BE THOU GLORIFIED

A member of our congregation, a mother and wife, is in hospital recuperating after a hip replacement operation.

In to-day's world, with modern technology, techniques and medical expertise, this in itself is not amazing or an extraordinary feat.

However, what is amazing is this woman's faith in and love for God and her continued spiritual strength and courage. Her diabetes is so severe that her kidneys are no longer functioning at all - she undergoes dialysis three times a week. Because of this malfunction of the kidneys and the medication and treatment, her arteries are hardening and calcifying to the extent that stents have been permanently implanted into veins in her upper left arm to allow for the dialysis and intravenous medication to be administered when necessary. This has caused her left arm to be twice the circumference of her right arm.

She is extremely thin.

Her eyesight is severly impaired.

For almost two years she has been unable to walk and has been cloistered either to her bed or a wheelchair.

Her thyroid gland has been affected by the disease and the subsequent treatment and is not functioning properly.

Her muscles and neurological system have suffered considerable damage. She needs assistance to bath and dress.

She fell during December last year and X-rays showed that her hip was cracked. Having been in pain ever since, she was X-rayed again last week and the shocking news was that her hip was, in fact, fractured and that she required a full hip replacement.

Her doctor advised her that the surgeons at the hospital were not prepared to operate on her because of the risks involved. They then contacted a professor from a training hospital, who during an interview told her that he was prepared to operate, but explained to her the very real risk to her life if the operation is performed.

She replied that God being God, He could do whatever He wished with her - if she died, she would have a glorified body which would be better still than having a hip replaced in the old one!

            "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable."
             1 Cor. 15:19

Her continuous testimony to all around her about the love and goodness of God, and her godly ways and attitude strengthens every person who comes into contact with her.

When you visit to encourage her, you come away encouraged.

God in continuously being glorified in and through her life and testimony!  When I speak with her I am reminded of the title of a book "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas à Kempis.

             "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His
              Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethern. Rom. 8:29

We heard this morning that the operation was a success and that she was being moved ffrom ICU to a general ward today.

God is good - all the time - and all the time God is good. Praise His name.

                "But we have this treasure in earthern vessels, that the excellence of the power
                 may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed,
                 we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, 
                 but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
                 that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is
                 working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith according
                  to what is written "I believed and therefore spoke" we also believe and therefore
                 speak." 2 Cor. 4:7-13

Thank You, Lord, for living testimonies to Your goodness and power and grace. Thank you that You are capable of keeping and nurturing life, when we cannot see tomorrow for the troubles of today. Thank You for strength for every day.