beauty from ashes....

Several years ago, I injured my neck and consequently suffered two herniated disks, one in my C-6 and one in my C-7.
Surgery, I was told, was my only option.
Really...?
Now, I had endured weeks of excruciating pain and I was quite done, to be honest, but, I did NOT believe that surgery was my only option because I serve a God who heals and I believe we, in this country, do not experience the miracle of healing because we do not ask; we simply defer to our insurance policies to take care of our physical bodies, which is great and fine, but, for me, at that point, I was hungry for a miracle.
And so, I got down on my knees and asked the Lord to heal my neck.
He did.
It was miraculous....amazing!
But..... he left behind a reminder; the tip of my right index finger had been numb from the onset of the injury and in His divine wisdom He left it that way...a reminder practically emblazened not only on my dominant hand but also on my most used finger; a reminder which gives me pause a hundred times a day.
GOD HEALED ME-NOT BECAUSE OF WHO I AM BUT TO SHOW WHO HE IS-HE LOVES AND DELIGHTS IN HIS CREATION.
He didn't heal me because I deserve it, but rather He healed me to reveal to me His character.
Isn't that just like God?
I was talking with a friend about some difficult circumstances in her life and she shared how God has brought her through it,though it has taken some time, however, there are occasions when she runs into the others involved in the situation and it reminds her of the pain and difficulty she and her family went through during that time.
I told her about my neck, my healing, and the "reminder" that God left behind and how her situation was really not all that different because those people are her "reminder" to praise God for His healing power in her heart and in her life.
We both left that encounter, I believe, feeling very blessed with the knowledge that no matter what life brings to our table, we are never alone....God is there and he delight in His creation and He knows what is best for us.
I think of Paul and the "thorn in his flesh" that he prayed for God to remove but was told no.
Now, I can honestly say that I understand why; that "thorn" caused more praise in God's direction than it caused pain in Paul's direction and I believe that
God is more interested in building our character into His image rather than making us more comfortable.
Praise be to God who creates beauty from ashes.