Sometimes, as God works it can appear that there are errors and mistakes.
I recently read the story of the Rajasthani social worker, Doctor Malvika Iyer. Dr Iyer was born on 18 February 1989 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Growing up in Bikaner, Rajasthan, Dr Malvika lived with her family as her father worked as an engineer for the water department. On 26 May 2002, when she was only thirteen years old, Dr Malvika accidentally picked up a diffused grenade, which exploded in her hands, causing her to lose both hands and experience sustained and severe injuries to her legs, which included multiple fractures, nerve paralysis and hypoesthesia. Following multiple surgeries during her eighteen month stay in hospital following this incident, Dr Malvika learned to walk again with crutches and was fitted with prosthetic hands.
When she turned twenty-eight years old, Dr Malvika graduated with her PhD in Social Work from the University of Madras. This was after completing a Masters of Philosophy with the University of Madras, and a Master of Social Work from Delhi University and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St Stephen’s College.
Dr Malvika said, “When the bomb blew up my hands, the doctors were under a lot of pressure to save my life so they made some surgical errors while stitching back my right hand, the stump has a bone protruding out which is not covered by any flesh. But that very mistake has proven so incredible that the bone acts like my only finger. That’s how I type.”
And I have been reflecting on that story today.
You see a terrible thing happened to that woman when she was a very very young child. Through no fault of her own she was the victim of a weapon that was designed to kill. And though she came close to death, she did not die.
And there was a great deal of work involved in her recovery. She had to learn how to live her life without her hands. She had to learn how to walk without good function of her legs.
And I have been thinking about that today because it occurs to me that this is what happens after sin. When we sin, we cause damage – damage even unto the death of the soul – when the sin is mortal.
And this damage must be repaired if the life of the soul is going to continue. And we – as the sinner – are incapable of making such a repair because we are the weakened soul. And so God – who is in no way to blame for the sin and damage that we have caused – like the doctors, works to repair the damage.
And sometimes, as God works it can appear that there are errors and mistakes. And yet, what we see is that there are no mistakes with God and all things are used for His purpose – just like the protruding bone serves as a finger, without which Dr Malvika’s studies would have been negatively affected…
And I have been thinking about that today, as I have been thinking about that protruding bone…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.