By John Warren

 

I stand amazed at the power of God’s healing hand.

I have had a problem with my knee for eight years. My first experience happened when I was probably at my healthiest. I had been going to a personal trainer for two years and trained on weights and was feeling 10 years younger.

But one morning at the gym getting up from doing sit-ups on the mat, my knee popped and it felt like someone had popped me with a rubber band and when I put my weight on my leg there was a lot of pain and I could not hold myself up.

It happened once or twice a year. But this spring it happened three times in a two week period.

I had finally had enough and made an appointment with a doctor. I had been to two other doctors over the years and they gave me a shot in the knee but this time I wanted surgery or something to keep it from happening again.

Last Tuesday, I was getting ready for Vacation Bible School. Our theme is Shipwrecked Island, Jesus Rescues. I had my Hawaiian shirt on and lei around my neck and sat down to tie my shoes. When I started to get up, I felt that now familiar pop of the knee and down I went.

I sent the message that I hurt my knee and I could not walk to Vacation Bible School with my wife.

That was Tuesday.

I spent the day with my leg propped up on ice and periodically would push myself around in an office chair; this had always helped before but not this time. A pain pill and Tylenol only slowed the aching knee.

Wednesday, we left for a doctor visit in Houston on crutches. I went to lunch on crutches and struggled, after the doctor we had tickets for an Astros ball game. I could barely imagine getting to our seats in the stands. My wife joked she would leave me in the car while she went to the game.

When we got to the doctor, I got out of the car and started to get my crutches out when suddenly I noticed there was no pain in my knee and I could walk again! Thank you Lord!

To make a long story short, I had an MRI and went to the game! The Astros won!

I learned the rest of the story the next morning when I walked into Vacation Bible School and one of the adults shared with me about her grandchildren wanting to pray for Pastor John’s knee. The message they had learned for that day was Jesus rescues. Yes, even when you least expect it Jesus rescues.

 

John Warren is Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church, 502 North 6^th Street in Orange.