A Time for Grace

 

I have prayed for healing by bedsides, to see some prayers answered and others not. I’ve been healed instantly, and at other times it is was a process that built character and perseverance (Romans 5:3-5). Right now, my granddaughter is recovering from Miller Foster Syndrome, learning to walk again and to see without double vision. I have prayed for instant healing, but also for wisdom and insight as to her Kingdom calling. Today, watching a video of her using a walker and getting stronger, the Lord started revealing that her healing would be a process that would be a pivotal point in her life, creating character and perseverance. He started downloading this new blog post and referring to her as being in a spring season of rain. Yesterday, the rain poured here causing floods, and waterfalls off the roof and down the deck steps. Spring rain has a strength and movement, characterized by power and authority, like no other season. Yesterday, she turned five years old. The years between three and five are when character takes permeant root, after that we build on what has been established, but after that, major character changes require something dynamic to shift. The Lord’s grace often can only be seen in hindsight. Waiting, has been a current theme in a bible study through Habakkuk, prayers with a joy group, and dreams from the Lord. Grace could heal her immediately, but oh the loss of what she is receiving now would be a greater loss if not for the process. She had already been stepping into a season of power, but lacking the authority of taking control of her body that she is now experiencing in physical therapy.

She has as unusual connection with my husband, her Pappy, who she never met. He passed in the fall, years before she was born. The week before he passed, the Lord led him in revelation bringing healing to our marriage, and clarity to his health. The Lord reminded me of something he said during that conversation. He was sorry that his body was deteriorating quickly and that he wouldn’t be able to take care of himself soon, making the burden on me even greater. He wasn’t afraid to die; he was afraid of what was coming and how that would affect his family. He had worked hard to keep me in the dark as much as possible. He refused to let me go to doctor appointments, and kept his medicines from me so I couldn’t see how much he was taking or what it was for (there were baskets everywhere of old and new bottles). He was mad at himself for life choices he had made that led to some of his health issues. Could he have quiet smoking earlier, exercised more, ate better? It was too late to make those choices now. He was heading into his winter season. A time when water stands still and we watch life go by. 

That last week was one of the happiest of his life. We celebrated our 30^th anniversary and his 56^th birthday while camping as a family. He told us he slept on his arm wrong and that he had a migraine. We didn’t notice that he wasn’t using his left arm, eating with his right hand (only noticed in photos afterward). The signs something was wrong, but not shared, because he didn’t want the camping trip to end. The Lord’s grace has perfect timing. While my granddaughter can pull from grace as a process now that will give hindsight to all of her future choices, my husband wanted immediate and painless grace to what he saw coming. God is grace, and His timing is perfect for whatever season we are in. He knows our heart, our journey, and our purpose, and our prayers are answered exactly when they should be.