Dan's Thoughts

Trish #45 - October 14, 2004

We have had a little setback today.

Last Tuesday, Trish went in for an MRI. Today the doctor's office called to inform us that the MRI showed some residual bleeding. Now we take comfort in the fact that the doctor plans to see us next Friday -- a week from now. To us, that sounds as though he does not view this as a life-threatening or even as an emergency situation. Nonetheless, he will determine Friday what kind of "treatment or repair" is necessary.

Now this is rough. We have already resigned from The Valley Cathedral. The movers are coming a week from Tuesday to take our belongings to Nashville. What are we to make of all of this? Well, we believe today's news will prove to be a small bump in the road. Why do we believe this? Because God has been so clearly working to unfold His plan for our lives. For example, I prayed (and shared with no one but my journal) that our house would sell without putting it on the market -- no sign in the yard -- nothing. That happened. (A couple unexpectedly asked to buy our house. They are waiting for their own house to sell and that sell now seems to be imminent.) I also prayed that our church people would release us with blessing and favor. That has certainly happened. A house became available for us in Nashville without us having to look for one that turned out to be exactly what we needed, a couple of miles from the church.

In short, our steps have been smooth and steady. We have witnessed such a sense of grace upon us these last many weeks. So I can't believe that this latest bit of news will prove to be ominous or even a major distraction from what we have been preparing to do.

I ask all of you once more to pray with focused intentionality and deep trust in God for Trish's health. I ask you to pray short little prayers all through the day, asking that the bleeding will completely stop and that Trish will get a clean bill of health.

I was reading a book this morning by a Rabbi about healing and spiritual direction. According to this book, Hassidic Jews believe that Messiah will be born on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction. The idea behind that belief is that in every disaster and in every setback, God has already planted seeds for blessing and triumph. Every disaster contains some coming victory.

So I thought about how we Christians celebrate the birth of Messiah on December 25. That happens to be the anniversary of the cleansing of the temple. (You can find the story in the Apocryphal books of 1 & 2 Maccabees.) Anyway, Hanukah is the celebration of a miracle which God performed to keep the light on in the temple. Jerusalem was surrounded by the Greeks and the consecrated oil ran out. Even so, the lamp in the temple stayed lit for over a week. When the week was over, on the day we call Christmas Eve, the temple was reconsecrated.

The lesson from this is that even if Greeks surround the city, or Romans require everyone to be taxed so that even pregnant women have to travel across the country and have no place to sleep -- these situations become mere backdrops for the far more important work that God will do to bring blessing and glory to Himself and to those whom He loves.

The priests in the Temple did not know what God was doing. They only know that the oil had run out and that Greeks were at the gates. Mary and Joseph did not know that Wise Men and Shepherds were coming, or that a miracle star was shinning, or that a heavenly choir was rejoicing. They knew only that there was no room in the inn and that their child was coming.
Like many men and women of God before us, Trish and I have walked the best we have known to do after the Lord. We have done what we thought He was asking us to do these last many weeks. Now comes this bit of dark news to disturb our joy. Only we will not stop rejoicing.

I don't know if a Red Sea will divide or a Heavenly Star will shine. If necessary God can make water gush out of rocks or cause Manna to fall from the sky though He doesn't always work that way. I just don't know how God's plan will finally unfold for Trish and I. I only know that it will unfold. So stay tuned! We are in the middle of a divine story that is still unraveling.

Walk with us and we will see the glory of God together.

Dan