The last three or four years, Janet and I have had several times when we needed x-rays, MRI scans or other ways for the medical profession to determine what was happening with us. Janet fell near Christmas several years ago and broke her shoulder. It wasn’t a normal break; it was much worse than that.
After two days of agony, we had a meeting with the surgeon, an MRI to determine the extent of the damage and finally, later that Monday, an extensive surgical procedure to put her shoulder back together with pins and plates. They will be there for the rest of her life.
Another time, our last dog, Lexie, was surprised rounding a corner and happened to break Janet’s finger. It was in a bad place and, sure enough, surgery was needed to pin the bone in place after x-rays determined the condition of her hand.
Janet is not the only one who has had issues with damage to her joints and other body parts! A little more than three years ago, I had a serious issue with my right knee. It turns out that both x-rays and an MRI were necessary to diagnose what the doctors suspected – a ruptured right quad tendon. It was nine days before they had an opening to repair the damage and sixteen weeks later, after extensive therapy, I was out of the brace and trying to regain my strength. That journey took about two years until I was back to my former self – well, almost my former self. It seems that an injury like that doesn’t all you to come back 100%.
Recently, I have had another problem. It seems that my left shoulder and neck have flared up many years after an accident that our daughter, Jill, and I were in back when Jill was in fourth grade. I have had some significant discomfort and several weeks ago, I had a set of x-rays to determine what was going on. Sure enough, they found some damage and have suggested a course of treatment – non-surgical, thank goodness.
As I was sitting in the doctor’s office, I had flashbacks to all the times in my life that I went through a series of examinations or x-rays or MRI’s to look inside my body – to determine what needed to be repaired or adjusted. Of course, this doesn’t include all the blood work and other diagnostics that most of us have been through during our lives.
It occurred to me that the medical community has been remarkable in caring for my family, and for me, during the decades. But God doesn’t need any equipment whatsoever to determine what adjustments I need or how I can have the best physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health humanly possible. That’s because He created me – and every one of us.
Our verse for tonight affirms that God not only created us, but is active and with us each step of the way during our lives. We do not serve a God who created us and then left everything to chance. The psalmist tells us, in Psalm 139-1-4, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me…”
Notice that God KNOWS each of us – inside and out. Every moment of every day. No x-rays or MRI’s necessary. God just knows! How awesome is that.
Of course, each of us, from time to time, probably has thoughts that we wish would remain private and not be available to our omniscient Father. But through total transparency, God can prune us and help us become more like His Son, Jesus.
My encouragement tonight is that we will maintain our transparency with the Trinity. After all, God knows everything already, so we might as well confess it out loud. And my prayer is that God will continue to diagnose us and fix us, helping us to be the best versions of ourselves that He created us to be. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…