Miraculous healing!

Last month, God intervened in my life in the most amazing way. When I became a Christian 35 years ago, I went from being a passionate atheist to a follower of Jesus in a few days, after I heard two people telling incredible stories of God’s provision and intervention in their lives. All of a sudden, the existence of God stopped being a philosophical question for me, and instead I just wanted to know how I could get to know this God, a God that made a difference. Without a doubt, knowing Jesus has made a massive difference in my life, but these differences have mostly been small or incremental, subtle leadings and provisions. Then, just over a month ago, I struggled into church on my crutches as normal. We had a family service on the healing of the paralytic, who was lowered through the roof to Jesus. At the end of the service, our pastor asked one of the congregation, who had received a measure of healing as a child, to pray for healing over the whole church. After many decades of people praying for my healing, I have to confess that I had no expectation of anything significant happening. I did note that my leg and hip didn’t hurt like they usually do by the end of the service. In the final song, I sat and tapped my left foot as well as my right. I walked out of the church still using my crutches out of habit, but without pain. Once I’d driven home, I tried walking without crutches, just to see what would happen. Previously, I couldn’t manage more than a few steps before it got too painful. But now, I haven’t used my crutches since!! God had completely healed the pain in my hip replacement. He wasn’t limited by my lack of faith, and had a better plan. Maybe some healings need thirty years of prayer!

This last month, I have been slowly building up the wasted muscles and extending how far I can walk before they get tired. Being me, I often overdo it, which then strains my back – a familiar problem from all my recoveries after surgery. I’ve been doing some of my old physiotherapy exercises and Grace has been helpfully correcting my technique. I am so enjoying the freedom from pain and the freedom to walk again. With spring in the air (finally!), I truly have a bounce in my step! God has been so good to me – everyone who sees me says how different I look now. I have continued to avoid supermarket shopping beyond the end of Lent, and it is a joy to be able to walk to Archie Brown’s for my weekly groceries. Prudence dictates that I take a stick of some kind to protect my back, and my shopping trolley if the groceries are heavy, but after not going out without a wheelchair or mobility scooter for so long, that’s a minor inconvenience. I have full confidence that as my strength increases I will make a full recovery, and won’t need further surgery. God has done an amazing thing and I’m so excited to see what he’s going to do next, and what part he wants me to play in it!

On Mothers Day, celebrated as a family at the Bowgie Inn, which overlooks Crantock beach. We very much enjoyed the glorious views as we ate our lunch. Grace made space in her busy schedule to join us. In addition to her full timetable, she’s got involved with acting in films for the film students and modelling for the photography students. To celebrate her birthday, I joined her and Paul at Salsa club for the evening. I managed at least two minutes of the class (a miracle in itself), but it was fun to watch everyone else dance for the evening. They all appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it.

No blog post would now be complete without a quick Micah update. Stephen’s been at work since mid January and Sherry has been managing at home with quite a bit of help from her mum. How I wish I was close enough to help too! Micah is now not only crawling at speed, but pulling herself up on the furniture. Her doting parents have invested in a set of Modu blocks, a giant construction toy, which makes anything from ride-on cars to furniture. I think Stephen might be having at least as much fun with it at Micah! It being spring, we also have pictures of Micah’s first Sakura viewing – the Japanese cherry blossom festival.