Debi and the Place of Deep Healing

Debbie and her sweet family

I met Debi this summer. Her radiant smile and blond curls defied the stage 4 cancer growing deep in her body. Drawn to her effervescence (and sweet girls), I purposed to stay in touch with her in the coming months.

So I've called her about once a week to get the latest update. And there's always an update. Debi has a clotting disorder and when a doctor placed a port in her chest about a month ago now, two clots formed, delaying chemo and forcing her back on coumadin shots.

It's complicated.

Two blood clots alone would frighten the normal person. But Debi's taken it all in stride. Crying at times. Laughing more. And just trying to live in the midst of head shaking trial.

She surprised me Thursday morning with an early call. I didn't recognize the number or check the message for hours cause I slept late that day. But when I heard the request from her perky voice, I plopped back on my bed, looked straight through ceiling, and said, "Really?"

Debi had called to ask me to attend a healing service with her that night. Sounds simple enough. But it was a service held at a church that once left my soul in great confusion. I've never doubted the impact of the congregation's monthly healing services but just couldn't bring myself to go. Even now it's hard to explain. Was it pride? Unforgiveness? Fear? Or just wounds that would not heal?

I don't know.

But even though different folks have mentioned the service here and there over the last few years, I've avoided going. Debi didn't know I had any ties to the church so her call seemed an innocent nudge from above. It was time. Time to face the past so I could walk more fully into my future.

What humors me most is that I thought I was called to minister to Debbie: ms. stage 4 cancer. But no. God used Debi to take me to a place a great pain to experience more of His healing.

And it was good. It really was. Good to see old friends. Good to soak in His presence. Good to face what was... to live more complete in what is.

I love it when God surprises me like that.

And I really love my new friend, Debi. Will you pray for her this week?

I've lost a husband to cancer. Am married to a man who lost his wife to cancer. And I've been sick now for years. But that doesn't change that James wrote,

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5: 15, 16)

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