In the mornings, Sheri has been reading me a chapter of Andrew Murray’s classic devotional, Abide in Christ. It is a meditation on John 15 and the metaphor that Christ is the vine and we are the branches, and we need to stay intimately connected to him. In this morning’s chapter, Murray notes that there are things that we cannot do on our own. We talked about this before. Our salvation is based entirely on the work of Christ, but our sanctification is based on a partnership of sorts. As Augustine said, “We cannot do it on our own, and God chooses not to do it on his own.” In order to become more like Christ, we need to do what we can do to seek after him, but we depend, ultimately, on God to change our heart.
As it turns out, I am in a similar situation, as it relates to my recovery. There are some things I can do. But ultimately I need God to repair my brain (to rewire it), so that I can get better. I learned today that my left vocal chord was paralyzed by the stroke. In a very Shakespearian way, that leaves me with a very weak voice which is a bit of an occupational challenge. (For those of you who hope my sermons will now be shorter, be forewarned that I intend to get my vocal chords back to full strength.) The good news is that the left vocal chord may turn back on, on its own, and even if it doesn’t, there are ways to strengthen my voice. I really really dislike not being able to just work my way back, but I am thankful for the opportunity to be dependent on God.
My dad is making a bit of a rebound. Last week, my siblings all gathered around him, believing that he was on death’s door. But it appears he has turned a corner, and is regaining strength.
Thanks for your prayers. Tomorrow, Sheri will write.
Press on,
Mike