A Miracle Story

A long time ago, back when I aspired to be a nurse, I had this job at Wildwood Hospital as the "clinic nurse".  It cured me. Steve would be the nurse in the family. I would be the homemaker. It wore me thin... literally. I think I weighed 95lbs.  For the gal before me, though, it sealed her decision to become an RN and so as she transitioned out of the clinic to Southern University, I transitioned in to take her place. We had a lot of fun together as friends in those days, but the stress of the job became a burden and eventually I burned out big time.

April and I are now facebook friends. We live on the opposite ends of the continent and haven't seen each other in 20 years.

Fourteen months ago her beautiful 12 year old daughter woke up one morning with horrific muscle spasms in her back. It was a little weird and one of those baffling parenting days... but no one had any idea that it was more than a pulled muscle or something that could resolve itself in a few days. We chatted back and forth on fb over what to do to relieve Isabella's pain. Nothing her parents did worked.

Nothing could have prepared them for the journey for which they had just embarked. They didn't even know it was a journey.  The pain went from bad to worse to unbearable to incapacitating. Soon the child could not walk. To sit up was agony. The string of doctors and hospital stays began... and the medical community was baffled. After some months it was discovered she had a small benign tumor on one of her rib heads close to the spine. The surgery was scheduled with much anticipation of full recovery.

But alas.  Nothing changed. Her pain was as great as before and she was completely confined to her wheelchair. She could not so much as stand up.

Oh, how we prayed. Everyone who knew them, and even many who did not prayed for Isabella. Ministers came and laid their hands on her and prayed. She was anointed. Still the pain persisted. The girl grew thin and wistful, but she developed some coping skills.

Last week she was at a campmeeting. The ministers in the young people's tent felt great compassion for her and did the only thing they could, they gathered in a circle about her wheelchair and laid their hands on her and prayed earnestly for her recovery. Isabelle did not anticipate a change. She had been prayed for many times, but suddenly she felt what she thought was Jesus touch on her back. She felt like her back loosened... the pain was gone!! Shocked and overwhelmed she did not say a word. In fact, she did not say a word about it for a couple days. She did not want to draw attention to herself and prayed and asked the Lord what she should do. She felt she was to wait. Once home on Sunday evening she shared with her parents what had happened.

The next morning she got out of her bed and walked. Her legs were a  little wobbly from lack of use, but she was on her feet pain free.

As her mother says, they don't understand the reasons for the pain and trial of the last 14 months or God's timing in her healing, but they are grateful and thankful. We are all blessed to know that the prayers were heard and answered. We are rejoicing in the goodness of God.  He is in the business of miracles.

I know another 12 year old girl.... this one has blond hair, not black like Isabella, her name is Isabelle. I have the same burden of prayer for her as we did for Isabella. Her pain is unexplained and despite tests and hospital stays at Children's a week at a time there are yet no answers. She had a particularly discouraging week last week. Would you join me in praying for her?