A Miracle Story
In an earlier post I briefly discussed the question, “Are Miracles Possible?”
Well, I believe they are. And not only because of logic and reasoning. My Mom experienced a medical miracle in 1994. Here is her story.
In Her Own Words
For twenty-six years I’ve had a brain tumor growing in an area called The Right Cavernous Sinus, where it wraps around the nerves to my right eye and causes double vision. It is inoperable, but the doctor did a craniotomy to obtain a biopsy to make sure the tumor was benign, and it is.
After the surgery though, my right eye was damaged more, pointed in a fixed position to the far right. (Perhaps the surgeon nicked a nerve?). The neuro-surgeon and ophthalmologist on my case both said it was permanent. But I could have surgery on it in the future to shorten the muscle on one side of the eye, and lengthen on the other, in an attempt to straighten it.
Three months after the surgery and wearing an eye patch, I travelled to Washington state to visit my son and his wife, and take care of their baby while they moved to a new house. On the day of the move, however, they asked if I would drive their pickup truck with the baby to the new place. It was fully loaded in the back, one side mirror was blocked by the baby’s rear facing car seat, and the driver’s side mirror was missing. So I essentially had no rear vision. And with one eye covered, no depth perception.
Once on the freeway, I realized how vulnerable we were. I was driving west at dusk, and the roads were crowded with commute traffic. I began talking to God about keeping us safe for the three-hour drive. I asked Him for guidance, since I’d never been to the new house. I would have to negotiate three freeways, two of them under construction with detours in some places. And once closer, I would need to find my way through town, onto a two-lane road, and out to a lake where the house was.
As I drove, my prayers became more intense. I recited to God one of my favorite verses in Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” I reasoned with Him that since He healed everyone He touched back then, He could heal and straighten my eye right then. I knew He was with me. And I kept praying for healing and safety. Well, He didn’t heal my eye, but I could sense that He was guiding me and He did take us safely to the new house.
When I awoke the next morning, I could see everything perfectly with both eyes! The right eye moved in perfect unison with the left! My right eye was straight, perfectly aligned with the left eye. My son came into the room and his eyes went wide. He said Mom, your eye looks normal!
Upon returning home I had an appointment with the neuro-surgeon and the ophthalmologist. When I told them the story, both of them said, “you’ve had a miracle!”
For many years I had suffered pain in the right side of my head and face before the brain tumor invaded the Right Cavernous Sinus, where it caused obvious visual symptoms and was diagnosed. I prayed during those years for God to remove the pain, but He didn’t. I believe it was so that He could perform the miracle that night, and people could actually see His healing power. He has His plans. Jeremiah 29:11 and 12 says “For I know the plans I have for you says The Lord. Plans, not to harm you but to help you, to give you a future and a hope. In the days when you pray, I will listen.” Perhaps His plan for me was to be able to tell others of His miracle and healing power and encourage them to keep praying. The joy it gives me to tell my story far outweighs the pain I suffered. It was all for His glory, which is the reason we live.
A miracle indeed!
Truly a miracle, a very special act of the Living God… Bu my sister has never focused on the miracle… Elaine has always focused on the LORD who performed it. That has been her life.
Please send me any links / stories of medical healing miracles. A strabismus expert and other / additional eye and general doctors said that the nerves and muscles that hold the eye in place – once they die – cannot heal. Once the nerve / muscle for the eye is dead, it stays dead. That’s why your mom experienced a miracle because from a medical standpoint, and also from millions of cases, doctors know that this type of nerve / muscle death is not repairable. God literally brought life and function back to the dead nerves and muscles. The other issue is that once the muscle doesn’t contract anymore, it can’t contract again. So even if it’s “alive” it still has the additional step of having to regain function. Are there any doctors / eye doctors / strabismus experts that can discuss this?
Hi Clif,
Thanks for your comments! I didn’t know any of the technical issues you described, but it would explain why my Mom’s doctors told her she had had a miracle.
As for stories of medical healing miracles, I would highly recommend Craig Keener’s 2 volume work “Miracles.” It is pricey, but it is a scholarly work filled with miracle accounts that have been thoroughly researched and vetted, from around the world. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Credibility-New-Testament-Accounts/dp/0801039525/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=keener+miracles&qid=1619037096&sr=8-1
Thanks again and take care,
Greg