This post was inspired by Ed, a 'famous' but never 'infamous' blogger here. He was writing first about a Christian retreat, that he really didn't want to attend, but did so, mostly to appease someone in his life. While he was there, he suffered a set of bizarre medical symptoms which required him to leave the retreat and be taken to the hospital. It was a medical emergency that he then blogged about, separately.
When Ed used the word "sign" to describe what he believed that medical emergency was not, it made me think: Exactly what is it, that the secular world thinks about Christians when we say that we believe in "signs, wonders, and miracles"? So, I have decided to write about it, right here in this blog.
I want to start our discussion with a quote from Ed's second blog; the one about the medical symptoms he experienced, while attending the Christian retreat.
"about the frustation: yeah, i suppose that must seem strange. i don't know how to explain it, beyond saying that my body generally obeys me, so when it betrays me as it did then, that's immensely frustrating. i think it's the idea of being betrayed by your own body that made me so angry."
ed
ed
Keeping in mind that Ed was not the only person saying (in his blog) that they felt as if they had been betrayed by their own body. That, really, is the essence of disease and healing, for many Christians. We were created in God's image, and we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (139th Psalm). So, why do we have disease? Isn't that merely our body betraying us, refusing to obey us? Or is it obeying us, on a deeper level? It could be either, or both according to the Bible.
Do we want disease? I don't think so. Does it often serve a purpose? Yes, unfortunately, I believe it does. It did for me anyway. I wouldn't slow down. I refused to take care of myself anymore, not because I wanted to die; I was just too busy to notice that I was failing myself, and ultimately, my family, by not taking care of myself like I used to. Life was too busy, there too much to do, too much responsibility, and I had been through too much personal pain. I got sick.
Was it a supernatural experience or a "sign"? No, unless you mean a sign as an indicator that I needed to slow down and take care of myself again, so that I could continue taking care of others, our business, our family , our marriage, etc. I go through periods of better health and lesser health, and in that way, I guess you could call my health (good or bad) a sign, or a signal, directing me in what I need to do, or stop doing. That is natural, not supernatural.
I do not think that is the kind of "sign" secular people think of when they say, as Ed did, that 'it wasn't a sign'. I think it has more to do with their skepticism about the phrase, "signs, wonders and miracles". So, what do we Christians mean, about signs, wonders and miracles? What do all of us "mean" when we say, or hear, signs, wonders and miracles?
Have any of you seen any signs, wonders or miracles? Go ahead and share, and don't be afraid of secular folks...I have found Ed to be the leader of that pack in soulcast, and he is, most often, thoughtful and a gentleman. ; )
So, Christian or not...pray tell...what have you seen, that got your attention, and that you could not exactly explain? Or, if it did have a natural explanation, did you sense that there was more to the story? I will do like Miss (polar) Heart did on her blog, and post, after you all have had a chance to share.
Remember, I had a few radio shows, and one was a popular "call in" show, with lots of calls about UFO's. We didn't plan it that way, we just happened to be on a radio station that was near a rather famous sighting. We found that out just a few weeks into the show.
What I mean is, you cannot shock me, at least, I don't think you can ; )
Disclaimer:
Anyone that really believes that there is absolutely nothing that has ever happened in their own lives, that they themselves, personally, cannot explain, need not post here!
; )
