Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

• Matthew 10:30-31

One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.

• Revelation 13:3

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

• Luke 4:23

As for the first Scripture, Jesus talks about the hairs on your head, but He could have easily talked about the enormous number of glial cells that hold the neurons and axons in place so that we can function, think, or remember.  God takes care of that also, but they had no concept of that knowledge in the time of Jesus.

As for the second Scripture, one of the heads of the beast had a fatal head wound, but the wound had healed.  How many times could you read that before you say, “Wait a minute!  If the head wound was fatal, it could never be healed because the head would die before the healing could take place!”  Of course, there is great symbolism in a lot of Revelation.  You could say that the USSR received a fatal blow, but the standing president of Russia was once a KGB operative back in the USSR days.  Could that be a fatal blow that looks like it has healed?

Please, do not get me wrong.  I only use the interpretation to illustrate that in the imagery that God showed the Apostle John, there is meaning within the idea of a fatal wound that was not really fatal and the wound healed.

But what happens when there are many wounds to the head?  Not fatal, but without proper treatment, could they become fatal?

I know someone who is afflicted by seizures when stress gets out of hand.  This person’s boss imagined that my friend was a troublemaker.  The boss generated a paper trail to blame all the problems within the department on my friend.  My friend had to go before a review board to prove all the allegations were false.  At the review board, the seizures started.  Over the next few months, my friend was at work and then off work with uncontrolled seizures.

The review board moved him to another department, but the seizures continued.  Once you have stress that is out of control, your mind can tell your body that the danger is over, but the body may not respond.

A neurologist was called in and my friend was put on short-term disability, a financial stress with less money coming in.  But the work stresses were over, short term.  The neurologist prescribed medication, but when the medication caused terrible side effects, stuttering and memory loss, the neurologist did not cut back on the medication. No!  There was an increase.  A new medication was added that had dangerous interactions with a half dozen medicines my friend was already taking, including the anti-seizure medication with its bad side effects that were already present.

In the midst of all this, my friend got an MRI of the brain.  He and his wife called me to say that the MRI results were “Abby Normal.”  They laughed while I was confused.  This was nothing to laugh about, but then they explained that “Abby” was thrown in as a joke.  The MRI showed nothing of concern.  So, why the increasing number of seizures?  Why the stuttering?  Why the memory loss?  (Okay, I do not think Obama is still the president of the USA, and someone that does not recognize their own home, trying to run away from it, and they cannot remember their own name…  Forget arguing whether my friend has a memory loss problem.)

My friend loves Jesus and some people that live nearby, who are retired and could help simply taunted him by saying “Let your Faith keep you safe.”  Disgusting.  I could think of stronger words, but I am trying to love my enemies.

But God has every one of those glial cells counted.  Maybe a few are not holding onto the neurons as they should, and my friend needs answers.  But God is in control, and to Him we owe our praise.  As for all who have abused or taunted my friend and his family, they will be dealt with in the end.

And what will be the good for those who love the Lord?

I sometimes think of my situation, where I did not find employment stability until one son rebelled, and now refuses to open any lines of communication.  My wife cried herself to sleep for years over that problem.  But in the end, my wife and I learned to trust Jesus and leave those that we love in God’s hands, for better or worse.

Will my friend ever get well?  With the neurologist going for stronger doses of dangerous drugs, it will clearly be God healing my friend, while the physicians cannot heal themselves.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.