A Miraculous Work

Matthew 8:14-17

Many of the stories we hear about Jesus' healing miracles are so amazing. With a touch or a word, ailments - some that have afflicted people for years - are healed in an instant.

To be honest, stories like this frustrate me sometimes. I know that Jesus can heal like this, so quickly and simply, so why doesn't he always do that in our lives?

I have suffered from a chronic headache disorder for about seven and a half years now. It's called New Daily Persistent Headaches (NDPH), which means that for almost seven and a half years, I have had a low-grade headache 24/7. My family and I sought out many solutions, saw many doctors, tried many things, prayed many prayers. After about five years of my headaches and a recent round of medications that weren't working, I remember very clearly a conversation with my dad. We were sitting on the back porch at my parents' house. The day was sunny and green, cool in the newness of spring. My dad said, "Kelsey, when you pray, do you ask God to heal you?" I had to think about the question. After a minute, I answered. "No," I said, "I think it's been so long that I've given up on hoping I'll be healed. I guess I'm just assuming that God doesn't want to heal me at this point." My dad asked me to start praying for healing. I hadn't even realized that I'd given up hope. I was so tired of trying and waiting and looking for answers. I was ready to give in to having headaches every day for the rest of my life.

I think about those people that Jesus healed, those people who had been afflicted for years and years until the day that Jesus crossed their path and their whole life changed--in more ways than one. In some way, I was like them. Hurting for years, waiting for God to heal me, wondering if he was listening to my prayers. But God's timing is perfect. It was back then, and it still is now. And when he did finally bring me healing, it came after the healing of some deep spiritual and emotional wounds that first needed attention. And the healing of those wounds could not have happened a moment sooner than they did. And now, just in the last year or so, I have found the right balance of medicine that keeps my headaches mostly at bay and I fully believe that that is God's miraculous work.

Do I wish God's healing had come to me quicker? Sometimes, yes. There would have been less physical suffering in my life. But I see now the work of his hands and the story he is telling in my life even clearer, and I am grateful for it.

Reflect:
How has God brought healing in your life, whether it be physical, spiritual, or emotional? Give thanks and praise to him.
Do you have any frustrations about God's timing right now? Pray and ask for peace and clarity.