This past Friday, the Lord gave us a little miracle. 

It was a crazy day because I was frantically trying to clean our house, cook dinner, and get us ready for the Sabbath, in general.  A turn of events found us in the boys’ bedroom where I was changing Micah’s diaper and Imanuel was crying because he just had a little accident where he hurt his leg.  It felt better as we were walking out of the room, but as I swung the door shut, I didn’t realize that Imanuel had his fingers in the crack of the door where the hinges are.  I literally heard a crunch.  I immediately swung the door open and pulled his finger out.  He had never cried like this before.  It was one of those silent cries where he didn’t breathe for about a minute but his face was contorted to form the most pitiful, pained look.  I tried hugging him, but his body was frozen and stiff.  Needless to say, he was in some serious pain and I felt so terrible.  After about 5 minutes of crying and whimpering, he calmed down enough to let me know that his finger hurt.  Then he went on to ask, “Why did you close the door and hurt me?”  And then he started balling again.  Yes, I felt horrible.  Anyway, I explained that it was an accident and he knew that.  His finger was blue and majorly dented where the edge of the door pinched his finger against the wall.  He was sitting on our green couch when he looked at me and said,

“Mama, I want to pray and ask Jesus to heal me.” 

I told him that that was a GREAT idea.  So, I asked him to pray and he did.  It went something to this effect: 

“Dear God, Please help my finger to feel better and heal me.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen”. 

I had wrapped a little bandage around it, but right after we prayed, I decided to take that off and I asked him if he wanted a bandaid.  I took off the bandage and looked at his finger (-it was primarily his pointer finger that got pinched).  Then I momentarily got confused because I didn’t see the bruise or the dent.  So, I got his other hand and looked at that finger.  Manu was like,

“It was this finger.  It doesn’t hurt anymore.” 

He started wiggling it and moving it around.  I touched it and asked if it hurt and he said “no”.  I think I was more shocked than him.  Anyway, I kept looking at his finger over and over again and touching and pressing here and there in disbelief.  I was so surprised and said, “Your finger is better!!”  Then Imanuel exclaimed, “I want to pray again and say ‘Thank You’ to Jesus!”  I agreed that that would be a good idea.  He prayed and thanked Jesus and said that He was “so nice” to heal his finger! 

I must admit that after this whole ordeal, I began to doubt this miracle.  I was rationalizing. 

Babies and little kids have super-quick and efficient immune systems.  Little cuts and bruises heal so quickly!  Maybe that’s why it went away so fast…etc.etc  But I’m so glad that Imanuel thinks it was Jesus!

As if God was trying to prove Himself, Imanuel got hurt a couple hours later.  He bit himself on his fingernail.  He was crying and crying again.  It was a little red.  I immediately suggest that we pray since that worked last time.  So, I prayed for his little finger.  After I said, “Amen”, I asked if his finger felt better.  He said, “no” and continued to say that it still hurts and that he needs a bandaid.  It hurt for the next 10 minutes and he wouldn’t stop whining about it. 

Sometimes I believe God must get so frustrated with my unbelief and hypocrisy.  He knew that often when I pray with my kids to “help” them with a problem, (or even to thank Him for that matter!) it is more of a lesson to teach this “good habit” as opposed to really believing that even at this young age, God could truly answer any petition we ask Him and that He is our Lord who is beyond worthy of our worship.   

I’m so thankful for this experience for my son & for myself.  There is no doubt in my mind that Imanuel believes with his whole heart that Jesus healed his finger because He is “so nice” AND that He is able and willing to help us.  And now I believe it too.  I was so rebuked by this experience.  God truly does care.  He wants to reveal Himself to us.  He is just asking for a simple, child-like faith. 

Prayer is such a privilege and I hope to never take it for granted again.