God of the Impossible

Sunday 10/21/2012 5:56 AM

For the past two days I have been contemplating the relationship between faith, prayer and the impossible.  Throughout this week I have been reading about the nation of Israel wandering through the desert for forty years, complaining constantly, asking God why they had to leave Egypt where they had plenty of food and water.  They were wandering because they didn’t believe that God could drive out the nations that lived in the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.  It seemed impossible to them.

Yesterday I wrote about my prayers for Muslims around the world, that they would come to faith in Christ.  That, too, seems impossible to me.  There are those in the Christian community who believe they should be wiped off the face of the earth before they do the same to the Christians in the world while others believe they will eventually destroy themselves because of all the infighting among different voices of Islam, e.g., Sunnis and Shiites.  I believe God desires to have a relationship with them like he does with me, so I pray to that end.

Nearly four months ago my neighbor, Manuel, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.  He suffered a broken back, broken ribs, two broken pelvises, a broken leg and head trauma along with various lacerations and bruises.  For the first couple of weeks after the accident the doctors did not expect him to survive and they had him in a drug-induced coma.  Eventually they took away the drugs but he remained comatose.  I noticed his lawn was growing longer and the Spirit of God urged me to offer to mow his lawn.  I spoke with his wife, Billie, and told her that I would do so until he was able to mow it again.  Each week as I mowed I prayed that God would heal Manuel, provide perseverance and comfort for Billie as she dealt with the situation, and that God would use the tragedy of the accident to bring about something good.  During the last three and a half months I have only spoken with Billie on two occasions, the last time over six weeks ago.  Both times she shared that Manuel was still in a coma and was pretty much unresponsive.  Friday afternoon as I mowed his lawn I began to think that his return home was unlikely.

Yesterday afternoon Billie’s car drove onto our driveway and I went out to talk with her and the rear window rolled down to reveal Manuel.  He was released a week and a half ago and he shared that he had been in a coma for three months with no recollection of anything.  He said a voice told him to open his eyes and the first person he saw was John Lyon, the mayor of Artesia, who was visiting him at the time.  He also shared that he has become a Christian as a result of the accident and that he has been reading the Bible.  He is still on a feeding tube and his tracheotomy is still healing but he is glad to be home and seems to have his full mental faculties.

What seemed impossible or highly improbable to me was not impossible with God.  I am just thankful that I am able to witness this miracle firsthand.  Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and grace in Manuel’s life.  Continue to heal him and to draw him closer to you.

Seeing this miracle occur gives me hope for my prayers for the Muslim world.  I will continue to pray that God will do what seems impossible to me.  In the meantime, Lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.  Just let me know and give me the grace to be obedient.