Have Faith Will Travel

Spiritual Story by Elizabeth S. Lawrence

Three years ago, I was asked to give a talk about ATTITUDE at a business seminar in a hotel setting. When I went up to the front which was two minutes after I started my preliminary introduction, I felt a sharp pain in the middle of my back.

I stopped suddenly and excused myself. As I turned my back, I saw confusion from the faces of the audience through the back wall made up of mirrors.

As my topic was so appropriate to the way I reacted to the situation, I kept myself calmed, composed and collected.

At first I thought it was just an ordinary pain but as minutes went by, it got worst. The audience started panicking. I could not stand up anymore nor sit down so some of them came to hold me whatever or whichever way they thought would be comfortable for me.

They started praying together. I heard one lady praying in tongue and the rest were stunned and just sat there and didn't know what to do.

The pain was so intense that I could not even utter a word so somebody called the ambulance and when it came the pain on my back shot up to my chest.

At the emergency room, as much as the pain was so unbearable, I could still hear the doctor saying, "Oh, that is just anxiety. You women always suffer from anxiety."

I knew it wasn't anxiety. It felt like a whole elephant landed on my chest. I never ever had that kind of pain before. Multiple tests were carried out and while these procedures were being done I prayed to God and said, "God, please forgive me for my sins but if you are ready for me, I am ready." Then I added, "But God, I still have so much things to do for you."

Think about it. How many of those who died suddenly had the opportunity to repent and asked for forgiveness for their sins from the Lord? It would be more tragic if they didn't.

Then the nurses took me to have a CAT Scan and that was when they found out that I have Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm which is commonly called Triple A.

I was taken straight to ICU and very carefully monitored me. I didn't know at the time that my blood pressure was 290/210.

The doctors could not fly me over to another more equipped hospital as my condition would not take the flight and chances were I would die on the way with a 20% survival rate. They just continued with the necessary medical procedures keeping me alive and comfortable.

Two days after, the doctor asked me to sign a form which stated, NO RESUSCITATION just in case anything happened to me. He said to call my family or whoever I needed or wanted to call to discuss the matter.

When the doctor left, I prayed to God saying, "God, I know you gave these doctors a gift of healing and I don't care what they say because I know You are the greatest Healer of them all."

My family came, closest friends and had asked for the Bishop and the parish priest who came also. After praying and blessing me, the Bishop said to me that whatever my decision would be, they would respect it.

Little did I know that nobody believed that I would survive after two days but they did not know about the power of thoughts, words, belief and faith. I DID.

Then my father who is living on the other side of the world called me and said, "My child, you are healed." Right there and then I knew I was healed because I believed that. After almost a month at the ICU, I was transferred to the general ward and two more weeks I was discharged.

After five weeks, I was back to the hospital via ambulance and found out that the AAA was getting worst so I was flown away to Lahey Clinic in Boston via air ambulance. There, I stayed for few more weeks. I had all the unbelievable healings that anybody we encountered considered them miracles. I do too. I was able to go home escaping the bypass operation as well.

December 6th, 2006, I had a sharp pain on my chest. Again, I was taken to the hospital via ambulance. Examinations revealed that I was developing fluid in my right lung so again they took me straight to ICU. Two big tubes were inserted on my back to drain the fluid but in vain. I was not tolerating any food nor any liquid so I began to shed some weight off which was against all odds with my small frame already.

I was feeling worst and developing fever and still no drainage. Another x-ray was taken and showed that the fluids were filling up my lung very quickly so the doctor decided to fly me over again at Lahey Clinic in Boston for operation. Off I went via air ambulance.

More and more procedures were instituted. My arms were tattoed with IV's and injections everyday. More X-rays, ECG's, CAT Scan, MRI's, blood tests. The doctor scheduled me to have the operation the next day which was on Decmber 11, 2006 instead of the scheduled day.

It was a very long battle but I never gave up hope nor faith in God.

Christmas time, I was alone in a foreign land, in the hospital, sick in bed with no family, nor relative and not a single friend with me. But I knew that the Good Lord was always there for me and never left me and guiding me and protecting me all the way.

After a month, I went home.

Everybody went through something maybe even worst than what I have been through. We do hear a lot about that it's not what happened to us that matters. It's what we do with what happens to us that is more important.

Three chances I was given in life and very grateful that I am still being showered with many of God's blessings. My life has received miracles after miracles after miracles.

It has been more than three years since the first incident and I am still recovering. I am still under the doctor's supervision and still having frequent check-ups and maintenace. Although I am homebound, I owe it to God, big time, to me and to everybody to continue to get better so I can be an instrument for Him which is one of my passions.

I am very grateful for what had happened to me because even though I considered myself a devout Catholic, not until I stayed home and spent one on one with God that I realized I have so much catching up to do.