I wrote this account for another forum in 2001. It's the true story of what I witnessed one day in 1999 in a former hen house. Some of you will not believe it. That's fine with me. I was there. I know what happened.
It was a Saturday morning in June 1999. I had slept in. I had plans to go to my cousin's house later in the day. She had invited people to come there to meet for prayer and to worship the Lord.
As I lay in bed I felt God tell me to call and ask my friend Ann to go with me to my cousin's. (I know some of you will find this incredible, but since I began my relationship with God about 8 years ago, I have found he will speak to me and direct me sometimes. I usually know it's him when it's something I had not planned or wanted to do on my own.) I hadn't planned to invite her because she lived 45 minutes in the opposite direction, which would add another three hours to my drive (it was already going to be 3 hours - so now it would be a total of 6).
Ann didn't drive. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was under the age of 30. As a result she was unable to work or drive.
I was still lying in bed when the phone rang. It was Ann (tells you what God thought about giving me a little push in the right direction - and I replied....I was getting to it!) I told her about the meeting and asked if she wanted to go.
Although she had been pursuing her relationship with God about 6 months before this, some circumstances in her life had caused her to be discouraged and to back off some. She wasn't sure she wanted to go. I told her, "Fine, but all I can tell you is you're supposed to be there for some reason." She decided she would go with me.
Another reason she hesitated was her legs weren't working at the time. She was barely able to stand with a cane. If you're familiar with MS, symptoms can be episodic. Hers were becoming more frequent.
She had lost use of her legs a few times in the last year, and had lost her vision probably 4 times in the last couple years. It also causes painful electric shocks in your body, which happened to her all the time. Because of her increasing symptoms she had tried the latest meds, but had to stop due to the side effects.
With MS, when you have these episodes, you never know if you are going to get the lost function back this time (your sight, walking, etc.) They pump you up with steroids and hope the function returns. So far she had been lucky with little permanent damage.
So, it ended up that I went to pick up Ann and take her with me. The meeting at my cousin's was in a small former hen house behind her house. Ann barely made it inside into a chair before her legs gave out on her. She was in a lot of pain.
The meeting was informal, just a bunch of believers (maybe 20 people?) getting together to worship, no speaker. There were instruments up front for people to play and we began to worship. Ann still wasn't sure if she wanted to be there. Of course I told her to not participate if she didn't feel like it. She could just observe.
At one point my cousin's husband came up to Ann and asked if he could prayer for her. She told him no. When she talked to me about her hesitancy I told her the only thing I knew is that man had exhausted the resources we have to do anything for her.
At this point my cousin approached her and asked if she could pray for her. Ann agreed. My cousin knelt beside her, I was on the other side. The moment we began to pray, Ann's body began to shake uncontrollably. She looked down and asked if someone was moving her chair. Of course, no one was, it was the power of God upon her. It was an awesome thing to witness.
We probably prayed and talked for 15 minutes dealing with a lot of issues of forgiveness, and the love God has for us. Afterwards, Ann and I got up and went to my cousins house to go to the bathroom. It was when we sat down on the steps at the house she realized the pain in her legs was gone. She also had reported during prayer that her legs were hot.
By the next morning her legs were working normally again. She told us the heat in her legs and the bottom of her feet continued all through the next day.
It's been over two years now and Ann has shown no further symptoms of MS. She has gotten her driver's license and now works full time. Praise God!
I had no expectation that day of witnessing a miracle, but I'm convinced that we did. For some reason, God decided to intervene and allowed us to see His power, and in the process delivered Ann from MS.
It does lead to a lot of questions. Why her? (there were other people there with illnesses) Why then? I don't know these answers. And Ann, God love her, tells people she wouldn't have believed it either if it hadn't happened to her.
One thing I'd ask you to note, God doesn't need a big show, with an important spiritual leader to touch his people. This was in a hen house remember.
I don't know why he asked me to share this with you, but he did. I hope that it blesses and encourages you. I will treasure it for a lifetime.
Back to 2004: Ann is still a close friend of mine. She remains healthy today. Even though I was there and I saw what happened with my own eyes, I often need to be reminded that I saw God's power firsthand that day. It makes me understand the nation of Israel wandering and mumuring in the desert. How quickly we forget all He has done for us.
I loved reading Ann's story, thank you. I very much believe that it was not only possible, but happens with much more frequency than anyone would suspect.
In 1982 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor via CTscan and MRIs. Scheduled for surgery at Hermann Hospital in Houston, I went to [even though I had converted to Catholicism in 72, I was raised Baptist] the little Baptist church I had attended nearly my entire life. I asked for and received prayer. At that time I knew everything was fine; I wasn't worried anymore.
Went through testing for 2 more weeks in hospital, and when the time came for the actual surgery I had the ministers from 2 churches as well as family and friends choking the waiting room, praying the entire time.
After it was over the doctors emerged, scratching their heads and mumbling. There had been a tumor; they had seen it in every way possible.... but when they opened me up it was a fluid filled cyst, or pocket where something had been. They suctioned the fluid out and closed me up.
The shouts praising God filled the place!
I don't tell this story unless asked or the situation calls for it, and after years... this is the 2nd time this week I've had occasion to share. Something's up. ;)
I hope you don't think I did this to take away from Ann's story, I only wanted to add a postscript.
Our Lord is indeed a merciful and loving God.
Posted by: pam | June 06, 2004 at 10:57 AM
Pam,
On the contrary, I'm so glad you shared your story here. The more the merrier. I suspect as you do that it happens more often then we think.
Posted by: DC | June 07, 2004 at 11:52 PM
Witnessing the Power of God is most increadable. Thanks.
Posted by: JT_Hunter | June 10, 2004 at 03:34 PM
This story was wonderful. I believe that everything happens for a reason. It's not for us to figure out why it happens, it just does. Whether you belive in a God or not.
Posted by: Dara | June 10, 2004 at 09:02 PM