This story begins when my sister, Diana,myself, and our parents returned from a trip with our parents. We were about to drop them off at their home.
Before we get to this miracle, though, let me set the stage. The last several years had been difficult for my parents. In 2013, dad lost his right leg due to clogged arteries. They were able to save his left leg by putting in several stents. That in itself was a miracle. The doctor who did the first surgery told us that when the other leg became clogged, they would have to amputate that one, too. He hadn’t left us with much hope that day after his leg was amputated.
Within a short time, dad experienced the dreaded pain in his left leg and was rushed to the hospital. I was surprised that night when we got to the hospital and a young surgeon approached us, wearing a college sweatshirt. He promised to take dad into surgery and do his best.
We waited. As long as he had one leg, he could stay in their home, but losing the other leg would require more care. When the young surgeon came out to talk to us after surgery, we found that he was able to clear the arteries enough to keep some blood flow going to the foot! I remember his comment, “He was going to lose the leg unless I could save it. So I tried!” Another miracle.
Dad eventually learned how to use a prosthetic leg and continued living with mom in their home. You need to know that dad was a skeptic and an intellectual. Everything HAD to make sense and have an explanation. He believed in God but when I would throw up little prayers about lost things, he would tell me that God has bigger things to handle.
Back to this miracle. When we got to their home, mom and dad took the chair lift up to their back door. But when mom tried to unlock it, the lock jammed. I was able to get into the house through the front door, but that wouldn’t work for my dad due to the stairs. Armed with a screwdriver, I followed my dad’s directions as best I could from the other side of the door. Nothing worked. Finally, I threw my hands up in the air and cried out; “Help me, Jesus!” Much to my amazement, the door opened. I don’t know why I was so surprised. Wished I would have prayed those words when all of this started!!
With mom and dad on the inside now, we sat down for a brief chat before leaving them. My dad, ever the skeptic, said; “Cindy, tell me what you did to get the door opened.” Dad wanted the details, exactly how the screwdriver went into the lock, which way I turned it and anything else that could explain the open door.
To which I responded, “Dad, I told you; I couldn’t get it open. So I prayed, Jesus help me! And He did!”
For the next several days, when I would see dad, he would ask again for an explanation. I had nothing to give him except that I prayed and it opened!
The door knob was broken and we had to replace the whole unit. But I like to think that another door was unlocked that day. A door within my dad's heart that may have allowed him to entertain the thought, that God DOES care about EVERY detail! Although this story has a few miracles in it, including a young doctor willing to try to save a leg, I’m sure this miracle stumped my dad the most! It also reinforced my faith! For with God, all things are possible! I believe sometimes, He may just want to show off a bit!
Philippians 4:6-7 RSV
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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