Tuesday, February 7, 2012

For the Naysayers

I don't believe there are any true miracles without naysayers. In Exodus 4:8-9 God told Moses how to convince His own people that He had spoken and it took 3 supernatural signs.  "Then the LORD said, 'If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.” So, far be it for me to expect everyone to believe God did a miracle here.

However, I don't hear a lot from naysayers myself. Of course there are a few who anonymously comment on here, but for the most part people are asking my friends about it instead. So I thought I'd address it in case there's anyone out there who just doesn't have someone to ask about it, or doesn't have the nerve.

The way I see it, there are a few specific ideas the naysayers may have about the events I've blogged about. First, maybe I made it up. Second, maybe I am not really healed. Third, maybe something other than God healed me. I'll talk about each of these below, but if you know of another argument I'll be happy to address it.

Argument 1: Maybe I made this all up. I think I'll scan the two PET scans in (not tonight but soon) to show some evidence, but that wouldn't appease everyone because they could be forged or different people. Nothing will satisfy people like that, so let's move on. So, if I made it up my goal would have been to convince people to become Christians. If that's the case I either a) think more people should follow Christ, or b) am an atheist and think it's hilarious to get people to believe in anything. There are problems with both of these ideas. If I am a real Christian (which I am!), to have true faith I don't lie because it's a sin, and trust God to make His own miracles without my help. I hope those who know me recognize my honesty and if you don't know me you can tell that my faith is deep. So I do trust God to show Himself as needed. If I'm a huge liar and just watching to see how many people I can get off course, I'm really messed up because making people believe in different things than I do would actually hurt my cause. So, hopefully that suffices to demonstrate that I don't have any reason/s to lie about all this.

Argument 2: People may believe I'm not really healed. They could say the cancer is coming back. Time will tell, so stay tuned I suppose. Although there's "no cure" for Stage 4 cancer, 5 years of remission is when people tend to be convinced cancer is permanently gone.

Argument 3: People may say the chemo cocktail or combination of drugs healed me. To be clear, I received 4 doses of A/C chemo, an extremely common type. For 10 days before the PET scan I followed  a diet that many other people follow. The author of the diet book studied the evidence and purported that, at best, the diet slows or stops growth of cancer. Doesn't remove it. Time will tell with this argument also, because if somehow the common chemo + 10 days of eating more vegetables can now cure an incurable disease it will be the best news to hit the medical community in a long time.

By the way, if that's the case, I will still give God the glory. He created man, He made our world turn with very specific laws and rules that man is able to use to help us survive. He is the one who gets to break those rules when He sees fit. And for me, He broke them last week. For you, He might break them tomorrow.

One last thing that's been on my mind--God performs miracles all the time. ALL the time. For us on earth we only recognize them when they are impossible for us to define in other ways. However, every answered prayer or move from God is an equal "challenge" or effort for Him. But whether He answers your prayer for help with finances by having your bills add up to a lower amount this month or by having you find the winning lottery ticket in the pocket of your brand-new jeans, they're all miracles. You ask, you believe, you receive. James 1:6-7, "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

14 comments:

  1. Erin
    Our GOD is so much bigger than we can imagine and He is not limited by our little brains and earthly thinking. GOD will not be put in a box, HE IS GOD!!! YES, YOU WERE HEALED, YES, GOD HEALED YOU!!! When man says NO, GOD SAYS YES. Time and time again in His Word, he tells us to trust, to have faith, to believe. I think as Christians God must shake His head at us.........when we pray and pray and then He answers we want to rationalize it away such as "she was misdiagnosed,(which you weren't)the chemo cured you (which it didn't) or you really never had caner(which you did)........GOD knows and loves HIS children and He wants to give us what we ask for........do all people that we pray for get well, get healed? NO, why, only GOD knows the answer to that question. HE is still GOD, our part is to ask, which is what people in 13 countries and all 50 states have done, most have asked DAILY and God has answered!!!!
    TO GOD BE ALL THE PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY!!!
    HIS NAME IS GREAT AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED...
    I love you and I love a God that is still in the prayer answering business that we can trust with our very lives.

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  2. Well, I guess I'm one of the "foolish" ones because I KNOW you are Healed... and I KNOW JESUS HEALED YOU...I am so happy to be a fool for Jesus!!!

    Rejoicing and thanking My Redeemer.. AMEN and AMEN!!!!

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  3. This is one of my very favorite blog entries! I've been praying for all those "naysayers" to search their hearts and realize how the very same God who most certainly healed your cancer wants to give them "real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." (John 10:10)

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  4. Erin, I've been following this blog and praying for you and the family. I've asked many believers to join in prayer for you. I've told people to read your blog as, in my opinion, is the best "devotional" on the "market." It's honest, true, and glorifying to God in one of the toughest trials I could ever imagine someone going through. I have been rejoicing for you guys with your healing, and have been praying for the naysayers as well. I'm so glad you addressed it.
    The other day, when you announced the miracle of healing that God has done in you, I was talking with my husband about it, specifically what I feel like the Holy Spirit has been pressing into my heart since you've been healed. True as God always does - when He wants you to hear something, it's going to come through multiple "channels." Your last paragraph was just that! My thoughts have been along the lines of how impressed/greatful/in-awe we are of this healing, but truly we should be just as impressed/greatful/in-awe of own salvation! That's no less, and I'd argue even more, of a miracle than the healing that you have received. It has really helped me return to that place of awe for my salvation. Miracles do happen! Bigger than we could ever imagine! Some seen, some unseen. But the biggest one of all is our salvation...thank you for helping me remember that!

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  5. People saw Jesus himself do miracles and didn't believe. Even if you post your scans, some people will think they're faked if they have a wall around their heart.
    The best thing you can do is to enjoy every moment and live your life. And twenty, thirty and more years down the road we'll still be reading your posts. What will they say then? : )

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  6. Erin,

    There is no proof that can convince everyone. That is exactly what God intended. The people that are willing to open their hearts to God will see it, the others won't. If Jesus wanted to PROVE his resurrection I'm sure he easily could've but it would have defeated the purpose. Faith is to believe in the unseen. Witnessing your miracle is a blessing for all of us.
    For every time we have begged God to show us he still loves us, for every time we have had doubts THIS is his answer. This IS proof.
    It's HUGE proof. I feel like I am one of the witnesses who got to see Jesus heal the sick. It's an amazing honor, thank you for sharing it with us.

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  7. God used the Doctors and the procedures and the diet, along with your undoubted faith to heal you. He was with you during this whole ordeal and will always be with you through the good things and the bad,as long as you continue to ( sing along ) - "trust and obey, for there`s no other way"....
    Love Uncle Jamison

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  8. I'm thanking God for all of you right now!

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  9. I so agree with Uncle Jamison!! As they say in Brooklyn...screw the naysayers!!!!

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  10. Wow. I am in awe and utter amazement of your strength and faith. I don't have the honor of knowing you personally, a friend forwarded your blog to me and I just read through your journey. Tears, smiles, sadness, gladness and mostly, Wow, the love & power of our God...I felt it all reading your blog. I don't have words that I feel are sufficient for the miracle that He has bestowed upon you, but Praise God! and I am soooooo happy for you & your family, especially your precious and beautiful girls. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Your journey and faith are really, really powerful...it made me stop & question my faith and where I need to have more unconditional trust in God. God Bless you.

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  11. I don't think it will always be possible to change an atheists point of view with one miracle as you said, but hopefully it will be one of those seeds that is planted and intended to grow at some point in the future of their faith.

    It's the people that actually say they are Christians, but that don't always believe in the power of prayer that I think will be touched the most by this miracle. The ones that tend to just go to church on Sunday thinking to ensure a place in heaven, but that live wrecklessly the rest of the week in between.

    It actually amazes me how you can tell Christians about this type of miracle and have them also try to explain it away. Perhaps because they have prayed for things themselves and those prayers weren't always answered, but maybe that is because in some way they didn't necessarily believe that they would be.

    This type of miracle puts a whole new perspective on the power of prayer and not just any type of prayer, but the kind that YOU have shown over and over by believing God will answer. I'm so proud to know you!

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  12. Erin, I have to agree with you that no matter what you do there will be people that don't believe. A few summers ago there was a great revival in Lakeland and people were healed, raised from the dead and all kinds of miracles and the naysayers were all over the place. For some reason (the devil) people just can't grasp a miracle unless it happens right in front of them. I don't know you personally..a friend in Tallahassee sent me your blog link and asked me to pray for you, but I DO KNOW you were healed!!! I've been involved in a bible study of Ephesians and it is so full of great news and even though I've been a Christian for a really long time, I am learning so much about the Love of Christ and faith renewed every day. Ephesians 2:13 says "...we were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise!" God bless you and your beautiful family!! Keep professing your faith and healing no matter what!!

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  13. This is where I think your trip to Texas comes in. It was so incredibly disheartening when it happened, but now it's more information for those who might otherwise doubt the depth of this miracle.

    I'm learning so much right now, through your journey and through my own study, but one big one is that I need to give God the glory for all the ways He works in my life everday. I don't witness a miraculous healing everyday, but (as you say) "He created man, He made our world turn with very specific laws and rules that man is able to use to help us survive." He is in everything and to Him be the glory.

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  14. Wow. I have a call to pray with people who have cancer, I heard about you thru the momastery site but this is AWESOME!!! Friend me on facebook and you will see that I am bald and wear a shirt That says Called to Be Bald, and important writing on the back. I have a real ministry and your story is encouraging because I have yet to see God heal someone...and I believe you. I believe in your miracle. I will pray for you that you would be a testament to those who do not believe!! Rachel Dougherty McGonigle

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