Miracle in My Life: Exploring The Journey of Faith

Introduction

hen I was a young mother of twenty-two, due to a pharmaceutical medication misprint, my lungs began to collapse. This mistake from the pharmacy caused a relapse quite a few more time times over thirteen years three times I had to be on life support. The first time it was more than shocking, I was not a Christian, though my husband very much was. I found myself fighting for my life eventually falling into a coma. However, I was fully aware of everything going on—the doctors running in and out, my parents being asked to leave so my husband could be with me for my final moments and him falling across my body praying for Jesus to save me. In that moment, Jesus, who had been in the room, was all over me and I “knew” I was going to live. At the very moment my parents went out of the room, when my husband was praying…our family friend, a pediatrician and his wife, were going up to the pediatric floor—instead, the elevator doors opened up on our floor, seeing my parents, they jumped out, and hearing about the situation he talked to the doctors on call concerning a new medication he had just read about that week that could help. It did! I did not understand what happened that night – what a miracle in my life was or tell anyone, for a long time. I had to open my heart and let Him reveal Himself to me.

A Miracle That Happened in My Life

It is a miracle, undeniably…Jesus was there because of everybody’s prayer, He showed me that He answers my husband’s prayers over me, (as I was an offensively devoted daddy’s girl)…my friend the pediatrician, is a dear, devote Jew who loves to this day to testify how the Lord used him that night. It is rare when I tell the entire story, since it is very private for me, but when I do…some have said to me, “…but I have not experienced anything like that, you did.” Another reason I do not share it, is that there are so, so many, precious miracles, not one that I have seen is more precious than another…who is the judge of how great or small, or spectacular or not? Sunrises and sunsets, I take personally. I find the very breath He has personally chosen to give us, me…the animals—all He gives breath to…an absolute amazing, beautiful, miracle! I try to explain my miracle and really how surprised I was the Jesus was so blatantly there with me…I was not a Christian and did not portend to be in any way a believer, quite the opposite. I would try to discuss miracles, that they are directly connected with Jesus! Every time! I would question how he sees these moments, these miracles—as monotonous acts of everyday occurrences of nature or as a unique, even personal, gift. Dr. Paul Brand in his book In His Image says, “One can hardly avoid words like “miracle” when speaking of childbirth. Yet the phenomenon occurs so commonly that more than six billion proofs of its effectiveness exist on this planet today.”

Before this happened, I did not give a sunset a real thought…or breath, for that matter—sunsets just were, I just…was. How does my young family member see miracles… has he thought about it? How to encourage someone re-think, to view their own life as a miracle, to consider Who gave them their life, their breath.

I appeal to him through science, even suggest looking into other scientists who also believe and do not feel like they are compromising their intelligence by believing in God. Going all the way back to the greats with Sir Isaac Newton, and to Johannes Kepler, who simple stated “I am a Christian” and often said, “I was merely thinking God's thoughts after him. Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.'

A Miracle of Resurrection of Jesus

To more current scientists such as Ian Hutchins with MIT who claim Christianity and a belief in God and more significantly—the resurrection of Jesus Christ! “So if science is not able to adjudicate whether Jesus’ resurrection happened or not, are we completely unable to assess the plausibility of the claim? No. Contrary to increasingly popular opinion, science is not our only means for accessing truth. In the case of Jesus’ resurrection, we must consider the historical evidence, and the historical evidence for the resurrection is as good as for almost any event of ancient history. The extraordinary character of the event, and its significance, provide a unique context, and ancient history is necessarily hard to establish. But a bare presumption that science has shown the resurrection to be impossible is an intellectual cop-out. Science shows no such thing.”

The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, the authors address scientist directly stating, “Science has its own limitations, that cannot serve as an excuse, to rule out the supernatural...ask for proof that only what science proves is true. The scientist will not succeed.” If he can concede that miracles can exist and are possible, God is the author of them, hopefully moving into the subject of the resurrection of Christ will not be an implausible step. 

Profound Impact of a Miracle on Faith

The exciting news about the reality of the resurrection is that is a verifiable historical fact that over 500 people, over 40 days (I Corinthians 15:5-8) — that can satisfy many an intellect! This is important because not only is He alive and we have access to Him and the very throne room of God our Father, but everything He ever said is true. 

In Apologetics at the Cross, the authors Chatraw and Allen address the feelings that doctors and nurses face every day, “The belief that death ushers in an impersonal existence absent of consciousness or the belief that death is just nothingness provides little to no solace. In contrast, in Christianity the darkness is ultimately banished. Instead, the believer is offered eternal relationships with God and others in mutual love. The resurrection promises that the loves in this world, the things we love in right relation to God, are not only meaningful; they will exist forever. Death cannot touch such love. Jesus’ resurrection points us forward to God’s redemption of both the world and individuals, real human beings—body, face, voice, personality. This non-ending is a fully embodied eternal salvation. Love will not end at death. God will undo death. He will reverse what seems irreversible.”

All the loss my nephew encounters every day is not for naught! The Creator of all creation of all creativity (Colossians 1:16) …all he can fathom and experience, all he hoped he had the wisdom for is at the tips of his prayers (James 1:5). God is not angry or afraid of his doubts, he welcomes them and any conversation! He means it when He says to come, and reason together (Isaiah 1:18)! 

Conclusion

I so do pray for wisdom and try to be open always, not only with our dearly loved, young family member, but with a stranger as well, and hope he will come to know the wonder of miracles, be in awe of the cross and what Jesus did for him there, then walk in the fullness of what He did at the resurrection and come into the knowledge of the saving grace of our Savior Jesus Christ.

References

1. Lowder, Jeff. 'Historical Evidence and the Empty Tomb Story.' The Empty Tomb of Jesus, infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jesus_resurrection/chap3.html.
2. Slick, Matt. 'The Resurrection of Jesus: A Miracle.' Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, carm.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus-miracle.
3. Anderson, Tawa. 'Can a Scientist Believe in the Resurrection? Three Hypotheses.' Veritas Forum, www.veritas.org/can-scientist-believe-resurrection-three-hypotheses/.
4. Piper, John. 'How God Cares for Those Who Don’t.' Desiring God, www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-god-cares-for-those-who-dont