“For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:21 NAS95)
I have walked with God for over 44 years. I started out simply thinking about God in religious ways. Yet, my relationship with God has developed into a real experience of a real and living God who interacts with me. I count that a miracle in itself. God wooed me from religion to relationship. A relationship that I cherish deeply.
The conversation with God (one among many) I am about to share ran the emotional gamut. The ups and downs of life felt like they had no end.
Lisa and I discovered, with much joy, that she was pregnant with our second child. Soon thereafter issues started arising with the pregnancy. We prayed. We consulted with doctors on both sides of the ocean. We continued speaking with God and seeking His guidance.
Doctors told us many things about the development of this baby, and none of it sounded encouraging. We lived in Poland, and the disparity in medical care compared to our sending country deepened our fears and anxieties. Our conversations with God expressed those emotions with great animation. Eventually we sensed a need to enlist the prayers of our partners, so we did.
At some point we called on the pastors of our cooperating church to anoint Lisa with oil and pray over her for the health of the baby. I can’t remember whether that occurred before or after Lisa spent a month in the pathological pregnancy wing of the hospital. The name of the wing didn’t instill any hope either. We had no idea if the baby would be normal.
Yet we had a sense of God at work. God never allowed us to lose hope. We stayed in country for what became a c-section birth. Michael came into the world a few weeks early, healthy and normal, a bit underweight and with a bit of jaundice. We felt great surprise and deep relief.
God subsequently led us to name our son, Michael, because it means “Who is like God.” Michael was a miracle. God had been working in our midst the whole way through, shaping us to expect Him no matter the outcome.
Walking with God through the real issues of my life, like this one, cause me to cherish my relationship with Him more deeply.
For Reflection:
“Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!” (Psalm 107:15 NAS95)
- Where have you seen the miracles God has done in the midst of your life?
- What does your own relationship with God mean to you? At what level do you cherish it?
