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 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.