The Story
A little over a year ago, it felt like my life was thrown for a loop. I was lying on a hospital bed, my family sitting across from me. The doctor walked into the room and announced that I had symptoms of a rare blood disease – they had seen evidence of antibodies destroying my red blood cells at rapid rate. At that point, my body also had an abnormally low level of cell fragments that help the blood to clot. As far as I know, there are no traces of this disease in my family. Nor had I had any of the experiences that trigger the disease. The cause was unknown.
The doctor urged to start treatment immediately. He had said, “if we don’t start now, you run the risk of spontaneously bleeding to death; and at that point, we won’t be able to help you.” My reaction was superbly stoic-ish. Not because I have no emotions; but two weeks before, i was exercising regularly – running to the point of feeling ‘high.’ I had felt great. Now here I was, abnormally fatigued, with a life threatening disease in my body. It was all too sudden – I didn’t know how to respond.
The Battle
Things looked bad…but I have to say I went into it having already won. I believe in God – I believe he sent his son, Jesus Christ to die for me on his cross. And when he died he took every disease known to man and defeated it right on that cross…for me. It sounds crazy; sounds childish. But it’s the truth. I had already won.
Even more, something crucial happened two weeks before the diagnosis. For a whole week, God had given me revelations about healing while I was studying the Bible. At the time, I didn’t know what I needed for. But it was clear when the diagnosis came – I already had my arsenal. Imagine a soldier heading to battle; guns fully loaded, ready for combat. That was me at the start of it all. I was prepared to speak the word of God over my body. And I wouldn’t back down until I saw results.
It wasn’t until I had this experience that I really understood how much faith the word of God builds in a person. I stayed in the hospital for a week, and then had almost daily visits to the doctors for two months after. It seemed like all they could give me was bad news! They would come my room every morning and read off poor blood counts to me – just to let me know nothing had changed. One of the doctors had said brain failure was very likely. Another wanted to start a chemical treatment that would have me hooked to a machine 8 hours a day – for however long it took. When I refused, he said the disease would be almost entirely fatal.
I didn’t budge. God was working in me and through it all, I never flinched. It never crossed my mind that the doctors could be right. God had so filled me up with His word that death was not option. Sometimes, I myself was shocked at how resolute I was about not dying — had this happened to me before I knew Christ the entire outcome would have been left to chance.