Timothy

Timothy was re-admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure after "spiking a temperature". This is not totally unexpected especially in the first "100 days" but just to say that dear boy continues to need our prayers or, put more accurately, needs the grace of God working in his life.

Thou shalt not nine

Timothy, yes I think there is no further need to hide his name, is discharged and back home. True I had hoped he would not have had to endure this treatment but, who knows, he may end up stronger for it. Tribulation works character. I certainly hope and pray so, else what was it all about? Perhaps I did not tempt God. Perhaps I did not fully understand. And it is still not the end of the road but I am so thankful he has made it this far. Here are some quotes from his parents' last news letter:

After two months living in Bristol while Timothy received a bone marrow transplant at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, we're back home. Timothy is in good form despite a low level of stamina and a bit of sickness...

He was diagnosed with a one/two-in-a-million condition with bleak prognosis unless he received a bone marrow transplant in Bristol. The search for a bone marrow donor ultimately led to a young German who matched perfectly: 57mls of life, delivered fresh by a volunteer courier! Timothy would have life-threatening leukaemia today if it wasn't for that bone marrow donor...

This guy is our hero. He's gone through so much so far [you can see a short video of him ringing the 'End of Treatment' Bell on the ward the other day here. He'll need patience and protection in the restoration to come. Forgive us when we avoid you if you're sniffling! God is good. So please keep praying for Timothy's protection and complete restoration - he could take months to fully recover, and simple illnesses can still be dangerous to him. Pray for God's glory in the story.

Through all of this, hundreds if not thousands of people like you have been praying for our son and family. Thank you. God's peace, hope, love and joy are real.

Thou shalt not eight

In science we consider a theory to be ratified if observation of its effects are repeatable. In contrast J reminded us in church yesterday that miracles are not "repeatable".  Just because a particular miraculous healing has been witnessed does not necessarily imply that all such sufferers can expect healing. Thus miracles cannot, by definition, be proven to have occurred.

The boy T with leukemia whose progress I have been following has now been discharged from hospital and will from now on be seen in "Day Beds".  The consultant is really pleased with his progress and the parents are calling this an ongoing miracle, a notion I am prepared to subscribe to, and have asked for continued prayer. But he's not out of the woods yet.

Meanwhile I have become involved with another case that needs ongoing prayer. Two year old A sustained "full thickness burns to both his hands, has had three surgeries already and has a lot more ahead of him" after being electrocuted when grasping a broken power socket board. The prognosis is another three weeks or so in hospital, skin grafts, and maybe hospital visits and ongoing surgeries for the next 14 years of his life. If you, my reader, have any faith please add A to your prayer list.

Thou shalt not tempt update 4

I did not hear any results of the blood tests so I suppose they did not indicate complete healing as we had hoped. I have now subscribed to the family's email feed so no longer have to rely on a friend giving me updates. Their latest update starts "T's chemotherapy medicines started dripping into his central line at Noon on Tuesday. And I'm not sure what more to write." I am hurting inside when I read this. I had thought that the "burden" I had felt to pray for complete healing, so as to avoid him having to go through chemo, was from God and therefore that it would happen. Not for any good in me but because God keeps his word. Of course it is possible to rationalise - perhaps it was my own silly emotions and no burden from God. Perhaps there is no God and the whole thing is an illusion. I've already made the point whether he is healed or not is not my business - it is God who will do it or not do it. But I still feel like I have failed in some way. Of course I suppose there have been many others praying for healing - I wonder how they feel? Most of all I wonder how the boy himself feels, who had said "it gives God more time to do the big miracle of healing!". And it must be so trying for his siblings and parents.

And this is not the only time I have been pretty convinced that God was telling me to pray in a particular way but not yet seeing what I regarded as a full answer. Maybe I have to wait longer. Those guys in in the roll-call of faith, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise in their lifetime. Tough! And not only that but I have contracted a cold which itself makes a chap feel in the mulligrubs; not only that but my business has (hopefully temporarily) ground to a halt, and I have to wear glasses and now it looks like I might have to wear a hearing aid. And because I am supposed to be one of the leaders in the church here but I feel like that is largely a joke. And, I could go on... I predict that any people who live here reading this will say the equivalent of "Everybody needs a Michael" which roughly translated means Michael will mend the broken this or that, and doubtless Michael will for I like mending things, but is that my sole purpose in life? Maybe it is.

Of course I know the words: Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. And have taken, and will continue to take some comfort in them. But still...

And these words: And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? The Greek word translated "speedily" means just that, however God's idea of speed does not generally tally with my own and the final "shall he find faith?" suggests that many will not go on believing in the face of apparent denial, rather as seems to be happening to me. At least I can take comfort in dear old Thomas who admitted "Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Nevertheless I will (try to) doggedly continue to ask God to heal this boy, plain contrary to what I am told is happening to him, and in the meantime may God give strength and perseverance to him and his family throughout whatever ordeal he has to go through.

Thou shalt not tempt update 3

It's been a while since I last posted. The reason being that I hadn't heard any more news until today, and today's is not yet the "wow" I had been hoping for. There are apparently no indications of healing as yet and thus the family is preparing for the medical profession's solution. But they are still hopeful in saying "We're praying for a smooth journey through it but we're still praying for the spontaneous miracle!" And I am too. He will have his bone marrow tested on Friday and I guess the results will be the acid test of whether or not there has been healing so - watch this space.

Is this faith? Even if like "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar"?  I am not sure that I am up for that kind.

My hope is that by my sharing all this publicly, anonymously though it must be, my reader will be, like I was, roused to stand with this boy and his family. A sort of crowdfunding.

Thou shall not tempt update 2

These are his parents' bold words a day or so ago: I believe that God wants ... to "be made whole by the power of the Holy Spirit" so this is what we pray and this is what we ask you to pray.

And I pray that the God who "made all the delicate inner parts" of ...'s body will re-knit them, that he will replace a missing chromosome, that he will renew faulty cells.

They don't strike me as "religious" people and they know the impossibility of what is being asked for. They have even wondered how to tell if there had been healing whilst waiting for the procedure - it seems the only indicator being the blood count levels which they will be watching.

I don't often get involved with this sort of thing: asking for the impossible, when frankly I do not think I have ever witnessed an obvious miracle - I like to steer clear and keep in the safe zone. But somehow this case touched me and made me cry out beyond the normal, something rose from deep within me, and I can only suppose this was God's doing. If not, if I was just reacting to emotion, then it makes me question if know God. If this boy is healed it won't me my doing. And if this boy isn't healed it won't be my doing either. Either God acts on his word, or not.  As that centurion remarked so long ago, you only have to say the word, Lord, and the boy will be healed. So be it.

See also last update.

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God

Is it wrong to ask God for a miracle and then sit waiting for it to happen? Is that faith or presumption? There is this boy: his parents are friends of a friend of mine. The boy has just turned ten but is diagnosed with leukemia and there is talk of bone marrow transplants and intensive chemo and wot not. His parents and siblings would do just about anything to see him better and, indeed, they might well have to do just about anything. It cannot be that I've fallen in love with the boy for I know nothing more about him apart from his name - but maybe I've fallen in love with the case because it breaks my heart. Why should he have to suffer like this? Why shouldn't God stretch his might hand and heal him? Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if he were healed? The parents have asked for prayer with this at the top of their wish list: "immediate healing; that when he has his bone marrow tested this week, it'll be all clear". I go along with this sentiment and so that's just what I have been asking God to do. And I am not ashamed to go on repeating this request: what more can I do? Maybe when I hear more news I'll post again.

See here and here.