A year ago this week, my brother had a terrible accident. He fell off of a railing about 20 feet high and landed face first onto the cement below. He ended up with 3 skull fractures, 2 broken wrists, facial nerve damage, auditory nerve damage, and displaced bones in his eardrum. He is now permanently deaf in one ear, but amazingly, he is alive! (not to mention back on the volleyball court)
The doctors were amazed that he was as well as he was. One mentioned that a certain fracture in his skull was horizontal, but had it cracked vertically, his fall most likely would have had a fatal result. A horizontal fracture vs a vertical one - really? I've only told my husband and a spiritual friend of mine this before, maybe because I was embarrassed or maybe because I felt guilty. But the night before my brother fell, I prayed for him by name
for the first time in my life. I prayed, "God, I pray for my brother. Do whatever you need to do to reach him." I got a break-of-dawn panicked phone call after the accident, but it wasn't until hours later that I remembered that prayer. I broke into uncontrollable sobs for hours and hours, not knowing what to make of it. But I know now my God is still able and works miracles everyday. I have no doubt.
Sometimes, however, God throws us a hard-hitting miracle. I like to think of them as a slap-in-the-face from God, but a slap filled with a whole lotta love. Sometimes God speaks to us in a still, small voice, but other times a loud, life-altering wake-up call occurs. My husband and myself are so thankful that we each received a divine, personal smack across the face in life which shifted our priorities, put everything in a new perspective, and allowed amazing new blessings to flow down.
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock," says God in Revelation 3:19-20. But in even simpler terms, I imagine God saying "I only correct you and get on you because I love you! So now, wake up and change direction. I've been trying to get to you for awhile now. But this is the only way I could reach you!" And I thank God for His persistence, even if it comes down to a hard-hitting miracle.
I know my brother's accident reopened my eyes to God's amazing power still at work. I know my brother has a new appreciation for his life, family, and relationships. I know big blessings followed for him. And I know it took a big fall for my family to strongly stand up together again, but a year later we can stand entirely grateful.
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given.
Psalm 105 is what I intend to do by writing this and what I pray I can do for the rest of my days - thank God, remember what He has done, and tell everyone I know about it! Reflecting on almost losing my brother this week also brought to mind for me how close everyone of us are to disaster. And while it may be uncomfortable or seem pushy at times, the message of the Gospel is an urgent message. Paul says in Romans 13:11-12 "This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here." Again, God is pleading with you, "Wake up! Here I am! Don't wait!"
I read a really thought-provoking story recently that stuck with me intensely. Listen to this piece of history:
On Sunday, October 8, 1871, a Reverend named D.L. Moody preached a Gospel message in Chicago. When he finished, he told the congregation to go home and think about what he said about the gospel, then come back tomorrow to tell him what they decided about whether or not to follow the Lord.
Perhaps a big decision such as that requires some time to sleep on it. But less than an hour later, a huge blaze begun downtown. Before midnight, the fire managed to jump the river and soon the entire district where Moody was preaching was in flames. Before the morning came, the Great Chicago Fire had destroyed over 100,000 homes and left hundreds dead, many of whom had just heard Moody's message. By not responding to God's invitation the moment they heard it, it was soon too late for a decision. Moody and his ministry was forever changed. "From now on, every chance I get I will urge upon people a decision
today to turn from sin and leave it behind to follow God's Word. Today if you hear His Voice, don't harden your heart," Moody said. The book of Hebrews gives the same advice. And I pray this for everyone out there:
Today, if you hear His Voice, don't harden your heart. He's standing at the door and knocking waiting for you to open it.
Thank God for those big, hard knocks.
