Miracles are not a thing of the past or only for the pages of fiction. For years now I have heard stories of miracles. Not only that but I have been party to God moving in ways outside the usual physical laws He established.
Back when my son was in high school we asked for a miracle. He was a star athlete in any sport he went for. One day he came home for a practice and could hardly walk. He stuck it in a bucket of ice water. Painful but usually a huge help to bring down the inflammation. It still hurt a lot. He nursed it that way for several days or maybe weeks.
Before bed one night we decided I should lay hands-on his ankle and pray for restoration and healing. So we did. I do not remember the duration of the prayer or the words used, but it was not a long time and we agreed. It was noticeably better after a few minutes. We prayed a bit longer then he went to sleep. When he woke up in the morning the pain was completely gone. Other than a tweak here or there over the years it remains a solid ankle. Miracles do happen these days.
Fast forward to 2019. I pray at the back of the church during communion every Sunday I am here. Early this year Doug MacDougal came for prayer holding his bandaged left thumb up to me. It was all kinds of colors and none of them healthy looking. He told me it was 95% severed by a chop saw then reattached by an expert at Mass General Hospital. The problem was, it did not work well, it was painful with a sensation of pins and needles, and the color was necrotic, grayish purple.
In my head I thought “Oh My!” But in my heart I said, “Ok God let’s do this.”
I anointed his head and his thumb in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, gently wrapped my hand around the digit that was struggling to survive. I was also keenly aware that Doug needs his thumb to make a living. No pressure…But God!
I took a breath, asked the Holy Spirit to come pray through me and heal. There was a sense of the presence of God and His power, gently working as we pleaded the blood of Jesus over it, along with His rich mercy and grace. After a minute or two I lifted my hand to see the state of his hand. It was no longer the colors of rejection! And the pain was receding. I sensed some warmth as I prayed but he told me it felt like an electric storm in his thumb as I prayed. I asked him to give thanks to God who was doing a miracle before our eyes.
After we both gave thanks and praise to God, we went back to holding it and praying for the miracle to continue to progress. Then we checked it again. Now the pain was gone and he could move it a bit better. It was still crooked but the color of life was restored. He thanked God once more and we prayed to seal the progress.
Doug left the time of prayer with instructions to hold his thumb as often as he felt lead in the days ahead to give thanks and to ask for complete restoration. He did eventually have a second surgery months later, but Doug points to this prayer time at the back of the church as pivotal to the restoration of his thumb.
Months later the miracle is confirmed. Is it straight? No, but he has four fingers and an opposable thumb. It is alive and functioning so he is able to work. All glory to God! It would be great to see it completely realigned, however, until that day it is a great conversation piece to the healing power of God today.
Does God do miracles today? You bet! Ask Doug when you see him. All glory to the God who hears and who heals…And so much more!
