Lessons from the Heart
Whose miracle is it?
By Pastor Sandy Hutchens

Hutchens

Isn't science wonderful? The advances we are making in the medical field alone are enough to boggle the mind. Yet, no matter how advanced we become in the medical field, science field, or any other field, the truth still remains that God is indeed the creator of this universe, and everything in it is uniquely and wonderfully made.

I spent the last two weeks of January with my foot propped up with an ice pack on it. Here is where the miracle part of the medical field comes in. I had a toe joint replaced. What, are you crazy, you might say. No, it seems that they can replace any joint in your body, including the joints of your hands and toes! Yes, replacement joints are not just for knees or hips anymore.

I had injured the joint on my big toe by accidentally dropping something heavy on it. It became arthritic, and the joint began to crumble. There was no cartilage left, and it was just bone rubbing on bone. The other infuriating fact, besides the constant pain, was that the big toe is the toe that helps you keep your balance. When that joint is frozen, then one tends to stumble a little bit more than is normal. So, needless to say, I was very anxious to have the outpatient surgery. It only took the doctor one hour to finish replacing the joint. After coming out of the anesthesia, I got back in my friend's care and I went home. Plus, only two weeks of recovery time, and I have a joint that works.

It amazed me how skilled the surgeon was. After all, those toe joints are pretty small! Add to that the skill of the person or persons who built artificial joints in the first place. Yet, no matter how "advanced" our world becomes, the truth is, we cannot duplicate the original.

While we can make replacement joints out of titanium and plastic, we cannot make them out of bone and cartilage - that wonderful miracle belongs only to God. While we can plant seeds and grow a harvest, the original seeds came from our heavenly Father. While we can fly into outer space and dock at a space station and perform repairs and experiments, all that beautiful universe that the astronauts see was created by God.

We humans need to be reminded of this reality time and time again, lest we forget that we are created, not the creator. In fact, God was so intimately involved in creating each of us, that He even knows how many hairs are on our head. That, my friends, is a miracle.

Sandy Hutchens is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church near Deer Creek.