Seven Years Ago Today

Seven years ago today I was hurting. I had injured my back at work four years prior. I had slipped a disk which was herniated and protruding into my sciatic nerve. Pain would suddenly shoot down my leg and my toes would often go numb for no apparent reason. I’d had surgery several months after hurting myself which helped, but did not totally heal me. I couldn’t sit long enough to eat dinner, sit through a church service or go to a movie. If I lifted even a gallon of milk I could really hurt myself. If I overdid things (like driving too far or walking or sitting too much) I would be in bed for 2-3 days. I was in pain all the time. And I was miserable. Little did I know this night seven years ago today that all that was about to change.
I knew early on that at some point God would miraculously heal me. I don’t know HOW I knew, I just knew. It took four long years before it happened. We had known a traveling preacher for many years. He was having a week of meetings in our area and we had gone the first two nights. When we arrived the third night (a Wednesday), I had no expectations of anything being different. No anticipation of anything other than good singing and good preaching. Worship was awesome that night. And at the end the preacher stood up and said something that in all the years of knowing him he rarely said. “How many people here have pain in their bodies? Raise your hands.” I did. So did about 10 other people. He said “All of you who raised your hands stand up.” I did. He said “Put your hands on the part of you that hurts.” I did. And he started to pray for all of us. The next thing I knew a very strong heat went through my body and the pain LEFT! I’m talking gone completely!!!!! I could hardly believe it and started to cry uncontrollably. Steve was standing next to me and instantly knew what had happened. Without anyone touching me, without anyone praying specifically for me, God had reached down and touched my body and totally, miraculously and completely healed me! Glory to God! Hallelujah!
That was November 13, 2002. Seven years ago. By the time you read this blog post I will be celebrating that miraculous healing by traveling alone through two major international airports carrying heavy bags on my way to a weekend of fun with an online friend. One of those days that I’ll be with her we will join 8 other ladies and will spend the entire day scrapbooking and having great fun. They are also all online friends that I’ve never met. This means that I will be lugging heavy bags. I will be doing lots of sitting. I will be walking a lot. And all of it will be without assistance, without worry and without pain!!! Thank You Jesus!!!
So if any of you out there reading this post are hurting, if any of you don’t believe in God or Jesus, if any of you think that nothing like this ever happens, I am here to tell you that they do. And if it can happen to me it can happen to YOU! Go ahead. Ask God. He will hear and He will answer you. But you have to be willing, ready and able to HEAR. And when He does speak, you have to act. It could be as simple as putting your hand on the spot that hurts. Go ahead. Just try it. And let me know what happens. If it’s nothing, then don’t give up. Remember, it took me four years. Yes, I got discouraged and didn’t think it would ever happen. Yes, I asked God why He took so long to heal me. I don’t have that answer. But heal me he did and now I have my life back. And on Friday the 13th 2009 I will be celebrating what an awesome God He is! May God richly bless you and heal you!