CHAPTER EIGHT

 

BUILD MY FAITH

I titled this chapter BUILD MY FAITH, because my faith was about to be tested, and I would need to remain faithful no matter what this chapter of my life looked like. As God kept me, my faith grew. Because chapter nine was coming and I would need more faith than I could ever imagine.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

These next two chapters will take us from 2013 to 2022 in rapid succession.

In 2013 I was drawing social security and working cleaning houses to help supplement my small income. I began to notice I was having swelling in my legs and feet and a lot of shortness of breath as I would move about. While working I would have to sit frequently just to breathe, before continuing to work. Finally going to the doctor, at first being misdiagnosed, they believed the problem was my heart yet they quickly realized it wasn't my heart and they sent me to a pulmonary specialist, something was seen growing in my lungs, after many tests they determined I had what is called pulmonary fibrous growing in my lungs, they determined it was probably caused from breathing in the household cleaners I was using. I prayed, my church prayed for healing.

In 2015 a new pulmonary doctor came on the scene, gave me more information, from the time it was found life expectancy was five years, that would have put my death in or around 2018. He also told me "You can not get sick, even the common cold could go to your lungs and you will die". Interesting it is now 2022 and I have not had any sickness since before 2013 no cold, no bug,  nothing, now that is God's hand of protection. About this same time in 2015 I heard God say very clearly "You will not have a premature death". That told me that no matter what the doctor's report was I would not die before my time, God was in control of my life and my death. So we continued to pray, and I continued to work, and God continued to be my life Sustainer. There is a song, I love, called My Testimony. In this song are these words "If I'm not dead, You're not done, greater things are still to come". That verse is truth and a good word for my life testimony.

Then came 2018 my pulmonary doctor was shocked by what my latest CT Scan showed. He looked at them, looked at me and said "This isn't right your lungs have the scarring but no honeycomb". To explain, this was the fifth year, and honeycombing is the last stage before death. My reply was "Isn't this a good thing?" But he thought surely I was misdiagnosed, he needed to take my case to a group of specialist to go over. Me I'm thinking "Thank you Jesus". Then he says "You have to quit work, you have to stop inhaling the chemicals" so I agreed to do this. As he walked out the door he said "I cannot tell you when you will die, but I can tell you how. You will breath in a toxic fume it will go to your lungs, your lungs will collapse and you will die"! Me I am thinking "Well thanks for the good report".

But in much fear and trembling, I made the necessary decision to quit working. I didn't know how I would live on $825.00 a month, but God was already working and making a way. December 2018 I cleaned my last time. And God had already added money to my monthly income in a way I never expected. But I wasn't used to staying home and I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt old and used up, no value or purpose in God's kingdom. I was depressed and didn't want to be useless. In my prayer time I talked to God about these things and He said "I have brought you beside the still waters so you might rest and draw nearer to Me". Then He said "I want you to pray, pray for your pastors and your church family, share the truth of my word with confidence." Then came January 2019, and I heard God say: "I have cut off the source of your attack." Honestly I didn't have a clue what He meant until my next visit to my pulmonary doctor and my primary care doctor. Just to explain, since 2013 when they listened to my lungs they would hear a crackling sound and as time would pass the crackling would grow further up my lungs. One doctor explained that they could hear the fibrosis growing and it sounded like Velcro being pulled apart. Now we are in 2019 and they can hear absolutely no sounds in my lungs. There is what God meant "He had cut off the growth of the fibrosis". Praise God.

Now in 2021 they heard a noise in the right lung but my now new pulmonary doctor said "it is just noise I want to do a breathing test that will reveal more". So he did and my lungs had not changed since 2018, my lungs were operating on a 49% capacity, which is equal to one lung functioning and my oxygen levels were at 97% and 100%, since I began this chapter in my life those levels had never been this high, ever. My healing may not look like what some may expect but God has healed me, sustained me and here I am not dead!

I have often pondered; though I have out lived the doctors reports, my breathing is unbelievably better, no change in my lungs condition since I quit work in 2018, yet the damage is still there. Let me say this, when I quit work as I quit in obedience to my doctor, yet I was terrified not knowing how I could possibly live on my social security.

 But I just put my faith in my God who could make what appeared impossible for me possible through Him. God is Sovereign and my life and death, as I said earlier, is in His hands. Yet, as the scriptures say "there is a time to live and a time to die", unless the rapture comes first we will all taste death. My yearning is to leave this earthly home and go to my heavenly home, yet, while I am here Jesus is sustaining my life that I might fulfill His purpose and plan for me, so I will continue to do what He asks, stay faithful to Him and finish my race. And when God desires to call me home I will inhale one last thing and I will be in my forever home, but not before His timing.

I Thank God for His love, grace and mercy He has shown to me. But another chapter is coming, will my faith increase, will I still be thankful that He has given me more life? It's one thing for us to say "There is a time to live and a time to die", when it deals with our life, but quiet another when it deals with our childrens lives.

The following below popped up on my Facebook memories from this day in 2016. How appropriate and good timing. I believe that moment came in December, 2018. Remember when God sustains our lives and adds to our life that is His healing. Though some are completely healed 100% others have life extended. Always thankful.

"One day my faith and God's healing are suddenly going to collide and everything that is hurting me will be gone. In the meantime I keep trusting, in the Healer of my soul, body and spirit. His stripes purchased my healing more than 2,000 years ago."