What exactly constitutes a miracle?
I went to the podiatrist yesterday and had a cortisone injection in my heel. I have been suffering with heel pain due to plantar fasciitis for months now. It is debilitating and makes me feel like an old woman. I guess it's due to a combination of factors: I was a runner back in the day, and probably didn't wear the right shoes; I wear flip flops all summer, which are bad, bad, bad for you (apparently); and my new-ish house has hard stone floors. All that added up equals the problem that I am dealing with now. And with this upcoming trip to Haiti, I didn't want to be in constant pain, knowing that I would have to be on my feet so much.
I had a cortisone injection once before that worked wonders, and I knew if I had another, I'd be feeling fine. But there are limits on how many and how often you can have them, so I was patiently waiting. In the meantime, I was asking for prayer and believing for a miraculous touch from God.
But, truthfully, I was looking forward to my appointment yesterday with the doctor, because I KNEW that would solve the problem. So, my question became, "does this negate the faith required for a miracle?" Does 'trusting' in medicine mean that I am not trusting in God to heal me?
On my way home, I started to ponder these things, and I came to this conclusion: when the scientist discovered that cortisone relieves inflammation, it was probably considered a miraculous discovery, right? Who gave that scientist the idea to try it? Who gave that scientist the creative mind to look into cortisone? Who directed the steps of the botanist or biologist to find the raw materials to develop into cortisone? Who gave the doctors, professors, and other professionals the genius minds they have in the first place to be able to learn? ALL of these things are miracles!
And I get to be the beneficiary of this miraculous power, as do many others. We would be fools, truly, if we did not tap into the miracles that God has given all around us to take advantage of in the 21st century.
It is further miraculous that I was born in this nation, in this century, in the family I was, with the advantages I enjoy, with the ability to earn an income...so that I could even get to the doctor to enjoy the benefits of God's miraculous working in my life.
So yes, I did experience a miracle healing yesterday! That cortisone injection was just as much a miracle as if I had felt the relief of pain at the altar in my church as someone prayed for me.
Now, let's go to Haiti and RUN around those hills with those children!
Thank you Lord!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Making Preparations for another Trip
My husband rolled over this morning and told me he'd miss me when I go on my next trip to Haiti on May 1. So sweet. I told him I promised there wouldn't be another natural disaster this time, but he wondered why I thought I had any control over things like that! Of course I don't, but I feel like maybe in some sort of cosmic justice kind of way, I've done my time... :)
Leaving one week from today, I've been spending lots of time gathering donated food, supplies, and medicines from generous friends and strangers. My study has been converte
d into a mini-warehouse, full of rice and beans, shoes and socks, soap and shampoo, nuts and raisins. I've found Rubbermaid-type foot lockers with wheels on the bottom to use as checked luggage. I figured with no storage rooms, or buildings, Pastor Val and those that give care at the orphanage could use something like this to keep things dry. I had an epiphany the other while shopping for some of these things...
I went to a large warehouse store, and loaded my cart with a 25 pound bag of rice, a 35 pound jug of cooking oil, some powdered milk and some beef boullion cubes. As I was checking out, the gathering storm outside cut loose in a torrential downpour. Now I had to get all of this into my trunk, in the pouring rain. As I loaded it, getting drenched in the process, my heart ached for my friends who have no place to hide from weather like this. There is no house or building to run to for many in Haiti, and even a tent seems of little help in rough weather like that.
With wet clothes and a ruined hairdo, I got in the driver's seat and went to buy a tent. Getting wet like that in 15 seconds, made me re-think all I planned to take. The running shoes I was wearing were soaked and would take hours to dry, so they were no longer a practical choice. I need to think about adding a rain jacket and an umbrella to my packing list. And my tent selection process was suddenly much more complicated, as I deliberated with the nice man at Dick's about the effectiveness of the rain fly, and the tent's sturdiness in a gale force wind. I plan to leave this tent, by the way, for Pastor Val. (He told me he was still sleeping in his truck!)
So I decided on a four
person dome tent, one that gives a little head room in case you had to do something besides sleep in it...like live in it. I set it up last night to practice. At first I was determined to do it alone, considering that it might be raining when I have to do it for real. But after some consternation (and in all fairness...tents have become much more user-friendly over the years...), I solicited my chuckling husband's help. I told him not to help me at first, but after watching me struggle, and telling me that the living room was not the best place for this, we moved it outside and put it up together in less than 15 minutes. I feel confident that, especially if it is still light outside, it is not raining, and there are not any chickens trying to move in with me, I can do it! Plus, I'll have Abby with me, who is much more adventurous, and plucky, than I, though maybe slightly less experienced in tent erecting. :) I even managed to get it all back in the tidy little bag it came in.
Ziploc bags are a
mazing: I plan to divide up all the rice, beans, oatmeal, dry milk, nuts, raisins, and boullion into to family-sized portions, just in case we will be sharing food with the community around the orphanage. Certainly Yrma will be able to use these portions as well for the children, but there are many others now that will need help, too. I'll leave that up to Pastor Val and Yrma.
I'm excited to go, but a little apprehensive about the unknowns...always so many. I told someone this morning, I feel like I am running to keep up with God; He is going so fast. Does He know I feel so inadequate, so unable to make good decisions at a moment's notice? Does He know that I prefer to be taken care of, not lead others on adventures? And yet, I find myself doing this again and again.
Two prayer requests, selfishly: that my heel pain will subside before this trip, and that no tarantulas will move into my tent while I am out for the day!
But seriously, (the heel pain is a serious concern) we would appreciate anyone who would like to pray to ask the Lord for the following:
Leaving one week from today, I've been spending lots of time gathering donated food, supplies, and medicines from generous friends and strangers. My study has been converte
d into a mini-warehouse, full of rice and beans, shoes and socks, soap and shampoo, nuts and raisins. I've found Rubbermaid-type foot lockers with wheels on the bottom to use as checked luggage. I figured with no storage rooms, or buildings, Pastor Val and those that give care at the orphanage could use something like this to keep things dry. I had an epiphany the other while shopping for some of these things...I went to a large warehouse store, and loaded my cart with a 25 pound bag of rice, a 35 pound jug of cooking oil, some powdered milk and some beef boullion cubes. As I was checking out, the gathering storm outside cut loose in a torrential downpour. Now I had to get all of this into my trunk, in the pouring rain. As I loaded it, getting drenched in the process, my heart ached for my friends who have no place to hide from weather like this. There is no house or building to run to for many in Haiti, and even a tent seems of little help in rough weather like that.
With wet clothes and a ruined hairdo, I got in the driver's seat and went to buy a tent. Getting wet like that in 15 seconds, made me re-think all I planned to take. The running shoes I was wearing were soaked and would take hours to dry, so they were no longer a practical choice. I need to think about adding a rain jacket and an umbrella to my packing list. And my tent selection process was suddenly much more complicated, as I deliberated with the nice man at Dick's about the effectiveness of the rain fly, and the tent's sturdiness in a gale force wind. I plan to leave this tent, by the way, for Pastor Val. (He told me he was still sleeping in his truck!)
So I decided on a four
person dome tent, one that gives a little head room in case you had to do something besides sleep in it...like live in it. I set it up last night to practice. At first I was determined to do it alone, considering that it might be raining when I have to do it for real. But after some consternation (and in all fairness...tents have become much more user-friendly over the years...), I solicited my chuckling husband's help. I told him not to help me at first, but after watching me struggle, and telling me that the living room was not the best place for this, we moved it outside and put it up together in less than 15 minutes. I feel confident that, especially if it is still light outside, it is not raining, and there are not any chickens trying to move in with me, I can do it! Plus, I'll have Abby with me, who is much more adventurous, and plucky, than I, though maybe slightly less experienced in tent erecting. :) I even managed to get it all back in the tidy little bag it came in.Ziploc bags are a
mazing: I plan to divide up all the rice, beans, oatmeal, dry milk, nuts, raisins, and boullion into to family-sized portions, just in case we will be sharing food with the community around the orphanage. Certainly Yrma will be able to use these portions as well for the children, but there are many others now that will need help, too. I'll leave that up to Pastor Val and Yrma.I'm excited to go, but a little apprehensive about the unknowns...always so many. I told someone this morning, I feel like I am running to keep up with God; He is going so fast. Does He know I feel so inadequate, so unable to make good decisions at a moment's notice? Does He know that I prefer to be taken care of, not lead others on adventures? And yet, I find myself doing this again and again.
Two prayer requests, selfishly: that my heel pain will subside before this trip, and that no tarantulas will move into my tent while I am out for the day!
But seriously, (the heel pain is a serious concern) we would appreciate anyone who would like to pray to ask the Lord for the following:
- a safe and healthy week
- wisdom and guidance as we move forward in trying to best help those God has put in our lives
- divine appointments and contacts
- favor with the officials at border control and customs for goods we must begin to ship to Haiti
- rest and refreshment in the Holy Spirit for Pastor Val, Yrma, his sister, and the children and families that live around Val Children's Home Care.
- for every need to be met
- For many to find the Lord in the midst of all the chaos and difficulty.
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