“Hey baby.”
“Hi daddy.”
“I got some news”
“What’s that?”
“This time next week I will be a one legged man.”
Silence.
“So the doctors can’t save it?”
“No.”
That conversation took place about two weeks ago. I just returned from visiting my parents and being with my dad during the tragic amputation of his right leg. I had offered up a fierce fight of faith, many people did, yet somehow God seemed it best to have his leg removed. Sometimes the only things that change during those times of warring-prayer are attitudes and faith.
If you have read any of my blogs you would know that my dad is my hero. I am not under any impression that he is perfect or a saint, and maybe that is why I admire him so much. He had lived a life not so pleasing to God during his teens, twenties and thirties, but when he was about to turn 40 he came to know Jesus as his personal Savior. I was almost 10 years old. Because of my dads life before Christ he has a heightened sense of the broken, the weary, the rejected, the down-and-out and the forgotten.
He would be the first to offer a drunk a ride home, a gambler a place to stay, a drug addict meal, a dead-beat a few dollars and the liar a second chance. I have watched my dad stand for those who could not stand for themselves my entire life. Both my parents have this incredible gift of mercy and compassion. It is straight from the throne room of Grace and can only be described as crazy love.
My dad has always stood in prayer for his family, his friends and his church. He is the model of the scripture of “having done all to stand, stand therefore.” He has a little drunk in his home town that loves him to pieces and my dad stands for him when everybody else says “give up”, including myself. When Eddie wobbles in his faith or falls off the wagon my dad stand beside him encouraging him and discipling him and yes many times correcting him like a father would and visiting him in jail.
My dad has warred for his family going toe-to-toe with the enemy. And the enemy has been cut off at the legs. But this time it looks like the enemy cut my dad off. But did he? You see our spiritual legs and fortitude have nothing to do with standing physically in the faith. Its unwavering faith, unmoving faith, and unchanging faith; A faith that digs its heels in the ground sets its face like flint and braces for whatever comes its way. With or without legs a person of this type of faith can stand against any demon, even the demon of infection and gangrene, the demon of diabetes and sickness, the demon of phantom pains and rehab.
The only leg the enemy was aloud to cut off was my dad’s physical one. And the bible says satan has to give back double what he has stolen. This means my dad has three legs in the spirit. A bit of a circus freak perhaps but when you think about it what we lose in the natural we gain in the supernatural. Our demotions in the physical are our promotions in the spiritual. One leg in the natural means three legs in the supernatural. The enemy has no concept of the spiritual truth or he would stop stealing from Gods people right away. But the enemy’s foolishness becomes our double portion. For example; the enemy’s plot to kill Christ resulted in Christ’s resurrection and our forgiveness of sin and portion into the kingdom of God! Jesus’ death resulted in double life. His and ours.
Isaiah 61:7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
My dad has stood for things many people would run from. He has stood for the ones many people give up on. He has stood for causes many people would compromise in. He has stood for what was right even if he was the only one standing. He lead by example, and has stood when it cost him everything. Now he leads with a limp in the natural. But he has always had a limp in the supernatural.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 3When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew25:34-40
