A number of weeks ago I posted here on my blog a story I had written for my dear friends at freedom2b, for their June chapter meeting in Sydney (first Friday of the month, all welcome!). The story is lengthy. It's a story about a woman with a terrible illness. It's a sad story, but it has a generous smattering of hope. It is not my story. But it is my story. Let me explain.
The story is completely true (a few very minor details were changed to protect the innocent). I met this woman just three days before the freedom2b meeting in question. Sometimes things happen in my life, and the only way I know how to deal with them is to write about them. This was one of those times.
I spent virtually a whole day with this beautiful young woman. I listened to her story in great detail. And as she spoke, it was as though she were sitting there telling me my own story. She had so many stories of suffering to which I could relate- emotional stressors, alcoholism, terrible illness... And the timeline was seemingly similar as well. I think we formed a pretty special bond that day as we shared our stories together.
I prayed for healing for her. And with my fellow disciples of Jesus in the community at Hope Uniting Church, we prayed for healing for her, in the name of Jesus Christ. And I know there were many others praying for her also. So ill was she when I met her that she could hardly walk from the front door to the living room. She leaned so heavily on her walking stick. And she was in unbearable pain. Her condition had been steadily deteriorating for two long years. The specialist had told her that there was nothing more she could do for her, and she was quickly losing hope. And since I'd met with her, I'd heard that she'd had a lengthy stay in hospital. Despite my best intentions, I never got over to visit.
But yesterday I got a phone call from her. She's going back to work next Wednesday. And she's almost completely pain free. She's on only one medication for nerve pain, and the doctors are hopeful she'll be able to discontinue that in a few months' time. No more immunosuppressants. She can drive wherever she wants! And she'll soon be doing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to regain her strength and achieve her dream of getting back to running. Her fiancé is singing in the shower again, and they're talking about finally being able to get married. Apparently I'm invited. Woah, wait, WHAT.....?!!! I nearly fell off my chair! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Li'l more detail please...?
So she'd gone into hospital and every specialist on God's green earth had been brought in to examine her. The worst pain had been in her hip, but she had constant pain in joints all over her body. Eventually the neurologist was brought in and they discovered there was a nerve problem in her hip. She underwent surgery to remove/repair the damaged nerves, a painful procedure, necessarily done while she was awake and conscious. As she healed from the surgery, to the doctors' surprise, not only did the pain in her hip disappear, but all the terrible autoimmune inflammation and pain in all the other joints around her body also began to disappear. Now she has only a little residual pain in her lower back, and occasionally in her hand. She said people must think she's crazy because she's walking round everywhere with a goofy grin on her face!
I was absolutely astounded. To see the healing hand of God in this incredible way was such a reassurance to me of God's love and mercy. In the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 1, at the beginning of a discussion about suffering and comfort, the Apostle Paul pens these words:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort...
These words have replayed in my mind over and over since I received this phone call. This was an answer to our prayers, and it reminded me that even in the bleakest of circumstances, even in the deepest of suffering, there is hope and comfort in Jesus Christ.
Now I too have got the goofy grin. God is good.
Tomorrow I'm going away, far from the city, for the next 9 days. I'm switching off the computer and the phone. So if you need me, bugger off. I've got an appointment with God, and with the stars, in a secluded place. When I return, lunch with this dear friend is at the top of the list! And I'll see you all on the flip side too.
Peace and love.
The story is completely true (a few very minor details were changed to protect the innocent). I met this woman just three days before the freedom2b meeting in question. Sometimes things happen in my life, and the only way I know how to deal with them is to write about them. This was one of those times.
I spent virtually a whole day with this beautiful young woman. I listened to her story in great detail. And as she spoke, it was as though she were sitting there telling me my own story. She had so many stories of suffering to which I could relate- emotional stressors, alcoholism, terrible illness... And the timeline was seemingly similar as well. I think we formed a pretty special bond that day as we shared our stories together.
I prayed for healing for her. And with my fellow disciples of Jesus in the community at Hope Uniting Church, we prayed for healing for her, in the name of Jesus Christ. And I know there were many others praying for her also. So ill was she when I met her that she could hardly walk from the front door to the living room. She leaned so heavily on her walking stick. And she was in unbearable pain. Her condition had been steadily deteriorating for two long years. The specialist had told her that there was nothing more she could do for her, and she was quickly losing hope. And since I'd met with her, I'd heard that she'd had a lengthy stay in hospital. Despite my best intentions, I never got over to visit.
But yesterday I got a phone call from her. She's going back to work next Wednesday. And she's almost completely pain free. She's on only one medication for nerve pain, and the doctors are hopeful she'll be able to discontinue that in a few months' time. No more immunosuppressants. She can drive wherever she wants! And she'll soon be doing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to regain her strength and achieve her dream of getting back to running. Her fiancé is singing in the shower again, and they're talking about finally being able to get married. Apparently I'm invited. Woah, wait, WHAT.....?!!! I nearly fell off my chair! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Li'l more detail please...?
So she'd gone into hospital and every specialist on God's green earth had been brought in to examine her. The worst pain had been in her hip, but she had constant pain in joints all over her body. Eventually the neurologist was brought in and they discovered there was a nerve problem in her hip. She underwent surgery to remove/repair the damaged nerves, a painful procedure, necessarily done while she was awake and conscious. As she healed from the surgery, to the doctors' surprise, not only did the pain in her hip disappear, but all the terrible autoimmune inflammation and pain in all the other joints around her body also began to disappear. Now she has only a little residual pain in her lower back, and occasionally in her hand. She said people must think she's crazy because she's walking round everywhere with a goofy grin on her face!
I was absolutely astounded. To see the healing hand of God in this incredible way was such a reassurance to me of God's love and mercy. In the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 1, at the beginning of a discussion about suffering and comfort, the Apostle Paul pens these words:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort...
These words have replayed in my mind over and over since I received this phone call. This was an answer to our prayers, and it reminded me that even in the bleakest of circumstances, even in the deepest of suffering, there is hope and comfort in Jesus Christ.
Now I too have got the goofy grin. God is good.
Tomorrow I'm going away, far from the city, for the next 9 days. I'm switching off the computer and the phone. So if you need me, bugger off. I've got an appointment with God, and with the stars, in a secluded place. When I return, lunch with this dear friend is at the top of the list! And I'll see you all on the flip side too.
Peace and love.