Miracle through One Storm and Ahead of Another

 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