Well, apparently God has a different plan. Our flight to Nicaragua has been delayed by 30+ hours. so I am going to go ahead and post the next story of my testimony.
February 5, 2008 our faith in trusting The Lord was put to the test. I was at the house with a 103 fever not feeling well at all. The weather that day that was warmer than normal for our area. It was actually pretty nice, that is until that night. I remember high winds and dark clouds rolling in. I stepped outside the house and saw what looked like a wall cloud to me. Then all of the sudden, my pager went off; "we need immediate help, an imminent tornado has been spotted and headed for Gassville." I ran to the kitchen, swallowed 4 advil and rushed out the door.
I was driving my suburban into the town of Gassville, when all of the sudden debris was flying all around me. first shingles, then pieces of roofs, then power lines, then pieces of houses, and then a couch. I had driven right into the path of the tornado.
The test did not come that night in the midst of the tornado and its damange, it came a few days later. Our oldest daughter Kenzie was helping clean up the tornado damage when she stepped on a nail. Not a big deal. That night we got a presciption for an antibiotic and the following day we took her to get a tetanus shot. To our suprise, her doctor admited her to the hsopital for iv antibiotics.
This is a very complicated story about what happened next. So I am going to make it as short as I can. Kenzie did not get better. Whatever was going on traveled throughout her body. starting in the right foot, up her leg, right side, right arm, head, left arm, left side, left leg and foot. She was developing excruciating pain throughout her body. she was having uncontrolled muscle contractions and bizzare rashes. Tetanus? that is what we thought. after several doctors visits, tests, exams, studies at numerous hospitals no one could figure out what was wrong.
Since nothing that was going on and no tests or studies revealed anything abnormal, we were turned away by her doctors. They had decided that our daughter who was a 4.0 high school student was a behavioral problem. they felt that she was attention seeking and drug seeking.
We eventually ended up in Saint Louis Missouri at the childrens hospital. Finaly someone was willing to listen. A specialist told us this, "I have no idea what is going on. I believe it is a compilation of a few things, but nothing specific that I can identify and treat specifically." He decided to continue the treatment she was currently on instead of stopping it completely like the previous doctor had suggested we do. The plan was to continue treatment as prescribed and hope that she would take a turn for the better or something obvious and difinitive might emerge.
Kenzie's condition had continue to worsen significantly. She missed pretty much the remainder of her school year. Honestly, we did not know if she was going to become permanetly disabled or even die. Being that Carri and I were both medical professionals, we knew something was horribly wrong. For the most part every doctor and specialist we had seen blamed her condition on psychological issues. By the way, Kenzie graduated high school as saludatorian of her class.
There were so many days and nights that kenzie would just cry. All she wanted was for someone to believe her and figure out what was wrong. The best we got was in Saint Louis. Even there we had no answers. Kenzie wanted her life back. Carri and I we wanted our daughter back..
I remember telling kenzie on numerous occasions; "God does not need a diagnosis, or even a doctor. He knows what is wrong and He can choose to heal you if He wants to. We just have to trust that He will be glorified through all of it, and He will use this someday."
After several months, Kenzie was completely healed. We never did find out what was causing all her pain and dissabilities. But we do know this, God did not use one doctor to resotre her health. He taught Kenzie some very valuable lessons on depending on Him. I learned that Kenzie really was His, I was not in control.
This was a pretty good test for us. We could have turned away from God for allowing our child to suffer. Instead we trusted in Him and grew stronger in our faith because of it.
Mackenzie and her husband at sunset on Sanibel Island, Florida
2 corinthians 1:9-10 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again,
May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!
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