Friend to Friend

My husband has had heart problems for years. So I know a lot about irregular heartbeats, cardio versions, heart ablations and defibrillators. We assumed his symptoms were heart related – shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness and inability to climb even a few stairs without wheezing. But when all of the usual tests his cardiologist ordered came back normal, a sliver of fear took root in my heart.

We went to our primary care doctor who ordered a whole new battery of tests. The results of those tests said that Dan had ILD. We were stunned.

Lung disease was a game changer. I had never heard of Interstitial Lung Disease … but it did not sound good. And the more research I did, the worse it sounded.

I put on my spiritual, physical, emotional and mental boots and went to war. But first I had to gather the troops. Our children were the first recruits.

Our son and his family live in North Carolina. Jered was strong, encouraging and everything I knew he would be. He began to pray.

Our daughter and her family live near us in Kansas City. Danna has two sons, Justus who is six and Hudson who is three. When she told them that they needed to pray for Papa because he was sick, they bombarded her with questions. Danna answered their questions honestly, and the boys soon realized that Papa was very sick.

Justus and Hudson began to pray for Papa’s disease to be gone. Thinking they had misunderstood her, Danna said, “Guys, there is no cure for what Papa has. We just need to pray for Papa to feel better.”

Justus and Hudson were not buying it.

“No! God is going to make Papa’s disease go away!” they declared.

And just to make sure everyone understood what they were asking God to do, both boys carefully selected two rocks. Justus wrote his name on one rock and Hudson’s name on the other. They told their mom that they needed to see Papa – immediately. So they came.

The boys burst through our front door – pure joy on their precious little faces – and gave the rocks to Papa so he would remember that God was going to heal him.

I called family members, close friends, and my prayer team and asked them to pray.

I prayed and cried … a lot … alone.

I called pulmonary specialists.

I got Dan an appointment at the Mayo clinic.

I talked with a nutrition specialist for people with lung diseases and did everything she told me to do.

I questioned God. He just told me to trust Him.

I put the rocks where we could see them … and remember.

Weeks went by. I was so tired and so afraid.

I knew God had trusted me with this trial, but for the life of me I did not know why. I had never felt so weak and so helpless.

Faith? I write about faith – speak about faith – and mentor women in their faith. Now it was time for my faith to be strengthened. Honestly, I was tired of the faith exercises.

But I grew weak enough to really trust Him … and rest in Him … and wait.

For some reason, Dan’s cardiologist and primary doctor just did not buy the diagnosis that had been handed down to my husband. They met for lunch in the hospital cafeteria and went back over his records … and ordered another scan of Dan’s lungs.

It was a Friday afternoon. When the test results came back, they called Dan. Both of them – so excited they hardly made sense. But what they did manage to say was that Dan’s lungs were clear.

Clear!

I called Danna. She was driving home with the boys and had to pull over because she was crying so hard. When the boys asked why she was crying, she said, “Guys, God healed Papa. His disease is gone!”

Hudson closed his eyes, flashed an enormous smile, and put his hands straight up in the air.

Justus pumped his fists toward heaven, looked up and said, “Yes! Thank You! Papa is my first miracle!”

Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says that even a tiny amount of faith pleases Him. “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

A mustard seed is tiny, but once planted, grows into a large tree. We don’t need a lot of faith – just as much as a mustard seed to produce great results. Why? Because our God is an awesome God and our faith depends on Him!

Step out in childlike faith … put your trust in God … and wait for your first miracle.

Let’s Pray

Father, I come to You today. My faith is small, but I am placing it in You, Lord. Help me grow into a fully devoted follower that pleases and honors You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What is the greatest problem in your life today?

What step do you need to take to face that problem with faith instead of fear?

What is keeping you from trusting God and stepping out in faith?

More from the Girlfriends

An unshakable faith is the foundation for the abundant life Jesus came to provide for each one of us. In Mary’s message, Unshakable Faith, she shares the four steps we can take to experience true faith in God.

Be sure to check out the FREEBIES on Mary’s website and connect with her through Skype, email or on Facebook.