God is Faithful

I remember the subtle comment from my brother-in-law as we got into our car for the 13 hour drive home, “Be careful and no tickets.” I thought to myself, “that won’t happen, I always stay close to the speed limit.” We waved goodbye as we pulled away. It had been a great Christmas.

The 13-hour trip began drifting along effortlessly as my mind wrestled with the reality of what our family has been experiencing. For nearly two years my wife has been struggling with several physical difficulties – the list is long. In her world, everyday is physically painful. Little sleep, aching joints, stiffness and numbing pain chase her daily. Everything in me wishes it were me instead of her.

Nearly three weeks had passed since our family arrived in Springfield, Missouri to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. And although we had a wonderful time with family, and we were blessed by every minute of conversation with the William’s, Mercer’s and Steelman families, those cherished moments were not the primary reason we packed up the family.

The main reason was to help Karen find relief through a unique treatment called Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy. Twenty sessions were scheduled and everything we read gave us hope that some relief might be within reach. The schedule was aggressive due to the limited time we had over Christmas break but within a few days of the second treatment Karen began experiencing relief.

The pain in her hands that made it impossible to twist a lid off a jar? Much less painful. The ache in her muscles were not as pronounced. Her sleep has improved. What used to be 3-4 hours of sleep became 5-6 hours of sleep the past week. The sleep improvement alone is a huge blessing and we are praying it continues.

We are grateful to Dr. Delport and his dedicated staff who gave so much advice and took such personal interest in helping Karen feel better. The staff at Abundant Health Clinic went above and beyond by giving of their own time after hours and not charging us for the extra time. Their generosity and kindness has blessed us immeasurably.

Three weeks and 20 treatments later we started the trek back to San Antonio. We were sailing along as we left behind the smooth Missouri highways and began thumping, bumping, and vibrating across the Oklahoma highways.

My mind wasn’t reflecting on the jarring roads or my speed, but I was pondering how to continue helping Karen feel better when I glanced down at my speedometer. The gauge read 75 or so I thought. I was aware that I was in a 65 mph zone so I eased up on the accelerator. What I saw next brought a sinking feeling to my stomach.  As my eyes came up from the speedometer they landed on a black car with a row of sleek lights on top turning into the median. My first thought? Busted.

I watched in my side view mirror as the black car pulled through the grass and back onto the road in pursuit of our car. The words “No tickets” from my brother-in-law began to pummel me. I pulled to the side of the road to wait for the officer to catch up. With lights flashing, he approached the car and asked if I knew why I was being stopped. I responded that I had just noticed that I was going 75mph.

He kindly informed me that he clocked me going 78mph and asked me to come to his car. I asked if I could bring my coffee knowing I would need some comfort as I accepted my punishment. Isn’t it painful to see $200+ disappear into thin air? Ouch!

As he entered my information into his laptop he asked where I was headed and what had brought me to Springfield. I shared a little of Karen’s story and the treatment she had been blessed to receive. He asked what I did for a living and we talked about how much he liked growing up in Midland, Texas.

A few minutes later he delivered a surprise that left me nearly speechless. The ticket would be a warning. I was blown away by his kindness, grace and mercy. I thanked him and told him I would be more diligent in watching my speed. As I reached for the door handle to leave he added, “I’ll be praying for your wife and I hope she gets well.” The kindness of this Oklahoma State Trooper was overwhelming and brought Karen and I to tears.

I deserved the ticket. I was guilty. I didn’t deserve mercy but in that moment of mercy, our family experienced how God’s mercies are new every day. This State Trooper became a conduit of God’s mercy.

The kindness of Doctor Delport and mercy of the Trooper served as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness:

• God cares and is at work for our good
• God is at work through His servants to bring blessings
• God often does not give us what we deserve
• Even in the midst of pain there is much to be grateful for

How has God been faithful to you lately? For us it was through a Doctor and his team in Springfield who showed kindness and grace. For us it was through improved sleep and lessening of the pain Karen has endured the past two years. For us it was through a State Trooper who showed mercy when I deserved a ticket. God is continually at work for good in our lives and it is no different for you. He is continually at work for your good and he shows us his love and faithfulness through the people he brings into our lives.

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