The awesome healing power of God.

Friends,

This post has been on my heart for a while. When you realize that the length of this publishing is all but a few paragraphs, you’ll wonder why I’ve been holding on to it for months. I ask the same question.

In the early part of 2006, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. After experiencing some scary and concerning symptoms (I’ll spare you the gory details), I submitted myself to the care of a gastroenterologist. After reviewing my symptoms and performing a few tests, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Essentially, there was an ulcer in my lower intestine. There is no cure for this disease, except in extreme cases when the lower intestine is surgically removed and replaced with an appliance (interior or exterior).

There is not any method of prevention for this disease. Though the reasons are unclear (probably genetic), I found myself, probably for the first time in my life, genuinely scared.

I was immediately put on a medication regiment comprised of Pentasa and Canasa. I was required to take (8) 500 mg. tablets of Pentasa and a single, 1000 mg. dosing of Canasa per day. For you math whizzes out there, that’s 5000 mg. of medication per day! I didn’t know I was a horse…

After I spent the first couple of weeks freaking out, learning how to take medicine every day, scaring myself with every piece of literature on the disease I could find and filling out my FMLA paperwork, I started to give the situation to God. Although this was a gradual process, I slowly felt less and less anxious about my condition. I did, however, admit myself to the ER for abdominal pains several times the first year. Then, my symptoms slowly subsided and I didn’t even think of my disease - even as I swallowed those horse pills twice a day.

I remained on the medication regiment and kept all of the appointments with my GI until November of last year. Then, I suddenly decided to quit taking my medicine. I don’t normally do this, but I hadn’t had a visit to the ER in quite a while and my symptoms were extremely faint.

I was once told that we can be delivered by something, through something or from something. I realize that the awesome power of the Lord prevails in my life. In a worst-case scenario, I could die (delivered by) from this disease. However, it seems that God has another plan for me.

I’m reminded by the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. God delivered these three men from King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. I was only coping with a disease, not thrown in a fire. In Daniel 3, we see how one’s faith can deliver us from anything.

I don’t know what you face in your life. I don’t know what your relationships are like. I don’t know how much money is (or is not) in your bank account. I don’t know what the latest report from your doctor says. But, I do know this. God delivers. He delivers us to wisdom through our trials. He delivers us from our trials through His grace.

In Christ,

James