A friend was posting on social media about her son and their concerns for him. She shared how she and her husband had decided that God could, and would heal his special needs.
My immediate response was wanting to reach out and say, “Don’t get your hopes up too far! Sometimes, God doesn’t heal us here and now.”
I didn’t want her to have to go through the heartache I did, questioning why my faith wasn’t enough to heal my son. I wanted to share with her the insight that I had learned from God, that he loves us still. That sometimes, he uses these infirmities for our good- Knowing that we need to carry them all of our lives.
You see, it has been struggles like this with my son for healing, when I have questioned my faith. Do I just not have enough faith to be healed or to heal my son?
I truly do believe in miracles and that we should expect them and strive for them more than we do. I believe that God can heal anyone or do anything he wants. Am I not good enough to have my prayers answered? Do I doubt too much?
But I hesitated to reach out. Would my friend think I’m a crazy person? Would she think I didn’t have enough faith? Would she even want to hear what I had to say? Would it be beneficial to her if I shared our story? All these questions and more tumbled through my head over the next weeks.
Another post popped up. She talked about how she believed in miracles. I do too. I don’t just believe in, someone happened to show up at the right moment miracles. I believe in honest to goodness, Moses parting the Red Sea miracles. Sometimes it is his will that a miracle happens. The lame walk, the blind see.
My thoughts changed. Why couldn’t God cure her son? Just because He had confirmed to me, that my son’s struggle would be lifelong, did it mean her son’s had to be too?
What I neglected to remember, that she was doing so well, is that she was praying for her son. When was the last time I had prayed over my son’s struggles? Yes, for him, the struggles would be lifelong, but did that mean that every single health issue my son struggles with had to be? Did it mean that the way couldn’t be eased and made easier? No, I realized, there were things I could and should pray for and ask for.
It’s not always part of His plan that everyone be healed. But either way, he doesn’t leave us alone in this. He walks beside us the whole way, carrying us when we need it most.
Instead of reaching out to my friend, telling her not to get her hopes up, I joined in praying for her son’s healing. I started asking God to help, if not heal some of my son’s issues as well.
Hang on to that hope!
Cling to your faith!
Miracles do happen!
