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Medicine Hat, at a conference. Pictured are pastors and church officials.
Viola had an old wooden wheelchair on loan from the Red Cross.
It was difficult at times to be the only physically disabled
in a world of able-bodied people.
How could God use someone with so little to offer to others?
WHAT IS HEALING?
I do not intend to get into the theological ramifications of healing - I will leave that to the brilliant theologians of our day. Sufficient to say, there are many different views expressed in the various denominations represented by my readers. The following thoughts express my own personal experiences in the realm of healing. They are not written to formulate a doctrine, attack people's views who may differ, or set myself up as an authority. By sharing our views, instead of being confrontational, we can learn from each other. A short Bible verse which has a wealth of meaning is the following from 1 Timothy 6:6:
I don't ask WHY ME, LORD, WHY ME? As I have noted in my books, the WHY syndrome is usually a WHINE syndrome. It is a one-way street - you'll never find the answer.
In 1949, after eight months of hospitalization and no end in sight, I found life to be boring and aimless. What could a future hold for someone like me? In another ward was a fine Christian lady who was paralyzed from the waist down. Hundreds of people were praying for her, whereas my scope of friends was far less. If God answers prayer solely on the basis of "quantity" of people who pray, then Janice had a head start on me. One day her parents visited me, excitement gleaming in their eyes. "This will be the last time we will be visiting you," they exclaimed. "We are taking Janice out of the hospital because God is going to heal her." Miracles do happen - tumors shrink; people walk again; cancer disappears - so I was elated to think that these people had faith to believe in total healing for their daughter.
I finally was discharged, barely able to walk a few steps with crutches, but as time went on, I continued to improve. I never received complete healing, but I certainly accomplished many things in life which were miracles in themselves. One day a letter arrived from Janice's parents. To their dismay, the anticipated miracle did not happen - Janice was not improving - nor did she ever show improvement throughout the years. They enquired as to what I had done to achieve more mobility. I can offer no particular reason as to why Janice remained immobile while I acquired a fair amount of mobility.
Throughout the earlier years in my new life with polio, it was suggested many times to me that I should attend "healing" meetings. I attended one big campaign, but I did not go to the front for healing. One of our church members who went to the front did not receive the healing he desired. Others seemingly did.
A most interesting encounter occurred when we were on holidays in Banff National Park. We went to a store-front church meeting, and although we never did find out with which denomination the group was affiliated, we immediately knew that the preacher was a charismatic-type of person. The thought filtered through me: "I am the only one in the congregation with a visible handicap. I wonder if I will be singled out?" Sure enough, as we filed out the door, the preacher shook everyone's hand, and when it was my turn, he said in rather pontifical tones: "Sister… (and he touched my crutches) God doesn't intend for you to have crutches."
I had not thought of an answer beforehand. I had never heard any illustration given in the past which may have triggered my type of answer. Without a hesitation, my response came out loud and clear.
"Sir," I responded. "I perceive that you are wearing glasses. You have 'crutches' for your eyes. I have 'crutches' for my legs." With that repartee, I left the preacher with his eyes and mouth wide open, and I walked out. Fred, who had gone out sooner, observed the scenario, but had not heard the conversation. "What did you say to that man to cause him to look like that?" Fred asked. (We wonder if the preacher went home and broke his glasses - trusting the Lord to heal his eyes completely.)
Some of my thinking regarding healing appeared in CHRISTIAN WEEK magazine.
Shining character matters more than bright teeth
Tyrell Dueck's fate is back in the hands of God. Not that it was ever really anywhere else, but at least the soft-spoken 13-year-old with the gentle smile won't be forced to undergo chemotherapy and have his leg amputated. Unless God intervenes with a healing miracle or alternative therapies work wondrous magic, however, a rare cancer is expected to claim his life within a year. For a riveting three weeks in March, Dueck's struggle to determine his own course of treatment surfaced a host of legal, ethical and religious issues and captured the attention of the national press. And flitting about the fringes of the debate was the matter of faith and the prospect of divine healing. If ever there was a candidate for a miracle, Dueck fits the bill. His personal courage, gracious manner and stalwart faith stood up well under pressure. But before bad news of spreading cancer halted the proceedings, professions had determined that conventional treatment was in young Tyrell's best interests, notwithstanding his apparent belief that he will be healed by God.
Divine Dentistry? Wonders and miracles of a rather lesser order are being reported once again at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, where notions of divine dentistry are raising quite a buzz. "Why should God fill people's teeth with gold?" asks a TACF press release. The proffered answers are vague. "Perhaps because He loves them and delights in blessing His children. Perhaps it is a sign and a wonder to expose the skepticism still in so many of us. Perhaps His glory and presence are drawing near." Perhaps. But this latest expression of the Toronto Blessing seems a trivial pursuit. Certainly the prospect of receiving physical and material benefits appeals powerfully to our human nature and no doubt God understands that these things are very important to us. At times he is even willing to indulge us. But other things matter more.
Viola Pahl, a polio survivor who uses crutches or a wheelchair, recently shared a story of an incident that occurred when she and her preacher husband wandered into an unfamiliar church in a vacation spot. As the meeting progressed, she sensed she would be invited to throw away the crutches. Sure enough, as she was filing out after the service, the preacher patted her shoulder and said, "Sister, God did not intend for you to have crutches." Her reply spilled out spontaneously. "Sir, I perceive you are wearing glasses. You have a crutch for your eyes; I have crutches for my legs." And without further ado, she sailed past him.
Pahl, who has written a book called Through the Iron Lung, understands all too well that some infirmities are more major and limiting than others. And she does not disallow the possibility of miraculous divine healing. But she has some perspective to offer as well. "God has wrought many miracles in my life - courage, acceptance, contentment, faith in the sovereign will of God and so on. How come no-one heralds these things as miracles? Given my basic personality, I would never have made it with my physical infirmity without the great miracles God has done in and through my life."
The ability to honor God with obedience and unwavering belief in adversity - to allow one's very character to be truly transformed - is an act of faith and worship. Earlier this decade, tennis great Arthur Ashe (who was also highly respected for his courage and grace as a social activist) revealed to the world that he had AIDS (almost surely acquired through contaminated blood). In his 1993 autobiography, Days of Grace, Ashe addressed the question of how to pray in the face of a disease.
"If I don't ask 'why me?' after my victories, I cannot ask 'why me?' after my setbacks and disaster," he wrote. "I also do not waste time pleading with God to make me well. I was brought up to believe that prayer is not to be invoked to ask God for things for oneself or even for others. Rather, prayer is a medium through which I ask God to show me God's will, and to give me the strength to carry out that will."
Whether God can or cannot, will or will not, perform miracles is not really the issue. Rather, we might ask what kind of wonders mature Christians should be looking for. We can rejoice in every miracle of authentic healing that takes place. In the end, however, shining character matters more than bright teeth, and a healthy relationship with God matters more than a healthy body.
MIRACLES
Why I repeat this verse is to emphasize that it is a MIRACLE
that a disabled person can be content even when so much has been taken away.
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I won a swimming scholarship to the one and only prestigious club in Vancouver which trained the Olympic athletes. The lady who coached my diving skills was a former Olympian participant. I was not of Olympic caliber, but the training made me a very strong swimmer. Following polio, I was still able to swim and enjoy water therapy with confidence.
At high school, I won the high-jump championship one year. I could hardly walk for days afterwards I was so stiff from the accelerated energy required for the event.
As mentioned in the link entitled IRON LUNGS - WHEELCHAIRS, hiking up Grouse Mountain was always a highlight. In the winter time, we rented skis and enjoyed skiing immensely. I, however, did land on time in a heap at the bottom of a steep hill and had to be helped down the mountain due to twisting muscles in my leg.
Cycling? I went everywhere on a bike. In our era, very few young people had cars. With a girlfriend, we undertook cycling holidays which involved hundreds of miles. My mother never liked the idea of my having a bicycle, but because I was earning my own money at age 15, she allowed me to buy a bike, and the rest is history. Fred and I even took our bikes on our honeymoon.
taken from you and still be CONTENT?
YES! YES! YES! - IT'S GOD'S MIRACLE!
Would I ever be able to work again? I had secretarial skills - but who would want a disabled secretary? Because Fred's desire was to obtain higher education, I went job hunting so he could fulfill his dream.
My first job back into the work force was with the Provincial Government. I was selected to be the first secretary to the two men who had been appointed by the Government to work out a hospital-insurance plan for the citizens of Alberta. After several years, Fred's ministry led him to Saskatchewan, and I was not working out at that time. However, I was able to keep up my secretarial skills. In that long-ago era, there were no secretaries hired for churches, so I ran off the bulletins, typed out reports for the various church departments, etc.
We returned to Edmonton, and again, I sought employment. There was an opening to be secretary to the medical doctor who was head of the Provincial Health Units and the immunization program. I loved working with medical terminology. I then placed my name on the roster for part-time secretarial help, and from time to time, I worked in interesting and varied departments of the government. One day I was called to fill in for one of the Premier's secretaries who was relocating. This eventually led to my working in the correspondence office of Premier Lougheed (in the 1970's).
We moved to Vancouver Island in 1977, and I applied for work at a local college in Nanaimo. I was hired on a part-time basis for secretarial work in the library. However, in time, I applied for a relief instructor position in Business Administration. I was hired - and I loved my job.
Please understand that by now I was age 56
Please understand that I was still physically disabled and even required
a wheelchair at times
Please understand that my educational resume read "finished Grade Ten"
Please understand that I had nothing in my resume which stated
that I had teaching experience in my background
I WAS HIRED!
The students told me that I was the best relief instructor they ever had.
I was taken out for a dinner by the students - it had never been done before.
When students I taught - only on a part-time basis - were ready
for graduation, they asked me to be their guest speaker.
As of May 2004, we have been married 58 years! So many marriages have been dissolved because of one spouse becoming disabled. The partnership just couldn't stand the strain of the ensuing problems encountered. It is an absolute MIRACLE that we were able to stand the stress and emotional upheaval of having our lives turned upside down when I got polio. Everything changed: our plans to go to China as missionaries were shattered. Would Fred ever realize his dreams to be a minister? Yes, his dreams came true. How "normal" would our world be? Well, we have been so blessed to have had happy years together. And at the present time, so many of our friends have lost their spouse - and we are still around. Now, I shouldn't joke, but I have to commend Fred for being a marriage survivor. Having said that, you cannot help but believe in miracles when you think of what he has had to put up with! (See my link: MY FAVOURITE VALENTINE.)
Probably the highest income we ever had was about $35,000 a year. Preachers' salaries in earlier years were extremely low, and there were no "perks" with the salary. There was no allowance made for gas mileage, book purchases, hospitality allowance, educational seminars, and so forth. In fact, from 1949 to 1966, we supplied our own ditto and/or mimeograph machine for the church, plus paper. (Having said this - we wouldn't exchange those years for anything else - God was with us!) However, in retirement years, we have been blessed with comfortable lodging. As you may have noted elsewhere in some of the links, the gorgeous sunset views from our condo are fantastic. Fred's gift of good money management has made it possible to live so comfortably.
Even with such low incomes, Fred has been able to travel to 39 different countries. Now, the way he travels may not be the way you would want to travel. He really "roughed" it at times to accommodate a limited budget. But I felt so good when he took off on a trip, for I felt I had not hindered him in realizing some of his dreams.
But wait a minute - I was also able to travel. In 1952 with a salary of $1800 a year, we purchased a trailer for $1900. The trailer made it possible for me to be at summer camps, and also to have holidays which were not too expensive. We saved as much as we could and paid back the money to a friend, who was kind enough to loan us the money without interest. In our trailer (later exchanged for a motorhome), we went to church conferences in St. Paul, Minnesota; Waco, Texas; Sacramento, California; various Canadian cities. We were able to holiday in such magnificent spots as Banff, various lake resorts, Whistler, Porteau Cove.
Our daughter Susan spent four years in Japan. During that time, I was selected, along with other handicapped adults, to go on a trip to Japan. There, we visited many rehabilitation centers. What a glorious trip it was, made all the more special because I was in the area where our daughter was teaching and could spend several days with her. The Canadian Consulate in Tokyo hosted the group for an afternoon.
And then, Susan moved on to Australia. Thanks to "free mile" bonus points earned by our son, he gifted us with a trip to Australia, and we had a marvelous time there. We've been a number of times to Hawaii. And an elderly lady who wanted to go on an Alaskan boat cruise, asked me to be her companion for the trip.
EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL MIRACLES
Adjusting to a new way of life attacks you from every part of your being: your personality, your character, your emotions, your spirituality, your lifestyle. It is a challenge of momentous transformation. The first three years were difficult. Thoughts of worthlessness creep into your thinking:
Will I be able to bring up my children properly?
I can't even scrub a floor - what good am I?
I have to be served in so many ways, and I can't repay the favors.
God is punishing me for the things I have done wrong.
I can't serve God as effectively with a disability.
And many disabled people have thought about suicide
because they don't want to be a burden.
Look - when you see that God has brought people through adverse circumstances and that they can still praise the Lord in spite of it all, you have to believe in
Yes, it is a miracle when someone is healed. But I make the argument - it also a miracle to be sustained when everything goes wrong. This inner strength to live above the challenges of a disability is a
I could go on and on. Yes, it is a miracle when a person using crutches for years is healed, and he/she throws the crutches in the air and walks normally again. But I maintain that having a handicap and living a life filled with the joy of the Lord is also a miracle.
viola@pahl.ca
The topic of healing is never-ending.
In this submission, we have just skimmed the surface.
You may have read this elsewhere in my links, but it bears repeating:
A man fell in his walkway and seriously injured his hip, leg, and back. A deacon, the preacher, and the man's wife voiced various reasons as to why it had happened.
DEACON: This tragedy is of the devil, my brother.
PREACHER: This tragedy is for the glory of God, my brother.
WIFE: You clumsy idiot. Why didn't you watch where you were going?
The devil?
God?
Or stupidity on our part?
LET US GIVE GOD THE GLORY
FOR HIS LOVE, GOODNESS, CARING ABIDE FOREVER!
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