A Supracondylar Fracture

It sounded more like a Star Trek: The Next Generation rerun than a major broken bone. "It's a supracondylar fracture," the doctor informed us. It was just before midnight late last September when we got the news that our sweet, playful five year old severed her left humerus, literally. Oh, and we were smack dab in between insurance policies (translation: we were uncovered). After a couple of deep breaths, many heart-wrenching prayers, and some pretty powerful anesthesia, two hours later our Eden emerged groggily from her surgery, her left arm held together with three pins and an industrial strength ace bandage.

She went through three casts in just about three months, and anyone who's had a cast or parents who've taken care of a kid with a cast knows, it's fun for about five minutes or until the ink dries. Everything becomes more difficult...writing (luckily, Eden's strong hand is her right one), playing with siblings, baths, etc. We thought it would get easier once it was removed. In some ways it did. No more trash bags in the shower, but we weren't, however, ready for the emotions that would come with seeing our daughter's left hand so weak she couldn't even hold a pencil. She became overly dependent on her right hand and once the cast came off, continued to ignore the use of her left. Her fingers were all bent in as well. As naive parents just going through this process for the first time, and the reassurance of her doctor that she would most likely regain full range of emotion, we were still subect to the concerns: Will she regain full stength in her hand? Will the curved-in fingers always look like that? We became inpatient with the process when it wasn't moving fast enough. We were worrying but trying to trust Abba in the process.

Last Monday morning at about 2 AM, Eden tiptoed into our room and softly whispered the news to us, "I can flatten my hand, Mommy and Daddy!" I faintly remembered this the next morning when she more loudly announced that she was healed. She then proceeded to opening cabinet drawers and oven doors and squirting bottle cleaner. It truly was awesome to see her so full of joy.

The take away for me wasn't so much the lack of patience, although that was a great lesson in trust. It was actually in watching Eden's response when we talked Monday morning at breakfast. I reminded her (and myself) that Abba answers some prayers right away and others He decides to wait for another time. She just received this truth, "Ok, Daddy!" And then went off to play with her "new" hand. That's it?! No analyzing, debating, regretting. Just..."Ok!" 

She received her blessing in the perfect timing and went on praising with her attitude and trust. What a sweet message! I wonder if it was the same way for people Jesus healed? The lame, blind, demon-possessed, lepers, all of them. Did they just receive, too? 

Can I receive like that? That's the Kingdom he promised, isn't it? That's how we enter it according to Jesus' words, "You must be like a child, have faith as simple as this."