’s mom was dying and eventually died of cancer. Their car was T-boned by an 86 year old man who didn’t stop at a stop sign, hitting her side of the car. If Shirley had been sitting where she normally does, she would be with Jesus now. But she was in the back seat and received some head injuries, 2 broken ribs and various other injuries. She was life-flighted to Methodist and has been showing some improvement, although they are concerned about some pneumonia that may be developing. She has been sitting up some but still sleeps a lot. She woke up while I was there and recognized me. She was worried about her hair 🙂 but I told her she looked beautiful. She is alive by the grace of God. Miracle #1.
Miracle #2: Peter. His accident was horrific. T-boned by a large pickup going about 30-40 miles above the speed limit at night, Peter’s injuries are so extensive I can’t name them all. Broken clavicle, every rib on the left side broken, broken lower left leg (both bones), a shattered left hip (the two surgeries-so far-to repair it are amazing), a broken right hip and numerous other injuries. To listen to the parents you would know that there was absolutely no way he should have survived that accident. Except God has a plan for him. Peter knows it and the parents believe it.
I left the hospital and drove home in wonder of God’s power. Two people who should not even be alive by any stretch except by the power of an amazing God. As Peter’s parents and I talked, his mom said, “What was meant for evil will turn out for the good.” It has reaffirmed their faith as well as Peter’s. He has been using it as a conversation starter about God.
Do you have any stories about the miracle-working power of God? Have you seen anything like this in your life or in the life of someone you know? I would love to hear your story.
My wife was 6 months pregnant when she drifted off of a busy highway during rush hour. In her attempts to regain control of the car she traveled back and forth across lanes of traffic. She did not hit the car immediately in front of her or behind her. She hit a Blazer 2 cars in front of her. She hit it on all three sides (I still haven’t figured that one out) without hitting anyone else. Her car finally came to a stop on the side of the road. Both air bags had deployed. The front of her car was all but missing. Her windshield,driver side, and passenger windows were shattered.
When the paramedics and rescue workers finally got her out of the vehicle…they found a single tiny scratch on her wrist. The seat belt had left no impressions on her stomach or shoulders. The airbag did not leave a bruise. Our unborn baby was unscathed.
The passengers from the other vehicle which she had so elegantly demolished, sustained no injuries.
No one who witnessed the event could explain what happened or how she was not hurt.
But we can. What a mighty God we serve!
i have shared on my blog once… my life is a set of miracles. maybe not as dramatic as the ones that you described above, but then – without God and some serious planning on His side, i guess they would’ve been pretty dramatic.
considering that i was sort of a surprise kid (i.e. not really planned), i ran a risk of not being born (thankfully my mom and my grandma decided that they don’t mind an addition to the family 🙂 )
i almost drowned in a swamp when i was just 3 years old (along with my cousin, who was 15 at that time)… if not for two guys (whom my 3-year-old mind painted as hunters) who were not supposed to be in that part of the middle-of-nowhere, i wouldn’t be writing this entry.
there were other incidents in my life when i walked away with just a bump on my head when i should’ve had at least a concussion… my friends already joke about my ability to walk unscathed from potentially dangerous situations.
sorry for rambling, but i guess it’s just something that i always thank God for. and it makes me grin when people (especially girls / women) roll their eyes when asked about the age. i am 24 and happy that i have had the pleasure of living every day. when (and if) i’ll be 40, i’ll be happy to be 40 because God gave me 40 years to live… *shrug* 🙂
What an awesome story Dusty! No doubt God was in that wreck with His hand all over that car. Thanks for sharing that.
wow, thanks for sharing Dusty! glad that your wife as well as your baby girl and the other people that were involved in the accident did not have any injuries. wow!
Zee: you are still a spring chicken! 24 is a babe, a pup compared to my 57. 🙂 I do like the attitude though of being thankful for whatever God has given you.
Bill: haha, yeah, i’m still a kid. sometimes i forget that i am supposed to be a young adult – especially when my little 6-year-old boyfriend (my admin manager’s son) comes to visit us at the office… ah… everyone in the office teases me about having “kids’ zone” instead of a workplace – got a ziploc bag of Crayola crayons, a pack of wooden Crayola pencils, a Winnie the Pooh colored page that Kostik and i have colored, lots of other stuff… 😀
Zee: when I was the pastor of a church in Ohio just a few years ago I had an old bubblegum machine that I filled with Skittles (a small candy) and the kids would come in to visit and get their fill. My office is not in a church building now (we rent a facility) so the machine sits empty. I have been known to be a little kid. Even my wife has said that a time or two or three or… 🙂 Stay that way. Kids will love you.
Bill: awesome. i love Skittles!
i guess pastors who remember what it means to be a kid are the best pastors 😉 my pastor definitely reminds me of a kid once in a while 😀 (and so does my mom… who is also a pastor)
where in Ohio? i got quite a lot of friends in Lima.
Bill,
I am trying to hold back tears. Your two miracle stories definitely touched my heart. I have a miracle story to tell, however, it is a little bit difficult to share right now. One thing for sure… God is good. Thank you for that reminder.
May God continue to bless those who have been healed.
Michelle
Sandusky. It is right on the lake. Thing Cedar Point and you have found Sandusky. My wife was raised there and we moved there in June of 2000. I became the pastor of a church there in November of 2000 and stayed until November of 2005. Know exactly where Lima is.
Michelle: Thanks for stopping by. Glad you were touched. Hope to be able to hear your story someday. 🙂
Hi cycleguy,
One of my miraculous stories hit the front page of the Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada communitiy newpaper. A young boy around 14 was healed of a serious disease of blood cancer. He underwent a bone marrow transplant. Nothing seemed to be working. His name is Brandon Crawford. In his testimony that he gave at the church he said his experience was hellish. He finally said to God either kill me or heal me because I can’t do this anymore. A month or so later just before Christmas he was miraculously healed. The newpaper headline in Medicine Hat read ITS A MIRACLE!! and it truly was.
Hi Zee,
I think we can look back and thank God every day for his working in our lives. God saved both of my children from death a couple of times. Our life as a family was not perfect. Lots of trials and troubles, but God was faithful to rescue and deliver us from them all. Just like he has done in your life. I think if we knew how many times he has intervened on our behalf we would be very surprised!
Hi Dusty Rayburn,
Your wife’s miracle story doesn’t surprise me at all. God is so very faithful! I was reading this morning in Luke about God and his workings in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth to bring forth the miracle of the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. I find it encouraging that he chose women to accomplish this. I also find it interesting that Jesus and John’s families were related to one another. Jesus and John were second cousins. I think Mary’s reply to Elizabeth in this book shows that Mary was not a simpleton. She had spiritual understanding, she was courageous, and she had a heart toward God.
Bill,
We experienced (as you know) a miracle with Adam’s burns. Two different doctors told me that he would be permanently scarred from the 2nd degree burns that covered the majority of his face. But, as you see each Sunday, his precious little face is absolutely healed! I whole-heartedly agree with the above poster that God uses things like this for good. We were able to offer support to another family who experienced something similar, plus witness about Adam’s miracle! 🙂
My wife is battling cancer for the third time. Not sure if the end result is what “we” desire…but friends….He is still precious!
I want to share with you from Hebrews 11:17-24. As you know this is the “heroes of Faith” chapter, but in these verses there is another group of people. They didn’t gain great victories out on the battlefield. They didn’t enter the arena of life before large audiences and perform great feats for God. These are the “others,” and they are the ones who, if you want heroes, are really God’s heroes.
Notice the contrast here. Back in verses 33 and 34 it speaks of victories which were “won”, it spoke of how they “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.” How do we explain this? One group by faith escaped the edge of the sword, and another group by faith were slain with the sword.
My friend’s, if you can walk up and give your testimony and tell how God has healed you-and I will join you in that-or if you can get up and say how successful you have been……I want to remind you that there are multitudes of God’s saints today who are suffering. They are paying a tremendous price. Do you know how they are doing it? They are doing it “by faith.” They have lots more faith than I have, and I think they are choicer saints than I am!
Linda: thanks for sharing that story from your “home.” I think, like Kris below, we all have stories of God’s healing in our family.
kris: thanks for reminding me of this. I had forgotten all about it since Adam is so healed and since he sort of turns away and ignores me. 🙂 He is precious and God has a plan for him.
It does remind me of how God moved in my youngest brother’s life when he touched a hot stove and burned both hands. Doc said skin grafts and he would have get the full use of his hands again. When they took the bandages off there was no sign of scarring, he never needed any grafts and has full use of his hands today.
Ike: Thanks for telling the folks about your wife. They can now join me in their prayers for her. Also thanks for the “lesson.” It is so important to remember that God never promised a healthy/wealthy life but He did promise His presence through all of life. As you know, my prayers are with you daily.
I have many to be honest but this one here is one of my favorites but it is too long to write so you can read about it here:
http://afterthemiracle.com/IsabellasStory.html
That is amazing. I pray for Peter’s full recovery.
The biggest miracle in my life was that my wife was able to conceive and she lived through the pregnancy. I think I have shared a long time ago about this, but if not I can fil you guys in.
Sorry so late in the conversation. I missed the post yesterday.
Thanks Michael for coming by and yes I would like to hear God’s miracle in your life.
My wife had open heart surgery when she was 4. She has a large scar down her chest. When we got married the dr. said that she would never be able to get pregnant or if she did she could not carry the baby.
After we had been married for 1 yr. She miraculuously got pregnant. We went to the dr. and they wanted us to abort the baby because they said that it would die and if he didn’t she would during birth.
We prayed and decided that if God wanted us to have a child that everything would be okay.
Ethan is 5 now and my wife is healthier than ever.
Thanks for sharing that Michael. What a testimony to God’s amazing power! I pray each day for you and will continue praying for Ethan and your wife.
Thanks Bill! You have no idea how important that is to us.
We will do the same.
@Michael What a mighty God! What an example of putting your trust in Him!
Wow! All these amazing stories, God is very busy! Of course this all reminds me how busy God has been taking care of James his whole life….keeping him safe from almost drowning in a creek at age 2, the lawnmower accident that was supposed to leave him without a foot, then when he kept his foot, he wasn’t supposed to be able to walk, he walks, he wasn’t supposed to run, he runs, he would walk with a limp, he doesn’t….then he had a car wreck, totaled the car, but came out with just stitches in the head, then he caught himself on fire, spent 12 days in the burn unit, painful debrisments & skin grafts followed, he can use his arm, yes, God is amazing & busy performing many miracles in these days. Nobody can tell me there’s not a God, I have seen his healing firsthand. (I know you remember the mower accident since you came to Methodist)and I know that the people you visited in the hospital were very thankful that you were there.
Michael: you’re welcome and thanks.
Dusty: Hope Michael sees your comment.
Jan: Isn’t it awesome to see and hear how God works? That is why I just had to share my stories and then hoped others would do the same. And yes, I remember james’ lawnmower accident. They talked about growth plates, if he kept his foot the liability it would be…all sorts of stuff. Praise God He is amazing! Thanks for sharing James’ story.
Hi Ike,
I will pray for you and your wife and the circumstance you find yourselves in.
I suppose the one consolation we have is that an eternity of living is just ahead.
I know that my daughter who is insulin dependent has not been healed of diabetes. She has had to cope with this disease for 20 years now. My son however, was healed of Asthma in a healing service when he was still a young child. He remembers his lungs opening up and him running at that time.
I remember what a sorrow I felt after one of my children was healed and the other one wasn’t. I cried and wept. I asked my husband ‘why can’t Christy be healed too?’
She has experienced a lot of hardship in her 25 years. she continues to experience difficulties.
I do agree with you. I think we will be surprised at who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus says that the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist.
There remains ‘faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love’. Both of you keep loving God and loving each other no matter what.
Linda: I hope Ike will see your thoughts and prayers for he & his wife. It was kind of you to say that to him. In fact, to all who have told Ike they will pray…thank you. this is one reason I like to blog and one reason I like the online community of friends.
Ike: thanks. you are right (stating the obvious here, but kind of lost in thoughts)… we so often forget where our true home is.
i guess physical healing has always been a battle for me… on one hand, i know that God CAN heal people, on the other hand, not always He does what we would’ve expected Him to… not to ramble on here, some time ago i wrote about that here…
and… i do not know what the immediate future holds for you and your wife… but i know that this isn’t it, and i just pray that God would give you and your family strength needed.
*hug*
WOW…..so many testimonies! God is still in the miracle business…let us never forget!
I had a miracle occur in my life..long (beautiful)story short…..I had a rare varicosity in the umbilical cord when I was pregnant with my son Ezra. (issue was sluggish blood flow….clot forming in utero going to his heart) Was being monitored with high tech ultrasounds….dragged myself to church one day, went down to the altar…had hands laid on me. On Monday went to go for my biweekly appt……yep. Varicosity gone. nada….zilch. Doctors were stumped, couldn’t explain it.
I could!
What a great post, Bill!
Zee: praying Ike reads your thoughts to him. thanks.
Michelle: thanks for the testimony! I agree…God is still in the miracle business. This post is what it is because of everyone taking part. Thanks for kind words.
I feel like I’ve been to church this morning Bill! The post and then the comments!!!! WOW! Thank you Jesus!
I love it when what we pray for is what God has in mind…
I’m still thanking Him for bringing my daughter Stephanie through a life threatening labor and delivery of our granddaughter last March…
I remember praying…”please, let it be your will for her to be okay…”
love to you today my friend…
Robin: I remember that post, that time, and praying specifically for her and Emma. What a blessing to see how God pulled both of them through (and you all as well). Grateful this post and the comments ministered to you. Love and hugs back to you. 🙂
Good morning! I have 2 stories, both car accidents. My son was in an accident when he was 16 and the car caught on fire.He could not get his door to open and was trapped til a young man came along and pulled him out through the side window!!!!!!! And, he was in a small Triumph Spitfire!. He had no burns just a nasty cut on his forehead. I was in an accident several years ago. A car pulled out in front of me at an intersection (I had the right of way, he was turning) and I hit them. My car was very damaged, the entire front of the car was pushed BACK and I had NO injuries! The airbag went off and just broke my bracelet and not my wrist!?!? The guy who towed and then fixed my car told my husband he couldn’t believe I hadn’t been killed!!! I am glad it wan’t my time…..XO, Pinky
Pinky: thanks for sharing those stories. Glad your son is okay. If that had been me they would have had to rip the roof off to get me out. I am 6’5″. 🙂 Also glad you were okay. Great stories. Love to you also.