“How quickly we forget God’s great deliverances in our lives. How easily we take for granted the miracles He performed in our past.”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”—Matthew 19:26 (NIV).
Until I surrendered to God in October 2001, I never considered I was a miracle. Of course, we’re all miracles, if you think about it.
We might think of miracles as the larger-than-life events in the Old Testament, like the parting of the Red Sea or Daniel’s escape from death in the lion’s den. Or the miracles Jesus performed during His three-year ministry, like turning water into wine or the healing of lepers and cripples.
The Miracle of Conception
So, why would I consider you and me a miracle? In an article by Fiona Baker titled, “The Miracle of Conception,” she writes, “Getting pregnant is much more than a biological process—once you know what actually has to happen for an egg to get fertilized you will understand why conception is often referred to as a ‘miracle.’
“The chances of getting pregnant in any given cycle are really surprisingly low. According to some estimates, the odds of a healthy, optimum-aged and fertile couple conceiving are about one in five each month,” she adds.
The Odds of Dying
Now, think about the other odds we’re faced with each day—odds that we might never consider, like dying in a car crash. According to a “New York Times” article, the odds are one in 103. Considering the number of automobiles on U.S. roads, I’m not sure I like those odds. However, it doesn’t stop me from driving.
The same newspaper article also states that most Americans are most likely to die of natural causes, chiefly heart disease (a one in six chance) or cancer (one in seven). However, my intention is not to focus on the negative.
A Miracle Story
I’ve never shared in writing about my miracle healing. I was 17-years-old in 1971. On a Thursday morning, while practicing for graduation from a small, rural high school in northeastern Oklahoma, I became very ill. A classmate had to drive me home. Doubled over in pain, I also couldn’t stop throwing up.
My mother rushed me to the emergency room at the small Seven Day Adventist hospital located nearby. After being admitted to the hospital, I was sedated with medicine for the pain. Over a two-day period, my temperature skyrocketed to 105 degrees. Because of the pain medication, I wasn’t lucid, slipping in and out of consciousness.
On Saturday evening, I briefly awoke when the doctor, who was also the pastor of the church, began praying over me. My parents were crying. Flowers of all kinds were crammed into every available space in my private room. Thinking I was near death’s door, I was still at peace.
After exploratory abdominal surgery was performed, the doctor told my parents he couldn’t find the source of my abrupt illness. However, he noted my bowels were impacted and my pancreas was full of poison. But, he didn’t give my parents much hope.
Still heavily sedated the next afternoon, I had a visitor. He was our scheduled baccalaureate speaker for that evening. Our senior class sponsors brought him to the hospital to pray over me. Unaware of the events unfolding at that time, I barely remember his presence, including his hand on my head.
Later that day, my fever, which was still nearing 105 degrees, broke. Early the next morning, the IV meds were removed and I was allowed to eat my first meal since the previous Thursday.
Two days later, I was discharged from the hospital. My healing was a miracle. Of that, I now have no doubt.
However, it was 10 years later, when I underwent another abdominal surgery that I learned the seriousness of my unexpected illness when I was in my teens. My appendix had ruptured. After the surgery, my surgeon said, “Carol, you’re lucky to be alive.”
I don’t believe in luck. Instead, I was blessed by the prayer of a man, who had dedicated His life to Christ. That man was Oral Roberts.
Christian evangelist and author David Wilkerson once said, “How quickly we forget God’s great deliverances in our lives. How easily we take for granted the miracles He performed in our past.”
I don’t ever want to forget the miracles He has performed in my life—and there are many. God is still in the miracle business today.
Do you believe in miracles? What miracles has He performed in your life?
I always love hearing from my readers. Please feel free to e-mail me at carol@carolaround.com with your thoughts, or visit my blog for more inspiration at www.carolaround.com. If you need a speaker or workshop leader, you can contact me at the above e-mail or through my website. I’d be delighted to hear from you.
Photo credit: beliefnet.com
