I Believe In Miracles

You hear a lot today about miracles, but as I once heard Charles Swindoll say, "A miracle is not finding a parking place at the front door of the local shopping center." However, as I've had opportunity of late of think about miracles, I believe I've witnessed a few.

I believe in the miracle of birth. How can you look into the eyes of a precious newborn baby and not believe in the miracle of creation by an almighty God? Holding my own children right after birth was a reason to celebrate, but then to hold my precious two granddaughters soon after their birth reminded me of that wonderful miracle.

I've seen the miracle of changed lives through Jesus Christ.

And, this past 70 days I believe our family has witnessed another miracle. Just as a short recap: my uncle traveled to Branson with 4 of his "old" coaching buddies the last of October. While there they all became ill. Their respective physicians sent them prescriptions and all got well except my uncle. They took him back to Houston where he was admitted immediately into ICU with double pneumonia. The infectious disease specialists determined that they had contracted Type A Influenza on their trip. (Bird flu is a strain of Type A...but not what they had, though highly contagious and critical). He then had kidney failure and was placed on dialysis, a ventillator and was in a drug induced coma. Thanksgiving the doctors told us there was no hope and that if he did live, he would be a vegetable. After about 45 days we thought he was making progress and he was moved into progressive care at a rehab hospital. He was off the vent but still receiving oxygen. We were still encouraged...by the way the doctor with the "vegetative state" diagnosis was dismissed from his care. BUT then the week after Christmas he went backwards and we honestly didn't think he would pull through. Back to the hospital, back to ICU, then back to the CCU at the rehab hospital. The prayers continued but we had come to the point to realize maybe God had allowed us to see him suffer so that we would be willing to give him up. Our prayers became, "God, your will be done...whatever it is." Thus the miracle. He began to improve again, to walk, to then be off oxygen and now, has been moved into a "regular" hospital room. He walked 400 steps unassisted on Wednesday, continued to be able to walk even more the end of the week and NOW, the doctor says he may be able to go home the end of next week. He sent an email to family and friends today saying that he has lived a miracle.

How many times do we take each breath of life for granted? I don't want this blog to be a downer...it isn't. It is a praise to a God that is bigger than you and me! He has a purpose in what has happened these last 70 days. Will we know it? I don't know, but it doesn't matter. I believe it to be so. What I do know is that our prayers were answered. Yes, they would have been answered either way, but in His loving mercy, he has brought my uncle back to us. Praise be to Him!