Jehovah Rapha

At the beginning of the year, I started reading through a devotion book based on the Names of God.  I'm also getting ready to start a Bible study called "Knowing God by Name."  His many different names all describe a character trait, and knowing Him by name means that I am better able to seek Him.  After all, He knows me intimately...

As many of you know, last week Caleb fell at school and hurt his knee.  As a nurse, I usually don't get too concerned when Caleb gets hurt.  (If it's not profusely bleeding, it's probably ok.) However, when I got to school, his knee was twice the size of the other one, with a large bruise on the top of it.  Instinctively, I knew this time it was something to be concerned about.

Dr. Plumb wasn't in the office but Dr. Hamilton saw us and ordered an x-ray.  He looked at it and told me he thought there was an avulsion fracture.  He called UK and told me to go get a knee immobilizer.  A knee immobilizer?  That's going to keep Caleb still... anyway, off to KRMC and the PT department we went, and strapped that knee in.

The next day, the radiologist had looked at the x-ray and saw an area of concern.  It was going to be almost a week before they could get us in at UK, so Dr. Hamilton went ahead and set us up for an MRI in Hazard. That was probably the longest 35 minutes of my life... and Caleb's. He did manage to lay still, though, and complete the test.  A trip to Walmart and church made for a very tired boy, but he was determined to go to school the next day. And determined to go to his aunt's graduation on Friday.  And his cousin's wedding in Tennessee on Saturday, and a trip to the Titanic Museum (complete with a climb up the Grand Staircase) on Sunday. 

Through all of this, I posted statuses on facebook asking all my friends to pray. Caleb prayed.  My family prayed.  My church family prayed.  Caleb is such a loving child (even though he can be selfish sometimes, and hateful, he truly has a heart of gold and loves so much).  He had been diligently praying for Rosa since her car wreck, (and go ahead and send up a prayer for her tonight... she starts Outpatient Therapy at Cardinal Hill tomorrow), and he told me, "Mommy, Rosa had faith, and look what God did for her.  He can fix me, too, I  just have to have faith."  Big words for such a little guy... but he's prayed every night.  Oh, he's questioned and cried and even screamed a little.  But every night, he's thanked God for his blessings.  He's asked Him to heal him. 

So today, we headed to UK.  I was prepared for the worst, but praying for the best.  The MD looked at the films and then examined Caleb.  He had good range of motion in the knee, was able to bend it and straighten it and put some weight on it.  No torn ligaments.  The MD saw where they thought the avulsion fracture was, but said that with the range of motion Caleb had, he didn't see how it could be that.  He gave us a prescription for physical therapy, said for him to wear the knee immobilizer until he had full range of motion and full weight bearing, and sent us on our merry way.

Could those x-rays be wrong?  Maybe.  I'm choosing to believe that what I've known all my life is true... Prayer works, and my God is a healer.  ²⁵And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
²⁶And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee."- Exodus 15:25-26.  The LORD that healeth... Jehovah Rapha.  My El Shaddai... because His grace is ALL sufficient.