Day 75

 

Stones On A Plane

 

So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake he lived.

 

Numbers 21:9

 

 

Some of you may have seen the movie Snakes On a Plane. I am  not revealing any plot secret to tell you that it involves a bunch of deadly snakes at loose on a plane. I have never been attacked by venomous snakes while flying in a plane  but I have been attacked by something extremely painful while on a plane. On a flight from Miami, Florida to Lima, Peru I had my first and hopefully last kidney stone attack.

It began in the first hour of the flight with great discomfort. In a short time the great discomfort turned to raging pain. I went to the flight attendant to inform them that something was wrong, seriously wrong with me. Evidently I looked like death on a stick because they began to search for a Doctor on the plane. They found one who asked me a few diagnostic questions and then told me what I had already guessed; I had a kidney stone problem. I had never had one before but had been informed that there is no pain like kidney stone pain.

The Dr. gave me the strongest pain killer he had with him on the plane - Tylenol with codeine. He told me it probably wouldn't help much. He was a doctor and a prophet because it didn't help at all. He might as well have given me a jelly bean for the pain. In fact a jelly bean would have been better because it would have tasted better.

I watched the seconds go by on my watch for hours in sheer agony waiting for the plane to land in Lima. I told God, "You have got to help me, I'm going here to do your work." I just couldn't fathom God having me travel all the way to Peru just to pass a kidney stone and miss out on visiting the orphanage and ministering to people in need. I knew if I was going to do anything in Peru that God would have to do something.

He did. As I buckled in for our descent into Lima I suddenly began to feel better. The pain subsided and the flight attendants informed me that I had got my color back. I don't know if God dissolved the kidney stone or postponed it for another day (I'm hoping for the former) but I do know God took care of it. Like the Israelites looking on the bronze snake with faith and living I had looked to God with stones on a plane and lived through it. I ministered to people in Peru that week before returning home without a further problem. I'm sure it is not as exciting as Snakes On a Plane but knowing that God will take care of you is pretty exciting stuff.

 

Upon Further Review:

 

Read Numbers 21:4-9

 

• When Moses prayed did God take the snakes away?
• Did looking at the bronze snake prevent them from getting bitten?
• Does God sometimes take us through problems rather than removing them from us?