Story Time… FOUR days.

Story time.

For over two years, I have had chronic migraines, like 4 or 5 at least a week. I don’t tell many about them. But those who do know, also know that I admit I didn’t understand chronic illness before. I lacked compassion concerning chronic illness because I’m generally a pickup your bootstraps type of person. Just push through. You’re fine. But after dealing with these debilitating headaches, ones where not even “migraine cocktails” will stop sometimes, I felt depressed and weak. And not just physically weak, but in faith as well. Pain does that. It wears you down. I had even stopped saying yes to things because I was afraid a headache would come.

But I need to tell you all about some miracles that happened a few weeks ago.

My church’s staff and my family prayed over me one Sunday after service. This was a very vulnerable position for me. I do not ask for prayer easily. It makes me uncomfortable. So many more need prayer than me. But I said yes, because I knew God was in it. And so I filled the staff in who were unfamiliar with what I’d been dealing with, and also that I was on two relatively new medications that seemed to be helping me. (I’d only had one headache a week for a few weeks which was HUGE.) But I told them these medications combined were $1700 a month. We were unable to afford this, so I wouldn’t be on them for long.

But they prayed. I cried. A lot. 

Then I left feeling good. Hopeful. Excited.

That Tuesday I went to a memorial service for my ex-stepdad, the father of my precious little sister who passed away from cancer in 2020. I won’t go into details, but he wasn’t a believer. He had turned away from God a long time ago, choosing to believe in false gods and idol worship. I have probably over 30 prayer journals from over the years, and his name is written on almost every page. I begged God to save him. To bring him back to Him, but I’d seen no evidence of this happening.

The afternoon that we found out he passed away, I had just written his name in my prayer journal that very morning. I cried. I prayed. I cried again. I desperately hoped he was in Heaven with my sister, his only child. But I knew this was a long shot. I asked God a few times leading up to the memorial service to find a way to let me know if he found Him, if he turned to Him and made it to Heaven.

And would you believe it, we’d been there fifteen minutes or so when his oldest friend came running up to us. She had to tell us that in the months leading up to his death, he’d been reading the Bible! And that they had talked many times about Jesus, he had been quoting Scripture, and told her he knew where he was heading when he die–to Him and his baby girl. He had found his way back! God kept knocking and he opened the door to Him! I burst out crying because God is so good! He heard my years and years of prayers for my former stepdad! And He also indulged me sweetly by allowing me to learn of this like I’d asked Him to. This miracle (truly, I cannot express this enough– this salvation is a miracle!), was made even sweeter when cousins and former teammates also got up to speak about him and reiterated that they had seen him changing, seen him seeking, asking questions, and turning to God.

I was floored. God is so good.

And now back to medical things… The next day, Wednesday, I had a pre-op visit for a minor, routine screening surgery. I almost cancelled it. We’d received a bill that this procedure was going to cost $1650 (after insurance). This along with the medication I already couldn’t afford was just too much. My husband said to keep the appointment and ask about a payment plan. So I kept the appointment, begrudgingly. And when I get there, I ask about a payment plan, and she is typing away, and says, “Oh, wait, this is a screening. It’s covered.” And wipes the debt away. Just like that! I praised God out loud and told her I almost canceled the appointment. She said with a sweet smile, “I’m so glad you didn’t.”

And then it was Thursday. The day I met with my neurologist where I get to tell her that yes, the meds seemed to be working better, but that I could afford them. But God! I left her office with information for two programs that reduce my monthly cost for these meds from $1700 to $175! Oh, and I only had one migraine that week, too.

Four days. They prayed. And four days later, my prayers for migraine relief and help with medication costs were answered. Plus, the other miracles!  I like to think they were just God showing off!

So I tell all of this because I feel like God wants me to say to you– Prayer works. Get vulnerable. Ask for it. Pray for it. Be bold and audacious. He’s listening and already figuring out how to answer. Whether it’s a prayer you’ve prayed for decades, a recent one, or even one you never asked for (like my procedure cost removal), He’s got you. He proved that to me once again.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your loving kindness over me and my family. Thank You that no one is ever too far gone for you to reach. Thank You for providing and answering prayers we have yet to even pray. You are so good to us. I love You, Amen.

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