A Diagnosis No Parent Wants to Hear
Dear Friend, whatever you’re walking through today, I pray this story reminds you that God sees, He cares, and He is faithful. This month’s Thoughts From My Journey is a testimony of His unchanging love in the middle of life’s hardest places.
The doctor’s words pierced our hearts:
“This is very serious. Your daughter has an incurable disease. We must amputate her leg in order to stop the spread of the disease. If we don’t, she will not survive.”
Our little girl was only five years old.
At that time, I was traveling from church to church preaching the gospel. We had no insurance. No savings. No financial safety net. We had nothing in the natural world to lean on. But we did have something far greater—faith in God and in what Jesus accomplished at the cross.
Denice and I held each other and prayed. There were no eloquent words, no grand speeches—just the simple, desperate cry of two people trusting the only One who could make a difference. We placed our daughter completely in God’s hands. We placed all our hope and trust on God’s promises and His faithfulness in the face of what the doctors said.
In that moment, we learned what it truly means to trust God completely. Not partially. Not “if things look better tomorrow.” But fully—with every fiber of our being.
Days passed. We prayed. We believed. And in time, God did what only He can do—He completely healed our daughter. What the doctors said was incurable, God made whole. The leg that was marked for amputation was restored. The child they said would not survive is alive and well to this day.
Provision in an Unexpected Way
But the story didn’t end there.
Right before we left the hospital with our daughter, a lady suddenly appeared at the door. She looked at Denice and said:
“I represent the Crippled Children’s Clinic. We are going to pay your hospital bill. Go next door to the office and sign the paperwork.”
As quickly as she came, she was gone.
When we went to the clinic, the secretary ushered us into the Director’s office. After we told him what the lady had said, he replied firmly, “We have no representatives who go to hospitals. People come to us and apply for aid.”
“Well, here we are—and we are applying for aid,” I answered.
After some conversation, he finally relented. The clinic paid our entire hospital bill—nine specialists, two weeks in intensive care, countless tests, and extensive lab work.
When we walked out of that hospital with our little girl, we left with complete, sweet, sweet, sweet victory. Joy and gratitude literally overflowed our hearts.
God not only healed our daughter—He had provided for every need.
When God Is All You Have
When I look back on that season, I don’t just remember the fear that tried to overwhelm us and take our breath away—I remember the faithfulness of God. He met us in our desperation. He proved Himself true again.
Please hear me: God is no respecter of individuals. His promises are true and available for anyone who reaches out in simple, child-like faith. When Denice and I prayed, our hearts were trembling. The doctors’ words were like dark, ominous clouds that seemed to hide the sunlight of all hope. We felt no great faith. Nor did we hear some thunderous voice telling us all would be fine. We heard words for sure, but they were full of hopelessness. Yet we had no choice.
In the midst of the storm raging around us, we turned our faces toward God and found His face was toward us.
His face is toward you, my friend, right now—where you are and in whatever you may be going through. God’s face is toward you. And because of that, hope is not lost. God is still God, and nothing is impossible for Him…or for you, if you will simply throw yourself on Him.
When the father got the news that his daughter had died, Jesus said to him, “Only believe.” And I say that to you, “Only believe.” Believe God. Believe He is God and that He rewards all who seek Him and His help. He rewards us with the answers we desperately need.
I don’t know what situation you might be facing right now, but I do know this: God is faithful. He is not moved by circumstances. He has not forgotten you, nor left you. The same Jesus who met Denice and me in our darkest hour will meet you in yours…He will.
When you have nowhere else to turn—turn to Him. Because sometimes it’s when God is all you have that you discover He’s all you ever needed.
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.” — Psalm 34:4