Glory and Awe, or something else?

   I have a friend up in Virginia who, in the course of a physical exam, was told that the doctor had found evidence of a cancer growth in one of his kidneys. It looked like the only thing to do was to remove that kidney and hope that the cancer had not spread from there to other areas of his body.

   The decision was made to go to Duke, to have a consultation with a doctor there who specializes in kidney removal, especially those with cancer implications. After that doctor looked at all the information furnished by the referring physician, he told my friend that he was not sure that there was any cancer there and did not want to do surgery unless he was 100% sure of why the kidney was being removed.

   The original diagnosis had seemed so definite. What had happened between the time of the first exam and the second? Did some sort of divine healing take place or had the first doctor been wrong in what he had found?

   Maybe everyone will find out, after the second set of tests have been run at Duke, what the true state of the man's health is, and, if there is indeed some change, when it took place and why.

   I thought of that whole scenario as I read the account in Luke's Gospel of the lame man, healed by Jesus in the presence of Pharisees, teachers of the Law and others. Luke records:

" And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.  And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

   The man had been brought to Jesus by four friends. There was no need for a diagnosis; he could not walk, and, when Jesus told him to take up his bed and go home, he did with great joy, glorifying God all the way.

   And the Scripture records that all who witnessed that healing act were amazed. They glorified God and were filled with awe. Did the "all" include the Pharisees and teachers? Did they too glorify God? They were there, they saw it.

   The first thing I though of when I read the man's email this morning was that the first doctor had missed it, that he had misread the images and made an improper diagnosis, but was this true? Had he seen something, and now it was not there?

   I was quick to assume that there was no supernatural healing involved, that it was a case of simple human error. When I think that way I do not have to glorify God or be in awe of His power to heal.

   Now I am doing all of this without the benefit of the second round of tests, so I really can't know, but I can see how quick I am to take away the supernatural and assume it was a normal mistake, "no big deal".

   God, help me to see Your glory in all of this and be filled with awe for what you do, regardless of the hows and whys of any particular situation. Help me not to leave you out of any equation and realize that You are in it all, regardless.