Healing

Last weekend, I talked about the Faith bedroom and shared a personal story regarding our family having faith for a need of Isaac's.  So it was my plan to continue with this topic for at least another week.  There is just so much to say about faith in God and the incredible need to have it continually exercised in our lives.  It is easy to talk about faith but put  "the talk to walk" and it becomes  a life altering experience.  That would be my testimony for this last  week and into the days ahead.  As with many school district in these unfunded days, ours is in the midst of tighten the belt and casting off the fluff.  I had to calendar Monday for a special meeting......so I have been exercising my faith muscle since Wed.  It started off a little weak and wimpy but has been building and strengthening, getting ready for Monday and the days ahead all of which God already knows and has a plan.

I made an earlier reference to Passover in a previous blog and wanted to revisit an important element, the Seder, which is the Passover meal.  Based out of Exodus 13:8, the Jewish people are to remember being brought out of slavery (From Egypt) to freedom (to the promised land, Canaan), passing the memory to their children and generations to come .  During the meal, this memory is revisited.  Remembering what God had done in their lives as Exodus 13: 9 states " For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. "

Remembering the mighty hand of God and how He has been faithful to us builds more faith to continue to face the challenges each day.  So as a family, we stroll down our faith lane with our children as they have encountered various life issues, reminding them our God's faithfulness to us.

I have been recounting to myself this week as Monday approaches, the God encounters we have had throughout the years.  One such faith moment occurred while we were living in Venezuela.

That particular summer, our family had returned to the US for vacation as usual but with an additional mandate from our mission board for me to resolve several health issues.  God had prepared the way by our paths crossing with a medical doctor from a large hospital in Dallas who graciously coordinated my care with three different doctors.

Of the three issues I was experiencing, only one concluded in surgery.  A tumor was removed from my thyroid and fortunately was benign.  However, I did experience a secondary problem as a result of the surgery which was a very damaged vocal chord.  You know, on pre-admit you sign all those papers telling you the potential problems that could occur as they try and correct the original problem.

As a mother of 5, having no voice did not work.  Writing commands and directives on a chalkboard just didn't have enough authority to convince any of them to react or act correctly.   After several weeks of recuperating, I was medically released to return to Venezuela even though I still didn't have a voice.  Weeks continued to pass and there was no sign of my voice returning.  My recovery had officially fallen out of the normal progression and it was determined that I needed to see a specialist in Caracas.  We exercised faith in God for my healing.

Upon examination, I was diagnosis with a damaged right vocal chord which consisted of a gaping hole.  Darrell viewed the damaged and agreed, there was no movement, a parallelized chord. Our ENT doctor was very skeptical as to whether I would ever regain my vocal ability.  Speech therapy was prescribed in attempt to get a little movement and maybe a whisper of sound so I could verbally communicate.

I had one strange visit with the Speech therapist, practicing clucking like a chicken and instructed to do that several times a day while the therapist went on vacation the next week.   I still wonder if that was a humorous moment that the therapist carried off with her to her vacation.  I certainly felt "tarred and feathered".  We continued to have faith.

Darrell preached that next Sunday morning in a small salmon/turquoise colored church down on the coast of Venezuela. One of those small churches that always had an open door cause there wasn't one. The cooling system consisted of all windows open. The neighborhood dogs were regular visitors but typically silent and sleeping through the message.  The church was always filled with warm hearts and joyful spirits who love Jesus.  Darrell preached that day on blind Bartmaeus in Mark 10:42 - 52 and the need he had in his life to regain his sight.

Being a pastor's wife does not exempt you from needing to hear the Sunday morning message.  Darrell doesn't usually use our family as examples but that morning, he did call me out.....referring to blind Bartimaeus and his inability to change his condition "just like Karen's inability to regain her voice".  Well, at the conclusion of the message, those dear believers, called me to the front so that they could lay hands on me and petition God for my healing.  What could I do but stand and go forward, having those few seconds to wonder what could these people in this salmon/turquoise colored church pray differently than what others had already prayed.....oh ye of little faith.....and as I got to the front, I had already repented of those thoughts and joined with with them in asking God in faith  for my healing.

Arriving back home that day around 3:00, I spent sometime with the children, attempting to help with homework.  About 3:30, while trying to make myself understood, my voice came back in, very softly at first but then became stronger. It was absolutely a miracle of God, a healing and answer to our prayers.  A couple of days, later, the ENT confirmed that the vocal chord was back in place and working.    Several years later, in dealing with one of the other medical issues, I asked the doctor to be careful with my vocal chord since I had previous damage.  Upon awaking, the doctor made a point to tell me that he had looked as my chord closely and said it looked "regenerated".  Just another confirmation of healing a couple of years prior. 

So as we face whatever Monday may hold, we can stand firm in faith that God is able to meet every need we have and will show His direction for me.  He always has.