God Intervenes
15/05/2020 12:42:40 PM | Eliza - Silk Road Area
Have you ever driven away from someone’s house, knowing they needed help that you couldn’t give?
That was my experience two weeks ago. My new friend, Anna, who is the first K believer I’ve met in the village, was suffering from intense pain in her face. She had been sending me tearful messages on WhatsApp, asking me what to do. At first, local doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumour and then jaw problems that required teeth extractions. After I was able to organise an online consultation with our doctor in the city, we found it was actually neuralgia. But that needed to be confirmed with an MRI.
The city had been locked down according to quarantine rules so I didn’t know how she was going to get there to have the MRI done. Remarkably, because she had repeatedly called the local ambulance service to no avail, the health boss of the region rang the local hospital demanding answers. Anna was invited to the hospital, where the director apologised for the poor care, booked all the appointments and arranged the paperwork required to enter the city. In a shame/honour culture, that event alone was miraculous.
In the meantime, I was trying to find the medicine our city doctor had prescribed, which I realised was only available in the city. After shooting up some arrow prayers, I stepped out of the central chemist and into the English-speaking owner of the business! Adam said I needed the original prescription – which I didn’t have and couldn’t get. So he suggested another drug, that might offer some relief. After checking with the doctor, I decided to get it for Anna to buy some time, while we worked out how to get the other drugs. Later in the day, Adam rang and offered to get his courier in the city to find the drugs and bring them out in a day’s time. Oh thank you Father, yes!
I drove to Anna’s house, grabbing some food for her family on the way. I was hoping to find some fruit, vegetables, yoghurt perhaps? All I found was bread, biscuits and pasta. Ahhh! I handed the groceries to Anna’s 15-year-old daughter, asking if she had ever administered a needle before. You see, I have an undiagnosed phobia of needles, stemming from glandular fever in my late teens and complicated birth experiences. I can’t deal with receiving them, let alone administering them! But her daughter didn’t have any experience either. So she sent her young sister out into the street to find a neighbour to do the job.
As I drove away later, having prayed with Anna and explained the plan about the drugs coming out the next day, I was torn up inside. God, am I meant to get over this fear in your strength to bring relief to my pain-stricken friend? I can’t do it God! It wasn’t until about nine o’clock that night that the family found someone to give poor Anna the needle, which immediately brought her relief.
The Father brought about another miracle when Anna travelled to the city for the MRI. As she entered the machine, she heard a voice that said, “Your suffering is nothing like my suffering,” and later, “You will find new friends from this experience.” She asked the doctor if he had spoken to her, to which he replied, “No and you wouldn’t have been able to hear me if I did.” Her husband told her later that what she heard was the voice of Jesus, of course, who also told Anna he would bless her with new friends through this experience.
This past week Anna has also been diagnosed with typical sciatic and a herniated disc, which has resulted in more, intense pain. But through it all she has thanked Jesus for delivering her the help she has needed. Praise be to God. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
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