Tuesday, March 5, 2013

God and My Girl's Cornea


You know, God works circumstances out for the best. Yesterday, my ninth grade daughter was supposed to visit the eye doctor after school. 

But she also needed to attend speech practice, and then Parade of Bands at our high school. It was to be a busy evening. And I knew some projects at work needed my full focus, so leaving work early would not be the best plan that day.  

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
All things. Even scheduling conflicts, and appointment time turnarounds.  

So I called her eye doctor in the morning, and left a message to cancel. Still, I felt odd about delaying the appointment for what would probably be a couple of months. Then I talked back and forth with the star speech coach. And she said it would be possible to re-schedule practice for my daughter. So I called the eye doctor back. (Anyone besides me tired and confused yet?) Guess what they said when I called. They said they never cancelled her appointment. Their scheduling software was down, and no other patient called needing the time slot, so it never happened.

So, we go to our eye doctor, and, ahem, one-third of my daughter's cornea is inflamed. And he can't clearly see why. What???? Now, I know this isn't the glaucoma or the macular degeneration my mother has to face, but this was just a regular yearly contact and eyeglasses prescription update. 

Now, my daughter did get pummeled in the face with a ball in gym on Monday (She, by the way, still won that round.) But she doesn't complain about any pain, and didn't even think the ball hit her eye necessarily at all. So it is a little strange. Further, she's tougher than iron ore, but apparently the cornea can lose sensitivity, which, our fabulous eye doctor said will recover.

So, back we go to the eye doctor tomorrow morning after treating her eye with antibiotic drops, which should result in improvement by then. I'm sure Daphne is fine. Smile. But there's more.

This morning, a voicemail from yesterday just registered on my cell phone (typical). The eye doctor's office called, and they had, in fact, cancelled the appointment, the person said. 

This is interesting. I could write it all off as coincidence. But I won't. I certainly feel glad, grateful-to-God-glad, our eye doctor examined her. 

I wouldn't want to leave an ear infection, strep throat or some other illnesses to cause problems. I don't know what damage, if any, this would do if left untreated. But as I see it, there's no need to leave one-third of my daughter's right cornea inflamed. Because God stepped into the everyday of a routine eye doctor appointment, it won't be. Yes, He's like that, for my girl.

Because you are my help,I sing in the shadow of your wings.Psalm 63:7




Friday, March 1, 2013

John 11 & The Love of Jesus



In the ancient setting of John 11, we see a lifestyle as one of dusty roads, community wells — and burial tombs.

Of course, in our heads we know the joyful days, and the hard days, came pre-air conditioning, pre-Kleenex, pre-running water — pre-caskets and burial vaults. It was a time before funeral homes and morticians. It was an era when loved ones prepared the bodies of their dead.

We see sisters Mary and Martha broken over the death of their brother, Lazarus. If Jesus had been by their brother’s side, they simply knew, Lazarus would have lived. They understood the power of their Teacher, their Lord. They worshiped and loved Jesus.

Read John 11, looking closely at verse 33.

In verse 33, the Bible tells us, when Jesus saw Mary of Bethany weeping over the loss of her brother, and some other Jews also with her weeping, “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

Have you wept? Have you lost a Lazarus?

Jesus did. The Bible says so in v. 35. Some Jews with Mary and Martha, seeing how Jesus reacted, were moved enough by the evidence of his affection for Lazarus that they acknowledged it aloud. In verse 36 they said, “See how he loved him!”

Now, Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”

So if Jesus knew Martha’s and Mary’s pain, he knows ours, too. He’s just as all-seeing, just as all-knowing, just as compassionate today as ever.

Yet, doubters and scoffers pop up everywhere, don’t they?

The same was true for other Jews present to witness the mourning of Mary, Martha, Jesus and other Jews. Verse 37 says, “But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Who will I be? Who will you be?

Life in this world comes with trials; God tells us that plain and simple.

However, I can, and you can, choose the best perspective. One of trust. Of assurance.

So, I will rest in Him, knowing – at least trying to know - if I am grieving a person, blessing or gift, God, too, is deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Of course, I will still weep and wail, feel pain deeply. A healthy perspective includes in the life equation, trust for a God who loves us, and sees what we cannot. I’ll try to include that factor in times of shock and disappointment. I  pray He helps me remember. God sees the whys. The hows. The eternal perspective.

See how He loves us!