On this day, S'ne's 12th birthday, I had another reason to thank and
praise the Lord for the gift of life.
Lindiwe and I had four children already, two girls and two boys, but we had
a deep desire for another 'bundle of joy.' There was joy and excitement in the family
when the baby girl came. Our youngest son, Meliqiniso, who had enjoyed 9-10 years as
the baby in the house accepted his little sister graciously, with only one interesting but
reasonable condition.
In the past 12 years I have often thankfully marvelled at God's grace
in granting us our wish.
Recently we had cause for rejoicing when the German Lindach couple,
Matthias and Jannine Eichhofer, had their first baby - Stephanie Joy - after
seven years of marriage. For the couple it must have been seven long years of agonising
prayer.
On the other hand, I know some dear - I mean very dear - couples whose years
of prayerful expectations of a baby have not been fulfilled. It would be dishonest of
me to tell you that I understand such situations.
Over the years, the question of God answering or not answering our prayers
remains a serious challenge to believers.
During the last visit to Entabeni Hospital my specialist lung doctor
(pulmnologist), Mike van der Linden, expressed a truth that I fully identified with. On
the subject of healing, he said we know that God does not always heal but when we witness
Him miraculously healing someone we rejoice just to know that He does do
these wonders.
After 7-8 years of being terminally ill and much, much prayer for my
healing, I remain unhealed. On the contrary, I have had to watch and feel the
merciless advances of the cruel monster, Motor Neuron Disease. By God's
grace, through it all, I am not a disappointed and disillusioned man. I
have no doubts about God's power to heal. I know that He can, but whether He will
or not depends entirely on His will.
From my personal experience, I have come to believe that the acid test
of the tenacity of our faith is not as much during the exuberant 'hallelujah-moments' as
it is during the tearful 'Thy-will-be-done-moments.'
Have a blessed week.
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
