God Stop, Gage Hayes

I am so amazed how God works! Just when we think He isn't working in my life, He shows me that HE IS!

I'm still in my Beth Moore study, Living Free; and, I'm on week 2, "To Know and Believe Him." Last night at 3:00 a.m. I couldn't sleep, and I found myself studying His word as I so often do in the middle of the night. I think God wakes me between 3 and 5 for us to spend time alone. It's quiet then. The home is still. My children and husband sleep soundly, and I can spend time alone with God.

Beth's studies always challenge me with questions and scripture reading, and the study last night was challenging me to question whether or not I believe IN God, or truly BELIEVE GOD. I thought long and hard about each sentence, each question, each verse. I came to this conclusion:
"Believing IN God is believing in the theory that God is real. Believing God is living by faith that God can intervene, change things, make things happen, that our lives are blessed, and that He IS real."

I love college students. I'm so fortunate to have a staff of 14 college students working for me. I just adore them all. One of them left town night before last because her 6 year old brother became very ill. Within hours he was in ICU in Austin, then yesterday he was transported to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. His liver has failed. He's been a healthy young boy, but suddenly became ill for no apparent reason.

This morning he was needing a liver transplant, which of course means that someone else would need to die in order for him to live. Taylor, my college student, and I began texting throughout the day. She would send me updates as to her brother's condition. I would send her encouragement. I found myself on my knees in my office, on my knees behind the bathroom door, on my knees in the model home, on my knees in the bathroom again. Just pleading with God, "I believe. Heal him. I believe. Heal my unbelief. I believe." I felt like the father in Mark 9:24, "I do believe..., help my unbelief." Even with that plea, Jesus healed the man's son.

Later that afternoon he was a tiny bit better, but not out of the woods. I was so scared to tell Taylor to believe God, I mean, what if Gage, her brother, died. How could I bare telling her that God still had a plan when her baby brother was not saved. I had to believe, 100%, that God would heal him. How could I believe with all of my heart when so many of my earnest prayers have gone unanswered? I just had to believe God.

So, I told Taylor to claim healing for her brother with me. I told her that he would not need a new liver. As I texted her those words she was texting me, "OMG, I just found out that he was moved out of ICU!"

We don't know what has gone wrong with Gage's liver, and we don't know what tonight will hold for him. We're believing in a miracle though. Just as I was saying to God, not 24 hours earlier, "Yes, Lord, I believe you can do all things," he opened a challenge to prove my belief. I'll call this event, "God Stop, Gage Hayes." Yes, miracles can happen. One is happening now. We're claiming it.