Storm approaching at sunset by Dee Kamp
Miracle
Through One Storm and Ahead Another
The
Lord will always walk with us through every storm that comes along in our life.
But on this night He surprised us with even more than we could have ever hoped
for.
“In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened;
he
saved me from all my troubles.
For the angel of the LORD is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”
Psalm 34:6-7
My
husband Bill is a five year esophageal cancer survivor and we give God all the glory
for his recovery. During these past few years due to the chemo and radiation treatments
Bill will experience a side effect of food sometimes getting what we call “stuck”.
He can breathe but he is in distress and has had to go to the hospital a couple
of times for a procedure to remove the food.
In
June of this year we had been traveling for nearly a month camping in our motor
in and around Washington State in some remote and beautiful destinations. The
trip was wonderful but unfortunately Bill was experiencing some troublesome
times with swallowing his food.
In
every instance so far things had eventually worked out fine for him, then one
evening at dinner things didn’t go down well. We were camping some thirty miles away from
the nearest town and a road that led across a small dam in Eastern Washington.
It
became obvious I needed to drive Bill to a hospital for help. We located the
nearest hospital with an emergency room and set our GPS with its address for
directions. Before getting into the car I quickly text
some family members and friends and asked them to pray for us. For I knew I was
about to embark on journey, in a storm of worry on unfamiliar roads.
On
the way to the hospital we saw huge thunder clouds and heard on the radio to
expect scattered storms. I prayed they were scattered far from us.
We
arrived at the emergency room thirty-five minutes later and I breathed a sigh
of relief. The tiny hospital had a kind
and efficient staff. But our peace was about to be shattered.
The
doctor on call stepped in and spoke in a voice so soft we had to lean forward
to hear his startling news. “I’m so sorry, I know it’s been nearly two hours of
this choking, but you will have to drive seventy-two miles to another town for
a doctor to help you. We have no one in our area on call. I have already called ahead for a team to be
waiting for your arrival. Again, I’m so, so sorry.”
My
knees went weak. I thought only to myself “Another town nearly two hours away.
Another road I am unfamiliar with and who knew what the weather was doing now,
oh my goodness Lord!” I prayed silently calling on the Lord for His strength to
see me thorough it-this had to be done that’s all. I cried out to the Lord for strength;
this had to be done, but I couldn’t do it without His help.
“I
prayed to the LORD, and He answered me. He freed me from all my
fears.”
Psalm 34:4 NLT
Once
more I got an address for our GPS and urged Bill now weak and shaky into the
car to begin our drive. I realized then
that one of my favorite Scriptures was running through my mind as if whispered
over and over. It was from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through
Christ who gives me strength.” I repeated it over and over feeling a sureness
God was with us.
Just
as pulled the car out of the emergency entrance parking lot, huge rain drops
began to splatter on the windshield. The thunder boomed around us sending
shivers up my spine.
White
knuckling the steering wheel I began to journey down the hill from the hospital
and paused a moment longer than normal at the stop sign trying to get my bearings.
Which way do I turn to go to the highway? Then I jumped startled by Bill’s unusually clear
voice calling out —“Stop!”
Completely
taken aback I turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He
lifted up his head and turned to me with a huge smile on his face! “It’s gone!
The food in my throat is gone and I can swallow! And with that he reached for
the bottled water and took a huge drink!”
“How
can it be? It’s never happened with you when it’s been this long?” I said with
huge a huge sigh of relief and shouted out, “Praise God! It’s for sure a
miracle.”
Then
I giggled thinking of what the doctor back at ER was going to think. I turned the
car around, got out and walked once more back into the ER. When I found the
doctor he looked at me a bit startled.
“It’s
gone,” I said simply. “The food has dislodged and Bill can swallow now.”
“Are
you sure? The doctor asked, “Maybe he should come back in here for me to exam
him?”
“It’s
not necessary doctor,” I said. “He is out there right now drinking down a
bottle of water. I’m sorry to inconvenience you, but could you call and cancel
the staff waiting for us?”
“But
that’s not possible,” he uttered in dismay.
I
said with a smile, “Do you believe in miracles?”
Turning
to one of the nurses he said, “I guess I do now.”
My
relief so great I was on top of the mountain with joy. But I had forgetting about the lightening
storm descending upon us. The wipers were now going as fast as they could but
we arrived safely back at camp where it came down and around us with a vengeance.
Lightening struck a tree right in our campground,
but we were safe. Rain poured so hard it flooded the little roads. And later we
learned lightening had started a grass fire on the way highway to that other
town we were suppose to go to for help.
God
had turned us around and brought us back to camp safely ahead of the storm.
God
did the impossible that night. He took us through one storm with a miracle of
healing, and turned us around to get home safely ahead of another. With God, there
is wonder and hope in every storm we face.
“I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his
praises.
I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are
helpless take heart.
Come,
let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”
Psalm 34:1-3 NLT
“Miracle
Through One Storm and Ahead of Another” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning
Ministries© June 28, 2013
