Faith, Angels and Overcoming GBS

When I first heard Jim had come out of his predicament and was functioning without a ventilator or a feeding tube, I was astounded. The last vision I had of him was a motionless body hooked to multiple machines. When spoken to he did nothing. Once or twice he twitched a toe, something I believed to be an involuntary response. The starkness of the room added to my dismal feeling. I held Jim’s hand and asked if he wanted to pray and he jerked his toe/foot ever so slightly. I prayed for God’s blessing and he didn’t move anymore. It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

The thought of his recovery brought to mind the word “miracle.” I know that is an over used word and improperly in many cases. In this case I had prayed for God’s mercy upon Jim but must admit a sense of acceptance in my heart even as I hoped for a miracle. I considered the loss of my friend a closed deal.

In studying the Bible we find much evidence that God does not work according to what is obvious in this realm. He is, rather, concerned with the business of administering the plan He has preordained. We, however, enter into the picture, take a look around, make assumptions and then accept what we believe to be inevitable. I say ‘we’ because the family of God is one large group covering the past several thousand years. We have all made the mistake I admit to: failing to trust God completely.

Faith and trust in God is a very scary business. It involves letting go of what we sense and allowing His Supreme Spirit to move in and overtake us. This is akin to driving blindfolded and listening to directions to move the car safely. It requires a great deal of patience and obedience. We must change our way of thinking and look for better ways to come into fellowship with God. Crashes are frequent and the driver seeking heavenly guidance will accept the dents and humiliation in exchange for God’s promise; eternal life later and a closer walk with Him now.

When I saw Jim incapacitated I was filled with worldly dread. If I had been studying the Bible then as I do now, I can tell you that I may well have seen opportunity: opportunity for God to demonstrate His love for Jim and His power over everything that appears so insurmountable in this life. Matthew 19: 26 reminds us; “with God all things are possible.” The Bible also points out the dozens of instances where God moved into a situation where the conclusion appeared evident before the scene was fully established. David and Goliath, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 17, is a good example.

I am certain David was the only person on that battlefield who believed himself capable of slaying Goliath, but he did slay him. He had undergone life-altering trials in the wilderness while tending his sheep. He had faith that God was his caregiver and the source of all strength. He believed this with what Jesus would later identify as the faith of a child. As a result he knew God would not allow any enemy to stand. Goliath showed disrespect for God and David was outraged on God’s behalf. The victory was David’s before the fight even began.

This process is further explained in 1 Peter 1: 3-9. The text reads:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

David and so many other faithful have experienced that trial by fire. The gold of their faith could only be proven to be gold when it was heated and all the impurities removed. Their inheritance was gained only through perseverance. This is a painful process but without it the faith of the person is tainted. David knew God was the redeemer and source of all things. He knew it. He held to it and, without seeing Jesus redeem his soul, knew He would do it. Jim did not give into the challenges presented to him. He endured the smelting of his faith and continues to bear the fruit of the spirit.

Jim talks openly about having doubts and fears during his ordeal, but he clung to his faith knowing Jesus would not fail him. There would have been no word spoken of Jim being weak if he had given in to the fear and doubt and allowed his life to slip away. I was actually expecting it. Instead he found the Jesus he loves sitting with him and comforting him. He told me it is like having a personal friend sit right beside you, just for you, and visit just you. He admits knowing God doesn’t operate this way but that it sure feels that way. Having felt the comfort of God, Jim did a peculiar thing: he began to pray for other people. People he knew at home and those in great suffering right around him there in the care home. He said he gave little thought to his own well-being because God had already loosened that burden. After all he went through there wasn’t much left undone. Yet, through it all, God filled him with comfort and joy. Jim told me of this joy in a giddy tone, almost like a child revealing a secret; he was that excited about it.

Look back to the quote from 1 Peter. Notice that even though we don’t see Jesus now, we are filled with joy because our trials have alerted us to the fact that He has tested us and we are nearer to Him. He knows of our faith and we rejoice knowing that the faith we have has provided the salvation we long for; the salvation that leads us to Him - eternally. To heaven where there is peace and joy and love and where we will never be hungry, sick, or sorrowful and God will dry every eye. That is what our faith rests upon and that is why I desire to tell you Jim’s story.

It is my hope that reading Jim’s story will allow you to have the same heartfelt, Spirit filled experience many of us have had.