Happy!

Here’s a rough copy, it anyone’s interested!

Serenity Talk…

God Healed me of Chronic Fatigue

INTRODUCTION

Thanks, Kathy.

You’ll have to bear with me tonight I’m a writer, so I’m used to telling stories. Usually I can’t see my audience, though. It’s quite a bit more stressful when you all are right here in front of me while I tell my story.

I’m so glad that my husband is here tonight and that he’s having such a good time. He’s really suffered since God healed me of chronic fatigue, and he deserves a break. Back when I had chronic fatigue, I was exhausted. I spent a year and a half sleeping whenever I could, lying on the couch at night, and, really, without any desire to do anything but rest.

Now that God has healed me, I have so much energy. This is when my husband has started to suffer. Now I have energy to shop. I have energy to redesign our kids room. And go to IKEA and buy four beds. Beds with some assembly required. Oh! I’ve discovered Pintrest. Which is a website FULL of craft ideas. All with some assembly required.

The other part of healing prayer that my husband has suffered through is that once you’ve experienced healing prayer, you see how much every single person needs it.

Every time a man cuts us off in traffic, I tell my husband, “He just needs healing prayer.”

Every time someone is rude or stubborn or hurtful, I have the answer: healing prayer. Guess what I suggest when he’s had a bad day at work?

I’m kidding about my husband. He wouldn’t have it any other way than to see me healed.

Let me tell you a little about my experience with being healed…

GETTING SICK

Almost two years ago, I came down with mono for the second time in my life. Most people get mono when they’re teens, I did. Real overachievers are lucky enough to get mono again. I had four kids under the age of six, a book due, and mono.

For the next year and a half, I had chronic fatigue syndrome, which is two chronic viruses that made me feel like I was hung-over, and jet-lagged, and sea sick. ALL THE TIME. This was the time that I lay around on the couch and my husband didn’t even know about IKEA. It was rough.

My titers for these chronic viruses were so high, that my doctor prescribed powerful anivirals, usually given to AIDS and HIV patients. Antivirals with serious side-effects, but that were supposed to suppress the viruses so my immune system could take over. She also prescribed daily supplements, and weekly shots of glutathiamine and B vitamins. I hated needles so this was a particularly tough regimine for me. When all of that didn’t work, we tried Vitamin C therapy and IV drugs. It’s a testament to how miserable I was that this needlephobe enthusiastically offered my forearm three times a week.

That didn’t work either. I still felt awful. As a horrible irony, I came down with mono again while doing the IV therapy. The whole deal: throat swollen shut, high fever, crazy fatigue.

A friend, an advocate for theophosic prayer, recommended Serenity. She even offered to watch my kids, which is what really convinced me. Plus, Serenity Retreat sounded much better that needles in my arms.

I was hesitant to go because I’ve never really experienced any tragedy. The way I understood it, healing prayer was for people who had been abused or had some kind of horrible past. That wasn’t me.

I didn’t think I really needed healing.

SERENITY

Through my six sessions at Serenity, I talked to God about everything on my mind, both now and in my past. Stuff that I didn’t even know was haunting me bubbled up to the surface and spilled out. I can’t describe how refreshing it was to talk to God and hear His response in these uninterrupted sessions. I could be completely honest about my I was talking to my God, I felt His love. And I felt secure in the environment of Serenity. The prayer ministers help me dig through my memories to find the exact moment and exact emotions that needed to be healed. And then God covered and transformed those moments with His love.

I felt it. I saw images of his healing.

By healing me, God changed something in me. Suddenly I saw that He had been with me through every moment of my life. I KNEW this cognitively, but I had never felt it. I felt God there. I saw my life in the spiritual realm. As God’s child. I felt so empowered. So healed. So peaceful. Everything felt new. The way I saw others. The way I saw myself. The way I saw my body.
When I stopped seeing myself as a victim, I forgave easier. I worried less. I slept better. I eat healthier. And through each of those things, God healed me.

LIFE NOW

My brain fog was cleared. My energy returned. I looked different. My eyes were clear. My skin was clear. I looked healthy. I stopped taking the shots and the powerful antivirals.

When I shared my story with my doctor, she wasn’t surprised. She said she’s seen often that physical illnesses, like these horrible chronic viruses, are healed in prayer.

Sure enough, when I got my blood test back the next week, the Epstein-Barr virus, chronic mono, was completely gone from my system. Science confirmed how I felt. I was healed.

I know I still need prayer. SO do you.

So much has changed for me. God has given me the confidence to take better care of myself. He’s given me the love to forgive others. I’m healthier. I eat better. I rest more soundly. I see the world through His eyes. I am not alone. I don’t have to be afraid.

Even of projects with some assembly required.