The mourners saw firsthand that we, the miracle workers, were mortal just like them.
The missionary staff proceeded down the dusty road from the hospital to the burial site, following the infant’s wooden coffin. We had done everything to save her. Hundreds of Ethiopians from the Waleta tribe lined each side of the procession, heads bowed and weeping. Dr. Adolf, my mentor, had snatched many of them from death.
Our powers were limited, despite the amazing results of skillful medical and surgical care. Sometimes, patients or their relatives fell before Dr. Adolf in grateful worship. But of course the famous doctor always corrected their behavior and reminded them to glorify God alone.
I ran ahead of the procession to help lower the coffin into the newly excavated grave. Looking back, I saw the grieving missionary parents following. Then came the nursing staff in spotless white. They wiped the tears away discretely, hardly making a sound. In the back were the paramedics—known as “dressers”—that we had trained as assistants. They had grown accustomed to witnessing our daily miracles.
As we lowered the coffin, I thought, That could be me. Almost daily, I stuck myself with a surgical needle as I assisted Dr. Adolf in our make-shift operating theater. We knew lethal viral diseases lurked in the bush. As the coffin rested in the grave, a dark shroud descended into my consciousness. Would I get out of this alive or be buried in this wild country, unknown to my friends and relatives?
Then the Lord refreshed me with David’s psalm from the wilderness in a time of trouble. He refers to God’s steadfast love as his refuge—so stabilizing he could say it is better than life itself.
Believing God is in complete control, I walked the daily tightrope of only one needle stick between life and death. Every day, we all live on this razor-thin margin. But like David, we can bless God’s name and lift our hands to Him, even in the most dangerous environments.
How can you show others that you trust God with every day of your life?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Kent Martin is a writer.