Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Yesterday had not been a day I had been looking forward to. My eight year old granddaughter Madeline was scheduled for open heart surgery. She was a miracle baby the moment she was born. For eight of her nine month in the womb, gloom and doom was predicted over her. “She will never reach full term.” “She will not be compatible with life.” “She should be aborted.” Those were just a few of the phrases that my daughter and husband listened to throughout her pregnancy. Those and every other one were like spears to the heart and mind that worked to create imaginations of fear and torment. The only thing that could and would bring peace to us all were the promises of God’s Word. The four of us bathed in them daily. They’d quiet our minds. They’d lift our faith. We’d meet and share what God was speaking to our hearts with each other and then we’d pray thanking God that with Him, all things were possible. On the day of Madeline’s birth and with a secondary crew of medical staff present to help keep Madeline alive long enough for us to say goodbye, she was born-small but beautiful. She has been our little miracle girl ever since.

She is now eight years old and the sweetest little girl you could ever meet. She melts hearts daily with the way she loves everybody! Since her birth she has had a hole in her heart that need either to be healed miraculously or with the help of medical people whom I consider a grace of God in the earth. The doctors had told Stephanie and Daniel, her parents, that now was the time. So today, we were all at the hospital very early for Madeline’s surgery.

We had special time with her before she was taken away and then we went into the family waiting room. We were the only ones there. We pulled out our Bibles and shared the promises of God that He had been speaking to each of us. The result was encouraged faith as we listened to each other. Renee had brought bread, juice, and communion cups and we took communion together putting ourselves in remembrance of what Jesus paid for at the cross. “Jesus personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by His wounds! (1 Peter 2:24)

After four hours of surgery, Madeline’s heart had been repaired and she began the road to recovery! We are so very thankful for all God has helped Madeline through.

The main reason I wrote today was to say that throughout this past few days, each of us had received non-stop correspondence through email, Facebook, etc. of friends and family praying for Madeline and us. I have done the same thing for others hundreds of times but you never quite feel the value of it until you are on the receiving end as we were today. The outpouring of love and prayer was such a sweet touch from the Lord.

Today I was reminded that to most anyone in crisis or hurting, some form of a loving touch means more than you could ever imagine. When you are on the hurting end, that touch of love can get you through a moment, and hour, or a day! Don’t underestimate its power. I probably have in the past, but today I am refreshed just how precious the body of Christ is and how rich love from those you love feels.

2 Cor. 1:4 (NLT) “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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