Faith Enhancers

A year ago, my life almost crumbled. The dreaded pressure sore was discovered, disabling me more (since I am a paraplegic), as I spent most of the time in bed. 

The recovery was not instant. In fact the healing process is very long. The pain radiated to my left thigh each time I sat on the wheelchair. I could not sit straight, but my upper back would instantly curve to the right to remove the weight from my left ischium.

It was a tough journey. I limited the time I sat on the wheelchair since the pressure of my weight may further delay the sore from healing. The pain persisted. I ate while in bed. I cried and regretted cleaning the lower portion of the wall which started the sore!

Nonetheless, with the passage of time, persistent prayers, and our Lord's faithfulness, my condition is better (though not 100% yet). I also realized a couple of things.

The throbbing pain in my lumbar was due to the lengthy hours of sitting. Resting in-between is a must. And with every chore I have, I make sure to pause, and continue later.

Our good Lord allows us to be in a situation which strengths our character, develops our patience, and deepens our faith. Coincidentally, at that time, our unit at the columbarium was sold. Cremation is unbiblical. As Christians, we want to please God even with the smallest mandate. Similarly the doctor's fee, laboratory cost, and antibiotics were not free. The timely sales greatly relieved us from the expenses.

On the same month last year, a typhoon struck. The rain was non-stop. It caused flood in our village. Though our property was elevated several meters, only an inch (or less) was left for the rain water to enter the house! We prayed. Before we rested our weary minds, my mom and I checked our surroundings. There were gentle waves outside our property, but it was quiet and still within the perimeters of our house. The next day, the sun happily greeted us. The flood started to subside and I whispered a heartfelt, "thank you Lord."

Though negativity somewhat enveloped my being, I continued to put my trust in Mark 9:23. "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." And little did I know that those incidents were my faith enhancers as I look back at the year that was.