40 Days of
Romans 15:4
For whatever was written in former days
was written for our instruction,
that through endurance
and
through the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have
Hope.
Yesterday, we were discussing the photo of the man with faith asking for a Photoshop of Jesus next to his hospital bed. He received many photos in abundance of what that would look like. And one placed Jesus in his place in the exact same hospital bed, holding the same book. A very interesting idea about healing, faith, hope, endurance and the work of being a Light of Jesus to the world. And Thy Will Be Done.
And today, I'd like to talk about distinctly grabbing the fringe of His Robe and the humility of the fictional Shula. This could be compared and contrasted to Numbers 12, the humility of Moses and God's decision who should be healed, affirmed and disciplined.
According to "The Pew Report" in the last decade a very great majority of Christians know personally God has placed answered prayer and a miracle. Something only God has done. In His Mercy and abundant, steadfast Love. The brilliance of a miracle. And in this brilliance we are also directed, during the Gospel recalling of the Transfiguration, to patience, as Jesus tells His disciples long-term prayer is important.
Our Anglican Priest in Emporium, Pennsylvania, and his wife were restoring a farmhouse after purchasing a ruin by fire. And they decided to put hay for the horses in one of the partially restored rooms for the winter. Margaret walked in to see the hay and the room collapsed to the basement. Margaret was home from Church and fell with her high heels on. Moving so fast with the total disaster, Margaret landed on her feet, and the high heels of the shoes entered her feet, crushing all the bones in the heels of both feet. After surgeries and bolts and plates, she was told she would probably have great and terrible pain in every step but be more fortunate than some without feet and legs. Margaret was instructed to always wear SAS shoes for damaged feet. Never wear anything else. And she wrote saying she went from being active on her feet at all times, to riding in the car and seeing old lady feet and shoes. Margaret was about 50 years old, and the doctors told her, This is it.
Over the next 10 years, Margaret and Father Bill adapted to footbaths Bill would help her with. Changing out SAS shoes during the day. But Margaret was going to teach Choir, make wedding dresses, garden, do 100 Church activities, build a new cast iron stove from 1850. Be a National Flower Show Judge in Philadelphia. Have a second Choir. Margaret's favorite prayer and saying was, "God Loves you."
One day we had a phone call. Margaret said she did not know when this happened. Maybe over the last year? But it had been a while since Margaret had thought about her feet. And in your 60s you just adapt. GOD HAD TOTALLY HEALED MARGARET. COMPLETELY. AND she had several new pairs of shoes and high heels to prove this. JESUS THE LORD IS GREAT!
We say
with all our hearts,
My mother had a very admired friend named Pat, and they had decades of friendship from Bible Study at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas. Pat was a psychiatrist. Who drove a van with medical books in this van. Why? Pat would pray and drive along, thinking about her patients. And at the next stoplight, I would think of something in a book, a client case, or a medical study. And jump out of the driver's seat and grab the medical book to put in the passenger seat, connecting a book to a current patient.
Pat lived on Lover's Lane near the Church and always decorated her many front steps with seasonal flowers and decorations. Many people called Pat, the lady with the stairs on Lovers Lane. Pat always said she did this because it reminded her of the Temple in the Jerusalem having ascending stair worship and celebrations.
Pat had a problem in her medical history. In their later lives, her 2 aunts, some great-aunts, her mother all went completely blind because their eyes had such thin, tiny blood vessels to the eyes. Pat felt that what she did was benefit people in the sad circumstances life has and gently put the hope of the Lord would help them prevail. Now, Pat had clients who were definitely not interested in Jesus Christ, but Pat was. And Pat could be very Episcopalian about life and love and all of the jumble life can offer. But Pat and Jesus knew Pat was doing her best in a human way.
And Pat went to very well known eye doctor because of her eye history. One day Pat realized the traffic lights were looking a little fuzzy and Pat thought this was odd. And she scheduled an appointment a week away. And by the time Pat got to the doctor's office, there was fear. Pat's longtime ophthalmologist studied Pat for a long time. And he told her, Pat. You have two cataracts. And Pat was overjoyed because they just operate. And Pat, your blood vessels are in failure due to the strain of decades and cataracts. Pat requested an operation. Her eye doctor refused, saying it would not work and cause immediate and permanent blindness. He would give her a phone number, and she would go there and learn Braille.
Pat went home in shock and said she had a long evening praying and having a conversation with Jesus. And Pat decided she had a conclusion.
Pat had come to Jesus, the Lord Christ, Savior of the world.
And she quoted Him about trying to do the commandments, doing the work of healing, and mentioning she was really a healer. And Jesus had seen her ask so many times about the miracle of healing. And Pat knew the Scripture of hanging on to Jesus' fringe. And always pray with Hope. So they had an accord. Pat was sure. Because healers have to rely on faith. For healing. Because that's what Pat did for a living, she was a healer. So their accord was Jesus would heal her, and Pat would get on a plane and go everywhere real healing and miracles had happened within the Christian community and every Church healing service at her Church. Then Jesus the Healer would heal her eyes. And Pat would continue to heal with the help of Jesus.
So. Pat did as she said.
She went with Father Francis McNutt and his wife, Dr. Judith McNutt, and went to all their healing speaking conferences. She went everywhere where real healing had been known to happen.
And 5 years went forth.
Pat's longtime ophthalmologist was extremely angry with Pat who had been so reckless as to not even have one lesson in Braille. And he chewed her out as physician to physician. Pat said she suddenly did not like her eye appointments. And her doctor knew her, "God Theory" and Pat had been gifted five years, so get to the Braille immediately. The doctor informed her God was gracious to her, but she should get on with the acceptance of blindness.
One day, Pat woke up and could hardly see.
She got an emergency appointment, and the doctor got on the phone and said, Get here, now. She drove there and realized she probably shouldn't have driven herself. Pat received the worst chewing out from the doctor ever. It had begun and would be finished soon.
Pat drove home. And cried for a week.
And put cool compresses on her eyes and spoke with Jesus. And said she would ask Jesus in 2 weeks of cool compresses. And she was Jesus' own forever. God's Child is what she really was. And she would try to continue her work.
Now, another sad part of the story was Pat's van had become old.
But Pat knew where all the books were kept, and she kept fixing the van. It was her companion. But in the last year, her van was stolen. With her college, medical, and prized books. Gone. During the 2 weeks, Pat explained to Jesus she wondered if He was trying to tell her something with the van being stolen. To say, See, you didn't really need those books you know so well.
And in 2 weeks, Pat woke up and could see. Perfectly.
No trumpet sounded. Pat was in her late 60s. She smiled and looked at all her plants. Had coffee and waited for 9 a.m. Smiling. Thanking Jesus. Not crying. Smiling. And looked at her phone and dialed her decades-old ophthalmologist. Yes, he would make time this morning; come NOW. And Pat drove her new car, paid for by insurance. Smiling.
Pat didn't say much. She heard him chewing her out about Braille and blindness. The years he had told her and told her. And he stopped. And he said he had to get some equipment. And he did. And he went and got his assistant. And he told her he was going to make an appointment with another specialist. Because there had been a change.
Pat told us she popped out from behind the examining stainless-steel magnifiers and said,
"A change like fewer cataracts?"
Yes... And she darted back behind the magnifiers. Yes.... Out popped Pat, "A Change like normal blood vessels to the eyes, totally normal?".... Yes....
And her doctor started to say he was sending her to an associate to confirm. Pat kindly said that wasn't necessary. Her doctor and assistant began asking her if she had changed anything in her life she could think of would contribute to her eyesight.
Pat asked if they thought she needed cataract surgery? No. Not at all. No signs of cataract whatsoever. Pat said she was going home now. And she stood up. But wait... Pat said, I have really heard you about Braille. I really did. But you didn't actually hear me say I was going to pray and be healed.
And you can believe, this doctor continued to be her doctor. Did bring an associate to the office to speak with her, and they all concluded God had healed Pat.
Pat got a call almost 3 years after the theft of her van. A dentist in the area had a van in the parking lot that irritated him, it was so dirty. When he had an annoyed morning, the dentist's office reported the van as abandoned. The insurance wasn't as joyous. She now owed the advanced money for her car. Pat said she loved her books being back and being able to read them, that it was all under the umbrella of God's Miracles and Miraculous Works.
Abba, Father!
Dwell in me,
Dwell in us,
Dwell in those we Love,
Help us to seek You first.
And we will finish well,
in Jesus Christ.
Help us seek and find
and bring,
to become,
more Heaven
to this earth.
Thank You
for
our first grandbaby
Arriving this summer,
All Your Love
Blessings upon
this little one.
And in Jesus - This Hope.
Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.
Thank You, Father.
Amen!
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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