Answered Prayer

 

Photo by Presearch 2011

Hurricane Eta, with its zigzag path and constantly changing projected path, reminds me of the situation with Hurricane Irma 3 years ago. Although storm Eta itself might not have been as fierce, it came in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravating the tension and risk emotionally as well as physically.

 

Then, as now, we on the west coast of Florida thought we were safe, only to find our homes directly at risk. Then, as now, God mercifully answered our prayers, sparing our family, loved ones and church family from injury and property damage. I therefore thought it appropriate, particularly as we enter the Thanksgiving season, to repost this blog from 2017, as a reminder of God's mercy, love, faithfulness and grace. Continued prayers for all affected by Eta and other storms this season, and for relief from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

How blessed we are as Christians to come boldly before Christ’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)! There we find His mercy and grace that we so desperately need! He hears our prayer requests 24/7 (Psalm 143:1), provided our heart is right with Him and we are praying in His will (Luke 22:42), rather than to satisfy our foolish lusts (James 4:2-3).

Praise God for prayer warriors who intercede for us in prayer, knowing that where two or more are gathered in His Name, He is in our midst, and that if we agree in prayer, the Father will accomplish it for us (Matthew 18:19-20).

The events of this past week have been a blessed reminder that God answers our prayers, and that He gives Christians the unique privilege of being part of His answer to prayer. He knows what we need before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8). He is working behind the scenes to bring all things together for good for those who love Him, for their ultimate well-being and His glory to accomplish His purpose for each of our lives (Romans 8:28).

As my husband Richard and I flew from Tampa, FL to Dallas, TX to dance in five shows in a major theatre production as part of our dance ministry, the airport was already packed at 5AM and there was no empty seat on our flight. Many in Florida left the state because of concerns regarding Hurricane Irma. When we took off, the projected path was up the east coast of Florida, so we had not prepared extensively as we live on the west coast.

But by the time we landed, the storm path had shifted and was headed straight for Tampa! On its way, it was forecast to pass through a coastal city where Richard’s sister lives on the water, and our son’s home was projected to be at least six feet under water if there were any storm surge.

While praying fervently, we wondered if we should return home to help our family and secure our property. But then we realized that God had long before planned and arranged for us to be exactly where we were, not only safe from the storm, but going obediently through the door He had opened to bless others through our dance ministry.

To abandon His plan would be to give the victory to Satan, when we know that the battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Chronicles 20:15) and that we have sure victory in God’s Son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Our hearts sank as we discussed constantly changing evacuation plans with our son and Richard’s sister. We invited both their families (and pets!) to stay at our house, further inland and at a higher elevation from their homes, but the congested traffic and unavailability of gas prevented Richard’s sister from doing that. Our son’s wife was traveling out of state, but our son agreed to weather the storm at our house with his dog and cat.

Although our minds and bodies were very active with constant rehearsing in Dallas, our hearts were with our family and home. Yet what a blessing as Christians in our midst bathed us in prayer, both in our presence and also by enlisting their churches, choirs, and prayer chains to pray for us.

They were bearing our burden (Galatians 6:2) and helping us to lift up our arms in prayer when we felt we could not do it alone (Exodus 17:12). Despite the constantly worsening weather reports, we were able to experience the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and joy in His salvation (Psalm 21:1; 35:9; 51:12; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18).

One of our dear friends in Dallas told us that he prayed specifically that our son would not have to spend the night of the storm alone, as he knew from personal experience how frightening that can be. Later that afternoon, our son texted us that he had gone to a friend’s house that was newer and more storm-resistant than ours, and that he and the pets would stay there with his friend’s family. Praise God for this very specific answer to prayer, and for our friend’s discernment to ask for this in faith!

Hurricane Irma was still headed directly for Tampa with winds in excess of 100 mph and predicted storm surge of 10-12 feet all along the west coast of Florida. We feared the worst but knew that God is in control, that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), and that He would not allow any harm to befall us unless it was part of His perfect plan (Job 1:12).

At what seemed to be the last minute, but was in fact in God’s perfect timing, the storm veered off slightly to the east, making a small circular detour around the heavily populated city of Tampa. In general, the winds and storm surge were far less than had been predicted.

What a relief to learn that our son, his friends, and Richard’s sister and her family were all safe; that our home and our son’s home experienced no harm other than a few tree branches down; that our church and all those it sheltered were unharmed; and that our business had no flooding or even loss of power!

Our hearts and prayers are with those who did not fare as well with Harvey and Irma, and especially with those in Puerto Rico and still in the path of Maria. We can’t pretend to understand why God allows such devastation, but we can trust Him to provide, protect and restore.

Whatever befalls us here on earth, we who have trusted in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) have the blessed hope (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3), meaning sure anticipation, of eternal joy with Him and our loved ones in Him! Meanwhile, He has appointed each of His children to be His ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20), His hands, feet and voice in this troubled world (Romans 10:15; Luke 12:11-12).

We were humbled and blessed by our brothers and sisters in Christ ministering to us through prayer and encouragement in this trial. We felt that we were in the midst of a loving family, even though we had met most of them only twice before, for a few short days a year apart. Yet their ministry continued in surprising ways, as did God using them to answer prayer!  

May we learn from the example of our fellow prayer warriors to lift one another up in prayer, bear their burdens (Galatians 6:2), and so fulfill the law of Christ! 

© 2017 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Christian, or Physician?

Throughout life we have a variety of appellations, titles, and roles – some constant, some transient as circumstances change voluntarily or beyond our control. Some, like daughter, sister, wife, or mother, denote family relationships. Others, like student or teacher, coworker, employee or employer, colonel or enlisted recruit, reflect our position in a social hierarchy. Still others involve our ideology, politics, club memberships, interests, or faith.

What’s in a name? My husband may refer to me with pet names of endearment, but I might be offended or at least think it strange if others used these to refer to me. Our church family calls our undershepherd “Pastor,” but it would be odd if his wife called him that in the privacy of their home. When I was practicing neurology, my patients called me “Dr. Barclay,” but I would worry if my son referred to me in that manner!

For about a quarter of a century, I was a practicing physician, and for the past 19 years, I have been a Christian and child of God by calling on the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13), Who died on the cross to pay for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), so that all who trust Him would have eternal life (John 3:16).

Although I still write regularly for medical websites, I have retired from active practice as a physician. Yet I can never relinquish my status as a born-again Christian (John 3:3-8), for once you are truly saved, you are always saved (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39), and you can’t walk away from the faith. (Not that I would want to, for my desire is to walk closer with Christ each day [Colossians 2:6]).

Yet beginning about 2 months ago, I have felt some of my former role as a physician resurfacing, which sometimes seems to be in conflict with my identity as a Christian. The reason underlying the tension emerging between these roles is that my husband Richard was diagnosed with locally aggressive prostate cancer.

This trial began totally unexpectedly, as my husband is physically very active and apparently in excellent overall health, despite a well-controlled heart valve problem. We were in our family room one morning, enjoying our daily devotions over a cup of coffee. As Richard answered his cell phone, he was shocked to hear his cardiologist’s voice. The doctor explained that he had done some routine blood work at Richard's last visit, and that his screening test for prostate cancer had come back markedly elevated.

“But I have no symptoms,” Richard told the urologist he saw a few days later. Yet the urologist found a mass, and an MRI scan showed a large tumor extending beyond the prostate. Soon we found ourselves at a nearby center of cancer excellence, one at which I had done neurology consults years ago. How different things felt as a wife rather than as a doctor in a position of authority and expertise!

I am thankful that God is using my background as a physician to help expedite Richard’s diagnosis and treatment; to help him understand and navigate the complex options available; and to adhere to recommendations for diet, exercise, treatment, and other interventions intended to improve the overall outcome.

We are particularly grateful for concerned friends connected to the cancer center who have also been invaluable in this regard, and we both firmly believe that God is working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

There are countless other blessings already received and lessons already learned. We praise God for preparing us for this trial by guiding us through earlier trials; for surrounding us with a loving church family (Galatians 6:2) and prayer warriors (James 5:16); and by teaching us to lean on Him, to cherish every moment we have together (James 4:14), and to be good stewards of the time and opportunities He so graciously affords us (Luke 12:42; 1 Corinthians 4:2).

So why the conflict? As a physician, I had to take charge, make the best possible decisions based on the available evidence, and remain compassionate while distancing myself from emotional involvement that might cloud my judgment. As a wife who dearly loves her husband and can’t imagine being apart from him for even a day, I tremble at the thought of illness compromising that closeness.

But as a Christian, my role is not to ask why this happened or how I can fix it, but to trust in God alone (Isaiah 50:10), and to obey Him (Job 1:21; 2:9-10). Like any other burden in life, I can try to carry it in my own flesh, which is doomed to failure, or I can leave it at the foot of Christ’s cross and resist the temptation to pick it up again (1 Peter 5:7). I need to lean not on my own understanding, but to trust in the Lord with all my heart and acknowledge Him in everything, so that He will direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I remember so many instances in our own lives, in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and in Scripture, which prove that God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 89:8; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13), that His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

As a physician, I had to trust the evidence and proceed rationally based on the probability of various outcomes, weighing whether a particular treatment would be effective, ineffective, or even harmful. As a Christian, I must trust God and proceed in blind faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) that His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isaiah 55:9); that He loves us infinitely (1 John 4:8; Zephaniah 3:17); and that nothing is impossible with Him (Matthew 19:26).

As a wife, I am motivated by love to do whatever I can to help Richard, yet I am hindered by fear that my efforts will be inadequate. And indeed they are, for God’s perfect will shall be done (Luke 22:42), not by enabling our plans, but by empowering us to be vessels through which His Spirit can work with the wisdom, love and power that spring only from Him (2 Timothy 2:20).

Only His perfect love can cast out my fear for my husband’s health, and my (realistic) doubts that in my own strength I can contribute anything positive to the outcome (1 John 4:18). Surely I can do nothing on my own, but if I abide in Him, and He in me, He will allow me to bear much fruit (John 15:5).

One of my many prayers in this trial is that God would use me as an instrument of His love, wisdom and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4) to help Richard receive miraculous healing that comes only from the Great Physician (Mark 2:17), that we would give Him all the praise (Isaiah 25:1) and all the glory!

© 2019 Laurie Collett