Of Tendons and Ligaments: God Directs Every Step!

It is a marvel to realize how God directs and guides our every step! 

I so ENJOY walking with GOD and the zillion ways he shows up with a flurry of glimpses that I'm always trying to gather up like manna from heaven into my heart’s basket to save and savor and write about. To those who love God there is a continual feast. 

Sadly, there are so many ways we miss him and his whispers of love as we skip through our days. We just plain forget... the other day I noticed this again in the shelter. God healed a man for specific requests not once but TWICE of major concerns in the last two weeks and he forgot about it until I came in the next week and asked!

Me: “What about that lump in your chest that the doctors couldn’t resolve?”
He had been so worried and the pains were shooting through to his back, but he kinda shook his head and said, “Oh, that’s all gone!”

Me: “And how about your leg now?” (We had prayed for a bum knee.)

Him:  “Oh! I played basketball for two hours yesterday!”

I stared at him. “You mean, God’s healed you, twice? Wow!”

He was a little taken back. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“God loves you doesn’t He?”

Of course, as soon as that became clear, they all came running and lined up for more prayer. One young man, a new believer said, “I want prayer for all of me! For total spiritual healing!” Isn’t that beautiful? Faith generates more faith.

God is in the business of healing. But of course, it’s totally HIS business. I have a growing faith but know God wants to meet US, not just DO what we want him to.

I've had a little issue too. It seemingly began with a mountain climb in New Hampshire in June. The very next day I noticed a pain on the heal of my left foot. I figured I must have stepped on a pointy stone or bruised it somehow. Off and on for a few months it would be unnoticeable for brief periods, reappearing after heavy lifting or maybe wearing the wrong shoes... ?

I was accustomed to self-diagnoses since we worked remotely in New Guinea, and I kept telling myself, if this isn't better by next week, I'm gonna have it looked at. It never seemed to be serious enough to stop everything and go to the ER. Be patient, I’d tell myself. If tendon or bone related, it just needs time to heal.

Yesterday, I felt it was about time for some answers. I sat at the kitchen table and talked to God. "Lord, you could say the word and heal these issues but there must be a reason for lingering and something you want to do, someone you want to touch. Show me where."

I imagined sitting in the ER all day... Been there, done that as they say! Like the time the doctor wanted to check my heart a few years ago. I was reading Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner at the time, and patients, doctors and nurses thought I was preparing to meet the Almighty! 

It was a divine opportunity to share faith with people for an entire weekend, but it all turned out to be what I call the $2000 burp! My heart was fine, but it was a very costly barrage of tests. 

I headed out with a great book I've been reading, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus... and headed to the nearest walk-in clinic. 

Unfortunately, a little sign by the door said, “Dr. on lunch. Next appt 1:40.” I sat down and pulled out my cellphone to search for something else when the door creaked opened and the doc asked what I needed. Then she smiled and said, "Go to 50 Worcester Rd in Framingham." ... Just the sort of direction I need!

Arriving at the much larger clinic I was surprised to see an empty waiting room, and soon connected with the doctor on duty, a Harvard man no less. To my amazement, he JUST HAPPENS to have been doing industry changing research on exactly the condition I have for the past FIFTEEN YEARS!

He's Jewish and I told him he was an answer to my prayers! We had a wonderful visit and he loved hearing stories about running a clinic with cannibals. Between severed fingers and fish hooks and tree impaled patients, you should have seen his eyes when I mentioned that we only had 6 weeks of medical training and a Merck manual! 

Point is, God led me perfectly to an expert who made an immediate difference in my foot. I estimated a 50% improvement, and I barely even noticed it today! Thank you, God! You are the divine Physician! 

Then last night I attended a Ravi Zacharias ministry event and the speaker referred to the root word for spirituality which actually means to RE-ligament! I'd never even thought about that before. 

When we connect to God it is like attaching the bones in our physical body. True spirituality, connecting to our Creator, strengthens us and holds our lives together, just as reattaching ligaments holds our bones in place.

Thank you Father! You are holding my hand!

You are holding me together!