
"Stories and testimonies of the healing power of God!"
All Saints' Episcopal Church - Lakeland, Florida
Doulos Chapter of the International Order of St. Luke the Physician
Healing Eucharist and prayer every Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. - Bring a friend
Cancer Support Group - 4th Wednesday 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Parlor
Prayer line 863-603-PRAY (7729)
The Lord has touched my life in a multitude of ways. Protecting me through the years in the many dangerous situations I have been involved. He has watched over me and brought me through much hurt and pain. To me, all these things in and of themselves , it is a miracle He had the patience to wait for me. He is truly long-suffering and rewards those who do not deserve it. I tend to group this change in my life as a miracle of the Holy Spirit, thus, a single healing of many hurts. But there is another healing that I claim from Christ that just astounds me and strengthened my faith in Him immeasurably.
Shortly after coming to Talbot House in July of 2004 I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. In a review of my history, more than likely I had the virus for some years. The nurse from the health department also said that with treatment, maybe 20% are cured. In fact only 40% even respond to therapy.
After some time of many great people helping me, the staff of the Good Samaritan Clinic at Talbot House for instance, the plan of God began to come to light. Enormous amounts of time was spent on my behalf getting Polk county insurance to cover my doctor visits and lab work and obtaining thousands of dollars worth of medicines for free. This was miraculous in itself. Then the bad news started to come.
When my lab results came back I had a high viral load of a slow responding germ, that is if it responded at all. My therapy would last forty- eight weeks. That is longer than my stay at Talbot House Ministries was to last. I believe this is when I truly submitted to Jesus.
I began the regiment of therapy in December and was introduced to an illness as I have never experienced. The inter feron knocked me off my feet and I was in bed for days after an injection. I was able to stay in constant prayer during these stays in bed and the Holy Spirit was so comforting at my bedside.
On a day in March 2005 on a particularly dark day Ms. Dena was walking by and the Spirit gave her unction to get me to some of the healing hands that God works through at Talbot House. Ms. Paula, Ms. Dena, Ms.Patty , Ms. Nani, and Mr. John anointed and lay hands on me. They prayed and rebuked in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ and the power swept over me just as it was when I was saved. I knew what had just happened was spectacular but it never occurred to me that my whole being had been healed. In my faithlessness I thought God had just relieved my pain until my next injection.
As it was, that same week I was to go for lab work. This was the first time they would be checking for variations in viral load in my blood since therapy started twelve weeks earlier. This was a pivotal point because if there was no change the doctor could discontinue therapy and let the disease take its course or get more aggressive with meds. I felt, on one hand that I wanted the treatments to end but I also wanted to be well. What a dilemma I create left to myself. When my results came back my doctor, a prominent Jewish gastroenterologist, was almost speechless that the virus was gone and started to explain how the medicine was working. I told him I knew where and when Jesus healed me and he gave me a curious look and smiled.
THANKS BE TO GOD for leading me to such faithful and loving family and friends at Talbot House Ministries and All Saints Episcopal Church. You truly are Saints.
--Robert Lord