In September 1999 Hurricane Floyd was threatening our area. I worked for a commercial realty firm and they required the other secretary I worked with and I to move all of the computer equipment to a specific area of the office. My co-worker and I did this as good little employees should but we also made sure that the home office knew that we were not going to be able to move the big stuff as all the realtors were out taking care of properties. The home office told us to do it anyway. We got most of it moved but she had young kids in daycare and had to pick them up before it closed. After all, a hurricane was barreling towards us! Finally I had one more piece of equipment to move. It was the monitor that was on my desk. The thing was so heavy that I could hardly scoot it across my desk much less pick it up and carry it through the length of the office. So I prayed. Now I know people don't believe in a lot of this stuff and it might sound spooky to some of you. But I totally believe in the power of prayer and that God does mysterious and wonderful things sometimes. I remember hearing His voice in my head telling me to leave it alone. I argued with Him and said "But God, I HAVE to move this! This is what my boss told me to do and I must be a good Christian employee!" I heard "Leave it alone" again! Stupid me, I ignored that voice. I managed to scoot the monitor across the desk and managed to get it onto my chair. Then I held on tight to it while I scooted it into the specified room. I felt quite pleased with myself but as I started to let go it started to fall. I caught it and felt something funny in my back. It didn't hurt or anything at the time so I didn't think anything of it. I managed to get the thing back onto the chair and maneuvered the chair where this monitor would stay and finished my day. We later discovered this monitor was one of the ORIGINAL LEAD COVERED monitors and that's why the stupid thing was so heavy!!! My back started hurting on the way home. I figured I was just not used to all that physical labor and ignored it.
Well, Floyd missed us by 40 miles. The weather was GORGEOUS the next couple of days. And my co-worker and I eventually got the office put back together again. But when it came to moving that monitor I called my husband Steve to help. Now if you know him, he's strong as an ox and can lift just about anything. HE HAD TROUBLE LIFTING THIS THING!!!! So that tells you how heavy it was.
Back to my injury. Long story short, by the end of two weeks I literally couldn't move. I managed to drive my little stick shift car to work and within an hour one of the realtors was driving me home in her car! The next day I was in the dr's office getting x-rays. After MRIs and everything it turned out I had slipped a disk which was herniated and protruding into my sciatic nerve. This was NOT going to go away. And now I'm home on worker's compensation, mega drugs and physical therapy 3 times a week. Within a couple of months I couldn't even sit up or lay on the couch. I was in absolute agony! I spent two months laying on my side on the bed with the TV propped up on large books and my little dog Zoe laying against whatever part of my back hurt worst at the time. THAT was amazing how she knew just where to put the pressure on me!!! I was unable to sit up long enough to even eat a meal so taking all the drugs really messed my stomach up big time. Finally in May 2000 I had the surgery and man did I feel better! I was sooooo happy! I was still on Vicodin for pain but I could at least sit up for up to 10 minutes. Still couldn't bend over or do very much tho. I lived on Vicodin or Ultram and never went anywhere without my TENS unit! (Small battery operated machine that uses patches & small electrical pulses to interrupt the pain messages to the brain.)
I finally got to the point where I could drive around a bit. But if I overdid it I'd be in bed for 3 days minimum. And overdoing it could simply mean lifting a gallon of milk! I had to be so very careful! Couldn't go to church much either. It was horrible. And when I did, I'd sit some, stand some, walk around some, etc. Well, I lived like that for almost 4 YEARS!!! I hated being that way!
Eventually I settled with the workers' comp insurance company. When we were in negotiations, God had again "spoken" to me and given me a specific number to start out with in the six figure range. The insurance company started out in the 4 figure range. BIG difference! Steve and I had decided that we wouldn't settle if we didn't get enough. After all, if I didn't get healed we were looking at some pretty big medical expenses for the rest of my life! So the negotiator kept going back and forth between our conference room and theirs. Finally we settled on a 5 figure number. When we did the negotiator looked at us and said "HOW DID YOU DO THAT??? I've NEVER seen them do that before and I've dealt with these people for years!" I told him it was God! We used that money to buy our house with. We moved in a month before 9/11 happened almost 10 years ago.
I always knew that I would someday be healed. I just had that faith. And determination. But after 4 years I was beginning to lose hope. When I was able I would do what I could. But it wasn't easy. And traveling or sitting in church meetings was torture. I just endured as much as possible. Then a friend of ours (Rodney Howard-Browne) came to town for some evangelistic meetings. We'd known him for many years - met him in Alaska. I had actually worked for his brother's ministry for a year or so when we lived in Tampa. Our pastor had gathered five other churches and a messianic synagogue together for these meetings and we rented the IBM cafeteria in Boca Raton. There was no way I was missing these meetings! So I got me a box of those ThermaCare heat patches and took my pain meds and put my TENS unit on and off we went.
Now Rodney has held meetings all around the world for years. His message is "Get saved and come to Jesus." Occasionally he will pray for people to be healed but it's pretty rare. That wasn't why I was going. I went because I love the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I went because I love being around people who love God. I went because I love the worship. I went because I love Jesus! But it was torture!
Then on the third day, Wednesday, November 13, 2004 I went again. Only this time I'd forgotten to take my pain meds. And I'd forgotten my TENS unit. Strange because I never had before. But God had a plan. Worship was better than ever. And when it was over I heard Rodney say "How many people here have pain in their bodies?" I raised my hand. I had no idea what was going to happen! Rodney said "Put your hand on the part of your body that's in pain." I did. Then I felt it. I was wearing a heat patch, but this was totally different. A heat went through my body and the PAIN LEFT MY BODY!!!!! I started crying. (I'm crying now!) And the next thing I knew I was in front of the crowd of people who had watched me suffer for these long 4 years telling them that my pain was GONE! I was bending over and lifting my knees up and moving this way and that and everything. NO PAIN!!! I hadn't been pain free for over 4 years!!! By this time I was a blithering idiot with joy and tears and surprise. I don't remember much about the next few hours. All I remember is that the pain was GONE! No one touched me. No one prayed for me specifically. Only GOD touched me!
Today is November 19, 2011. I have never had another bit of pain! I have fallen several times and thought I'd really hurt myself again. But I remembered the scripture in Matthew 12:43-45 where the Bible says "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man he goes through dry places seeking rest and finds none. Then he says "I will return to my house from which I came." And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first..." All I could think of each time I fell or felt a twinge of pain was this verse! And I said "NO WAY! I know that I know that I know that I was healed and I'm hanging on to that!" I have NEVER ONCE felt any more pain!!!!! Glory to God!!! Hallelujah!!!! And on every November 13 I celebrate my "second birthday" because that day in 2004 was the day I got my life back.
So when I say that I will pray for you my dear friend, I truly have faith that God can, wants to and WILL heal you! Be blessed! And once again, THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!
