"Mildly Abnormal"

Those are the words they used to describe my test results.

That’s the 2^nd time in 4 years. Although I’ve heard “totally normal” twice also. The reality: it’s probably something I’ll have to be careful about for the rest of my life. I’ll keep getting tests every 6 months. And that’s totally okay.

But hearing those words brought back all the emotion of the first time.

I’d only been in Africa for a week. Just a few days into what I thought was going to be a two year journey. And I find out there’s an “abnormality”. And I need to have tests run. In the Lord’s grace there was a missionary Dr. who was an “expert”.

But I had to wait a week.

I was angry. I couldn’t believe the Lord brought me all the way to Nigeria only to go home two weeks later, with, in my eyes, nothing accomplished. But in that week His Spirit ministered to me in a way I could never imagine.

As I was listening to a CD I’d listened to a million times before, some words grabbed my attention. It was scripture.

Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.
Hosea 6.1-3

This is where I was. He was crushing me in order to heal me.

I had an opportunity to visit with a Christian from one of Nigeria’s hundreds of people groups. He explained to me how they use these slingshots that they make to “shepherd” their goats and sheep. If one of them begins to wander off they shoot a stone out in front of it to frighten them and they will turn and come running back. What a picture of what was happening in my life.

During the days of waiting I spent a lot of time in the Psalms. I marveled at how often the Psalmist says he cried out to the Lord, “and He answered me.” And in His faithfulness, He answered me.

I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord.
Psalm 118.17

The test results: nothing to worry about. But I knew that already. In my heart I knew that promise was specifically for me at that specific time. He promised. And He can’t lie.

So my response today: praise of His glorious grace! At least I’ll have a bi-yearly reminder of all that He’s done for me and what He wants—am I straying—come running back to Him.