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GOD'S FOOTPRINTS
By T.Z. Chen
Preface
This miracle happened in the second week of September, 2000. I wrote this down immediately after it happened. In the testimony, the weekdays of Monday, Wednesday, etc. mentioned all happened in the second week of September, 2000.
A few people asked me after I shared this story, how come it is hard for them to see God's footprints in their lives. I thought about this question for a long time. Then I remembered that about one to two months before this miracle happened, I started to read the Bible every morning and started to have quiet time every morning with the Lord. It is recorded in Joshua 3:5, on the eve before Joshua led the Israelites across the river Jordan, he informed the people, "You have to consecrate yourself tonight, for tomorrow God is going to perform a miracle among you". God performs miracles daily on us. As long as we consecrate ourselves, we can see his footsteps clearly.
The Testimony
In June 2000, I received the annual meeting notice from The American Pain Society. As usual, I enrolled myself into the annual meeting. Like the previous years, I registered at a hotel and booked the airline ticket. I was supposed to leave for Las Vegas for the annual meeting on Wednesday and return on Friday. Toward the end of August, I began to feel uneasy every time after I prayed about leaving St. Louis for two or three days. In early September, I decided to cancel the trip for the first time in many years, but I did not know why.
Dr. Leu called on Monday night saying that he planned to visit us on Wednesday night after a memorial service at church. It had been a long time since Dr. Leu and his wife visited us. But I did not know that God had another beautiful arrangement behind this.
On Wednesday afternoon, I was supposed to play golf with a friend. If you remember, Wednesday morning was bright and sunny, but the sky started to turn dark around noon. It was exactly at 1:10 p.m., at our tee time, that it started to rain very heavily. At 1:10 p.m. I stood in our family room looking out of the window at the rain, thinking that God didn't want me to play golf today. But I didn't know why.
Before noon on Wednesday, Jeremy's school called saying that Jeremy was having some abdominal pain. At around noontime, my wife Jean took Jeremy home. Jeremy always complains of abdominal pain. Since I didn't play golf, I was home to examine Jeremy's abdomen. His abdominal pain was no different than what he used to complain about. That night at the dinner, I cooked Jeremy's favorite fried rice, but I asked Jeremy not to eat.
Early that evening, Jean and I attended a memorial service at church. We returned around 10:00 p.m. Jeremy's abdominal pain continued. I again examined Jeremy's belly and thought this might be appendicitis. As Jeremy's father, I cannot really examine Jeremy's abdomen professionally like a physician. The doorbell rang and there was Dr. Leu! I watched Dr. Leu examine Jeremy. He advised us to take Jeremy to the emergency room. Thursday morning at 2:00 a.m. Jeremy was operated on. Indeed, he had appendicitis, but it had not ruptured.
Jeremy always complains of abdominal pain. If I were out of town that week to attend the meeting, the timing for the operation would have been delayed. Just imagine the guilt I would have to carry for life.
If I went to play golf that afternoon, I would be attending the memorial service at church before I came home. I wouldn't be able to have dinner with Jeremy. Jeremy might have had dinner that night. The timing of the operation would have to be postponed because of the full stomach. The chance for the appendix to rupture would be much higher.
If Dr. Leu did not come to our home that night, I probably would have made a different decision. He later told me that the spirit urged his visit. I probably would have told myself to wait until tomorrow and see. This certainly would have delayed the timing of the operation.
God left his footprints on me and at my home. For a non-believer, this might be called a coincidence. Now, I believe that coincidence is only a complicated way of spelling God. Yet, still, how do you explain chains of coincidences? I want to share this story of God's miracle and footprints on me. The high tides and low tides of life may wash off the footprints. I certainly do not want to forget Him.
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