Geraldine Singleton faced an unusual enemy. Her body waged war against her. She survived breast cancer and a mastectomy. Less then a decade later, the insidious disease returned as a brain tumor that spread to her bones. USA Today reports: "She has since weathered a car accident;a house fire/three 'mini strokes'; and hardest of all, the death of a brother and two sisters." Amazingly, Singleton doesn't feel downcast. She reports, "God has chosen to 'life her up.' "Singleton now educates other cancer victims and has joined a choir of other breast cancer survivors who "sing though our storm."
You may not have experienced the same type of tempest as Geraldine Singleton, but life sends all kinds of storms:Financial struggles. Wayward children. The death of a loved one. Broken relationships. These events whip through our lives with gale force winds and leave us feeling shattered, powerless and adrift like victims of a mighty tempest.
Engulfed by the floods of life and surrounded by his enemies, David was in a vulnerable place. But he remained strong because he knew the One who could bring triumph our of tragedy and victory from defeat. David trusted his mighty Savior because their relationship rested on a rock-solid, centuries-old covenant that could not be swayed. Like a small child enveloped by his parents' love, David expected God to intervene. Based on what he knew of God's character and his covenant promise to his people, David expected redemption. His hopes were not in vain. God reached down and pulled David up from the depths.
The One who rescued David still waits for his people to "call o him" during whatever trials they face. The God who lifted David to new heights and gave him a song to sing wants to reach down from on high to lift your spirits and help you rise above your circumstances.
What can you do when the storm breaks? Where do you turn when your worlds seems to crumble around you? You're not in this alone! Follow David's lead and run to God, who wants to be your strong tower. Look to God to regenerate your strength. Just as David did, and as cancer survivors and survivors of other catastrophes do, CRY OUT to the Lord for help. Then sing his praises when he reached down to lift you up.
-Women's Devotional Bible
When I started havin' seizures we had just started servin' God & learning on the Word. We had a church family & loved praisin' our Father. Just a few years later is when my seizures got really bad & you couldn't control me when haven one, even my dad couldn't. They just got stronger & stronger and more than usual. After 7yrs of my seizures, God wanted to awaken our hears on faith. We went to a gathering one night & had the most awesome time with God's presence. I of course was dancin' & shoutin' & haven a good time. After the service was over & we were leavin' I fell & started haven a seizure. They prayed over me & of course our flesh thought, "Oh I've seen that happen before but no answer."
The seizures were a daily routine. Happened around the the evening time mostly but you never knew. We went on with our day & got a little shocked that evening. They kept an eye on me all the time in case a seizure came. They didn't see one that night. It was awesome!
We went to bed & got up the next mornin' & they asked how I felt, which I felt fine. It was pretty shockin' cause like I said, this was a daily routine for our life. But God was, as we believed, a test on our faith in Him. I didn't have one seizure for 21days! I was so so happy cause I was livin' a normal life which is what I had wanted for so long. But as those 21days were goin by, my Spirit man was reminding me what my life would be like if I just trusted God. He told me to put my faith in my Savior & He will lift me up off that chair of sorrow with those seizures.
That is when my life totally changed. The 22nd day was here & the seizures were also. They started back the way they were but even more worse. Which meant we needed to pray even more. But when we did, our trust in God was so much more stronger. People would ask me about the days I wasn't having any & why they came back. And I would tell them that God was running a test on our faith & that He's made it stronger.
My mother had been lookin' for a doctor all those 10yrs who knew about seizures & did surgery. In 2003 we found one at the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City & had a visit. They did a cat scan & found a tumor in my brain, the size of your thumb. But the blessing of it is that it was BENIGN =) They said they could remove it so we set a date for brain surgery.
On September 17, 2004 I had that tumor removed. God's presence was so so thick in my room before & after my surgery you could feel it. They didn't have any problems which was a blessing because on a scale of 1-10, I was a 9 on how hard the surgery was. If anything happened I could have died.
After they surgery the doctor made sure my parents knew that things could happen. I may have to learn to read again, learn my numbers, & take tylenol for the pain. I didn't have to experience any of that.
Like I said, our faith in God was so thick we trusted Him. It will be 9yrs this September since I've had a seizure & I'm livin' a happy married Christian life =) Very thankful for trusting God. You should do the same! -Joy
[Psalm 18:1-50]
1 I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
and rained down hail and burning coals.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
23 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
28 You light a lamp for me.
The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35 You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40 You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreign nations cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.
[Psalm 59:16-17]
16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
for you, O God, are my refuge,
the God who shows me unfailing love.
[Jonah 2:1-9]
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish.
2 He said,
“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
and Lord, you heard me!
3 You threw me into the ocean depths,
and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
4 Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’
5 “I sank beneath the waves,
and the waters closed over me.
Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
I was imprisoned in the earth,
whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
snatched me from the jaws of death!
7 As my life was slipping away,
I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
in your holy Temple.
8 Those who worship false gods
turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
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