Miraculous Healing
Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we made our annual trip to our friend’s cabin to reconnect with old college friends. This is also a great time to have everyone’s kids get together an play. What a fun time and such a blessing to see the way these kids are always able to pick up where they left off and really enjoy each other.
Another fun aspect of this trip is that we can use the facilities, as available, at the church camp next door. A new addition this year was a new gym space. We were able to take the kids in an burn off PLENTY of energy running around playing a variety of games. Another popular favorite is the tubbing hill. And this was the scene of what can only be described as a modern day miracle.
There were 2 different hills to choose from. One that was your traditional slide down the hill, and one that had a jump on it. The kids would all end up grouping up in different ways to ride down the hill, but the one thing that stayed regular for me was my middle daughter, Sophie, always went with me. On Saturday we did both hills and she really enjoyed it. When we all returned Sunday the hills seemed a little faster due to precipitation and freezing that occurred the night before, but we were all for it. There also seemed to be a second bump that had formed somehow on the hill with the jump and we had one little girl who took a pretty good bump going on it, so for a short time it was closed down for this to be fixed and then sledding resumed.
Sophie continued to be my constant companion on the hills and we had a blast together. She stated that she wanted to go back over to the hill with the jump so we headed on over. One requirement of this hill was that we had to wear a helmet. None seemed to be a perfect fit for her so I got the best one I could and tightened it up, but really didn’t think much of it as there had been no issue the day before. Just before we pushed off she became nervous, as it seemed to be the trend before every time down either hill, and she asked if she would get hurt. I smiled and reminded her that “I’ll be right with you. I’ll protect you.” Little did I know the lack of control I would soon have.
As we began our descent down the hill, our tube spun and we were going backwards. We hit the jump and were airborne and came down on the tube with some good force. I remember having my eyes closed as we hit thinking that we were good, but then we were sudden thrust backwards. I recall my back hitting and I began rolling backwards. At some point in my roll I know that my arms opened up and let go of Sophie.
When I stopped, I looked back up the hill where I heard my daughter screaming. I ran up the hill and turned her over to check on her and she was crying. I kept thinking “what just happened to my little girl? I just promised her that I would protect her and now look!” At this point I looked back up the hill and could see the workers looking down at me and talking to each other. All I could think to do was to try to keep her calm, tell her I was sorry, and pray. Boy did I pray for her! I also thought it better to not try to move her.
Within a minute there were a couple people that came down, one of which started checking her out and moving her arms and legs. After me asking him questions he stated that he was an EMT and RN, so I was happy to know there was someone else with higher knowledge than me there. There ended up being a couple others on staff there that were trained medically so they joined us to check her out and position coats around her to keep her warm. Meanwhile she continued to scream, keeping her left arm pulled in tight and not wanting to move it, and yelling that she wanted mom. I saw one of my friends at the top of the hill and yelled up for him to get my wife, Beth. As I looked up the hill I realized that there were pieces of Sophie’s helmet scattered on the hill. “She hit her head pretty hard!” I thought to myself and prayed for her. It was around this point that the EMT checked her leg, which didn’t look right the way it was bent a couple times as I looked at it through her snow pants, and he stated that he thought it was broken. I decided that it wouldn’t be helpful for me to look at that and worry, so I continued to try to look into my daughter’s tear-filled eyes and pray for her and try to calm her down…which didn’t work well.
After a few minutes, my wife arrived to be by our side. I just remember her looking at me with a very unsure expression and then back to our daughter. The staff brought down a stretcher board for her to be attached to so we could transport her up the hill and into the gym where it would be warmer for her.
As all of this was going on, our friends were running interference with the other kids, including 2 of my other daughters on the other hill. In my tunnel vision of ensuring Sophie’s safety, we apparently carried her on the board at a position where the kids could see her being transported. Thankfully my friends, Scott & Dave, did an amazing job keeping these kids calm and letting them know that we were just checking her out and they shouldn’t be worried. I’m so grateful for their ability to be there to love on my other kids when I couldn’t and ease any worries.
After we got Sophie to the gym, we set her down in the entry way. They stated that we should try to carefully remove Sophie’s coat to check her left arm (which she refused to move earlier, even just to squeeze someone’s hand). With the way they had been testing it when we were on the hill, I thought for sure she broke her collar bone (again, was praying like crazy). Beth helped remove Sophie’s right arm from the coat and all of a sudden, POW! Sophie pulled her left arm out of her coat on her own! What just happened? This was the arm she would move for no reason when we were on the hill and now moving it like it’s no big deal?!?! Then they checked her head, which they removed the helmet from. She could move her neck, her eyes weren’t dialated, she could answer questions and was coherent, and only complained of a small headache. But her helmet had pieces shatter off…This shouldn’t be! The EMT’s stated that things seemed good but to keep an eye on her. I then felt a pit in my stomach as I had to be the one to say “What about her leg?” But I knew that it had looked broken in two places down on the hill, even though some may say that it was just the way her snow pants were, I know what I saw and I know that the EMT told me he thought it was broken, so that seemed like a no brainer. He looked at her foot and said there appeared to be good blood flow and now swelling. We asked her how it felt and she said good. She had been complaining about it on the hill, so she must be wrong. Then she stood up on it! But how can this be?
I shook the hands of the men who helped us through this process and thanked them. They walked off as we waited in the gym for my friend to return with a vehicle to pick us up. I looked at my little girl as she sat on my wife’s lap. All I could do was tell her how sorry I was. It was at this point that my cool composure I had on the hill and upon checking her up to that point was all lost. I began to cry. I heard her say to my wife, “Daddy said he would protect me.” OUCH!!! Now I was sobbing! Not just a few tears, sobbing! I felt HORRIBLE! What a bad dad! I just promised my daughter I would protect her and then almost let her get broken! Why/how could I allow such a thing to happen!?!?
Later that night I asked my wife why this, along with some other minor things that have happened recently, would keep happening? Am I so reckless? Her response couldn’t have been more spot on. She said “God is showing you that you are not in control. He is!” Well I’m not a control freak, so why would I need that lesson? That can’t be it! But it was.
I promised my daughter that I would protect her, but I can’t always do that. I put my arms around her to keep her safe, but they weren’t enough.
I have come to realize though that even though I couldn’t protect her and my arms wrapped around her weren’t enough, the arms of her heavenly father were wrapped around her. God loves my daughter more than I do. I don’t know how that can be possible, but he does. He was the one who protected her. AND he is the one who healed her on that hill. She should have had a concussion and broken bones, but I believe that because of his love for her, love for me, and the power of prayer that he protected and provided healing on that very hill.
What areas of our lives do we think we have control in? What areas do we know that we DON’T have control in? Are you willing to recognize that even though your arms may not be enough to protect someone, maybe because you have a fall and can’t, or maybe it is because they are too far away, or something has created a divide between you, God’s arms are enough?
Trust in him that He can take care of all the areas of your life. Surrender yourself, all of yourself, even your kids, to Him today. Pray for him to show you the areas to give to him.
He loves you! And wants to work miracles in your life for the areas that need healing.
Give it over to Him!