________________
Dear Jack,
[“Jack,” a friend who
worked for my client’s company was facing a case of the most aggressive cancer
and invasive treatment. It entailed a mere five percent chance of surviving the
next five years. I first addressed Jack’s grave circumstances, sharing with him
our concentrated prayer on his behalf, and the many-sided ways that God’s mercy
and grace were available to him through Christ and his gospel. Then, I
identified a similar situation I had, and made application, then used the faithful Heidelberg’s gospel
center in Q 1 to show and tell the gospel hope. Since the note, I am blessed to share that Jack's prognosis is greatly improved and treatment measures have been remarkable!]
I’m not sure if you were aware or not, but late last spring,
I took a fall, while fishing and the next evening was in the first class seat
on a life-flight helicopter headed to Roanoke Memorial. Evidently, the blow I
took ruptured my spleen. By the time I finally went to the ER in Bedford, I had
lost about two units of blood into my abdomen. All the staff, bless their
hearts, began freaking out! They wanted me outta there yesterday! After making
it clear to Fanny and I that the prognosis was rather poor, granting how much I
had already lost, how much is lost during the removal surgery and the other
attending risks, they told us that they already called and LGH didn’t want me
either! Ugh. That was because their blood bank wasn’t prepared for a level
three trauma. And I just thought I threw my back out real bad! This was a
shocker to say the least. I had never felt so utterly out of control of myself and
my circumstances in my entire life. I felt helpless and nearly hopeless.
After ten hours’ worth (I think; it’s all a bit fuzzy) of
observation in ICU, my H & H number (hemoglobin and h-something?) began to
rise. To everyone’s surprise, this indicated that the hemorrhaging had begun to
slow way down, if not stop altogether. All the staffers were nothing short of
incredulous. Nevertheless, three days later, my numbers were leveled out at
normal; they ejected me! I had several doctors and nurses tell me that they had
never witnessed a splenic rupture heal on its own. Just this week an MRI
finally revealed that my spleen wasn’t the only thing to rupture. Two discs in
my thoracic 12 / lumbar 1 area are bulging, one is ruptured, and a vertebrae is
displaced, putting pressure on my spinal cord. Ironically, I’m thankful for
that. I feared that the continued pains were related to the spleen, which is
not an issue I really wanted to revisit.
Sorry for the windbag autobiography. But I share this story
for a couple of relevant reasons.
First, although the doctors had little experience in, and
even less so a naturalistic explanation of, the spleen “healing,” concerning
the latter, we did. Here we were, 1200 miles from any family and (despite how
likable we are, we haven’t made many friends in Big I ;), my main concern was
for my girls, Fanny and Israel. Poor Fanny got lost in Bedford, trying to leave
BMH and follow the chopper to Roanoke! But she was praying, and praying hard. A
pastor friend, who lives in Bedford, shot over to BMH and was able to pray for
me just before I was loaded in the bird. We had a handful of close family in
the faith praying, and God heard these faithful few, and our faithful King
Jesus came, “with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2).
This explains what was inexplicable to the doctors,
regardless of whether or not they would admit it. Granted, this answer isn’t
subject to pathological analysis or empirical observation. However, neither are
time and gravity, logic and love, morals and motion. That these aren’t subject
to scientific observation doesn’t challenge their reality; rather, the reality
of these things—among others—provide the necessary preconditions that make
scientific analysis possible; they must be taken for granted for my doctors to
even do their scientific reasoning. So, that the absolute-personal God, who
created and is “upholding all things by the word of his power,” has the
gracious will and almighty power to be personally present, caring for his
people, may have been implausible at best to those doctors of mine, that didn’t
challenge the fact that he was there and acting (Genesis 1; Hebrew 1:1—3). Heck,
science is allegedly all about finding the best case explanatory hypothesis. But,
if Jesus Christ promised that his Father and ours would respond to our prayers
in his name, and we thus prayed, and God responded, our explanation certainly
got the blue ribbon at the science fair that night (St. John 14:13—14)! I just
think sometimes that the doctors’ pride can’t handle being outclassed by the
Great Physician. :) As William Hunter’s ole hymn by the same name goes:
The Great
Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the
drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!
Mine was just one experience of many—an unusually
many—remarkable answers to prayer for healing and wholeness. I’m sure you are
aware of Ms. E’s radically reversed situation this year. We had the honor of
praying her through that season with them. So incredible and “scientifically
inexplicable” was her situation that I believe even many of her doctors had to
tip their hats to God’s hand of providence in the situation. God’s mercy in
healing people has just been incredibly apparent round about us this year. It’s
been a privilege to witness it and be a part of it. I’m excited and hopeful
about praying with so many others to see what God might do in you and your
situation.
In addition to the physical healing that God wrought in my
experience last spring, the second reason for sharing it is the spiritual and
psychological wellness that I experienced during and through it.
Our particular theological heritage has a rich history in
creeds, confessions, and catechisms. These, whether the shorter or longer ones,
are basically systematic summaries of what we believe the scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments teach concerning the big numbers—God, the creation and
preservation of the world, man, sin, salvation, etc. Earlier last spring I was
winding up to write a devotional commentary on one of the oldest, most-beloved
catechisms in the Reformed-Presbyterian tradition, the Heidelberg Catechism (which, Lord willing, will be ready for press
spring of 2015). About a week before my fall I had memorized the first question
and answer of the Heidelberg. I
believe, with many others throughout the world and time, that the first Q/A of
this warm and personal catechism is one of the finest statements of the good
news that God brought to light in Christ that has ever been penned (outside the
Bible, of course). It goes like this.
Question 1. What is thy only
comfort in life and death?
Answer: That I with body and
soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior
Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my
sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that
without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea,
that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy
Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and
ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
There are some folks that think that doctrine is airy-fairy,
abstract and dry, having nothing to do with practical, warp-and-woof
experiences of life. Well, this doctrine and my experience stand as an
indictment against such ideas.
I had buried this truth deep into my head the previous week,
but my fall brought about the true test of whether I had truly buried it in my
heart. In my twenty years of following my faithful Lord, knowing myself like I
do, I had always feared that my faith would falter when a serious test hit me.
I have often enjoyed this “comfort in life,” but what would happen on the pangs
of possible death? I’m the guy who was still sucking my thumb at 12 years old!
I still cried about getting shots when I was 14 years old! I’m the most pusillanimous
person you know, believe you me!
Nevertheless, Jack, I felt utterly no fear, as I was being
prepped and loaded on the helicopter. Of course, I was worried about my girls.
That was the only fear I felt, however. By grace and the enabling power of
God’s Spirit, Christ Jesus—who had died and rose three days later, defeating
the grave—he was truly my “only comfort” in body and soul, life and death! By God’s grace, this doctrinal
truth had made its home in the deepest part of my soul. If this doctrine is
true—and it is—then there is no reason to fear anything in either life or
death, if Christ is one’s “faithful Savior.”
It is amazing how circumstances like mine and yours
radically relativizes what once seemed like top priorities but are now
periphery issues at best.
It’s with chagrin and shame that I must confess that I’m
ignorant of whether or not you enjoy this hope that the Heidelberg talks about, and that carried us through my recent
crisis. The gospel of Jesus Christ, that is. I pray—and will continue to
pray—that are enjoying it. If not, though, it is my earnest hope and prayer
that you will reconsider it...or seriously consider it even if for the first
time. Frankly, I know of no other real hope we have, save God’s mercy in
Christ.
After years of studying the plethora of perspectives and
worldviews available to us, I’ve found that only the biblical world and life
view provides sure enough footing to make sense of our experiences, be they
better or worse, in this world or the one to come.
I’ve enjoyed what little times we’ve had to talk, and pray
that they continue well beyond this windy note...(salutations, etc.).
