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From: Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: questions and answers
Message-ID: <15728@handicap.news>
Date: 21 May 91 03:58:05 GMT
References: <15701@handicap.news>
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Reply-To: Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
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Index Number: 15728

My wife has been blind since birth, and has been a Christian
since her early teens or so.  Three times people have prayed for
her to receive sight, laying hands on her, etc.  I didn't know
her yet the first two times, but we were already engaged by the
third time.

God says that we need to come to him the way little children
trustingly come to their parents.  He also tells us that he gives
us good gifts.  It is easy to come to God with an immature
attitude that says "If you love me, you'll give me ..." much the
way spoiled children manipulate their parents.  It's harder to
come to God with a mature attitude that says "I know you love me,
here's what I want, and I trust you to give me what is best for
me to have."

It took a lot of prayer and Bible study for my wife to understand
(I mean really understand with all her heart) that God wasn't
rejecting her by refusing to heal her blindness.  The apostle
Paul pleaded with God three times for his "thorn in the flesh" to
be removed, and in the end, God told him "My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  This is an
encouragement to Michelle, since she has asked three times for
her sight.  God is sufficient for her.

Please don't think I'm saying that we shouldn't pray.  We should.
But expecting our heavenly Father to do anything we tell him to
do is presumptuous.  In fact, this was one of the temptations
Satan attacked Jesus himself with.

                 Darin McGrew     "The Beginning will make all things new,
           mcgrew@Eng.Sun.COM      New Life belongs to Him.
       Affiliation stated for      He hands us each new moment saying,
identification purposes only.      'My child, begin again....
				    You're free to start again.'"