The fiery furnace

I became a Christ follower in 1995 when I was a freshman in college. I fell in love with the realness and simplicity of the Gospel.

One of the first stories I leared came from the Old Testment, from the book of Daniel. The story of Shadrack, Meschek, and a Abednego. It took me forever to learn to pronnounce these names (and I've never leared to spell them correctly). They were captured as teenagers and sent to Babylon. I'm going to skip some points to make a very, very short recap.

At one point the king insists that everyone bows down to him or a statue of him. I can't remember and I'm at work and can't look it up. They refuse. The pentaly of this refusal is being thrown in a firey furnance. This furnance was so hot that upon opening it, several guardsman died from the heat.

Before they are thrown in comes my favorite verse (emphasize mine) "The Lord our God will save us. But even if He chooses not to, we will not bow down to you". I love that verse. It is the "but even if he chooses not to" that gets me everytime.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Lord could heal Lauren instantly. Imagine it, her chromosomes would become "un-enhanced" IMMEDIATELY. I could toss out medication. I could shred her IEP. I could call her OT and neurologist and say that we were never coming back. It could happen because He who formed the universe could do that if He chooses so.

But chances are that is not going to happen. I still believe that it could but looking at our life I don't think it will. I think that God is healing Lauren on a slower level. I think that God is an ever present force in Lauren's life. I know that God loves in a way I cannot even begin to imagine but He has not choosen to heal her that way.

And you know what. It's OK. It's OK for one very, very important reason. He is God and I am not. I don't know the reason for this nor do I want to. It is too much for my finite mind to handle. However, I know that God is infinite and Lauren is part of His greater plan. Maybe part of the miraculous healing of Lauren is manifested in my newer found belief that He is God and I am not.