When God Does Not Heal (4)
As I continue to wrestle with the presence of Parkinson's Disease in my body, 2 Cor.12/7-10 has become a passage with special significance, especially the words, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness".
"My grace". I have come to see that God's grace is much more than God's favour. It is the empowering presence of God in one's life to be all that God has called us to be and to do all that He has called us to do. No wonder He says to all who are experiencing some kind of 'thorn', "My empowering presence is all that you need".
As I pondered these truths, I thought I heard God whisper into my spirit something that sounded like this:
"Mike, what would you say if I gave you a choice? Suppose I said that you could live with the thorn in the flesh (Parkinsons) and this would allow me to manifest my power in and through you in a way that is exceptional. The more the disease increased, the more my power through you would increase. Alternatively, I could begin to heal you but that exceptional power would, in fact, progressively diminish as did the disease. Which would you choose?
My sense is that God never made such an offer. If He did, it would be to give me a point of reference regarding my situation and my attitude to it. From time to time I return to that comparison. I realise that, even if it was an offer, it would not be a once-for-all choice. It would be a choice I must make every day.
I wonder what I would choose?
