Where is God during difficult times? As I write, President Bush has issued an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to resign within forty-eight hours or face conflict. Our nation is preparing for war. What should we do? The Bible says, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) For example: read this letter from Nancy Dalton.
"We planned an anniversary trip to Disney World and were excited when the long anticipated date arrived. It was on the trip, I first noticed vague leg pains and difficulty sleeping at night. The pain increased in intensity as the week wore on. After we returned, the pain continued and I noted weakness in my legs. Since I was not sleeping or eating well, I attributed much of this to lack of rest."
"I contacted my physician but his examination revealed little. All the tests proved negative and medication provided little relief. I continued working but was virtually exhausted. By this time, I was experiencing pain to other parts of my body. My husband, Glenn would rub my legs at night but nothing seemed to help. Needless to say none of us were getting any sleep."
A church member asked me to visit Nancy Dalton. At that time Nancy was confined to her bed but I noticed her quiet determination to defeat this mysterious illness that had such a grip on her. At one point, she gently smiled and whispered, "Remember, I am coming to your church to be baptized."
"I was having difficulty getting up and experienced several falls. Our neighbor, a family physician, came to check on me and noted a distinct weakness on my left side. After several hours she stuck her finger in my face and told me, "Do not go to work tomorrow". She was going to speak with my physician. I didn't realize when I left work that Friday; it would be my last day."
"Early Monday morning, I was admitted to the hospital for testing. A neurologist and oncologist were added to the battery of physicians attempting to diagnose my condition but all tests were negative. On the day I was discharged from the hospital I again fell in our bedroom."
"We traveled to Johns Hopkins Hospital with every test still negative. New pains developed in my shoulders and neck and I experienced swallowing problems. A feeding tube was inserted into my stomach. I was so weak I could not turn in bed or raise my head off the pillow. I became a virtual quadriplegic and required help around the clock. By this time I was on many prayer lists and was adopted by churches throughout Virginia. Ministers were sharing updates during weekly services."
Nancy's condition worsened considerably. I remember visiting and offering encouragement but left her house wondering if there would soon be a funeral rather than the baptism she wanted so badly?
"One day, my husband Glenn and my daughter, Diana visited the statue of the Divine Healer in the rotunda of John Hopkins on their way to lunch. Glenn placed his hand on the foot of the statue and prayed for my diagnosis and recovery. Later, as he paid for the meal he noticed a nickel minted in 1947, the year of my birth. He placed the coin in his shirt pocket for safe keeping. My condition was successfully diagnosed the following morning. Glenn carried that nickel in his shirt pocket for months and now wears it on a chain around his neck. A miracle was beginning to take shape."
"My treatment was high doses of steroids and chemotherapy. The relief from pain and sleeplessness was immediate. My strength slowly started coming back. After several months the surgeon removed the feeding tube. He told the nurse, 'if you want proof of a miracle you have just seen one.'"
Several months ago, Nancy Dalton attended church services for the first time since her illness. At first she was confined to a wheel chair but not for long. She steadily became stronger until one special Sunday Nancy was able to stand up, walk down the aisle of the sanctuary and stand before our congregation to hear God's answer to all our prayers: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." We were all blessed with the opportunity to witness a holy miracle.
Like Nancy Dalton, our nation faces many trials but if we maintain an attitude of prayer, God's promise remains: "If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
