The last few weeks having been extremely trying for the Black family for the second consecutive January. One December 24th, Cheryl and I were in a bad car accident that totaled our car. Then on Christmas day, my health began to worsen. I thought it might just be the flu but it continued to get worse until I could no longer walk to the bathroom by myself without almost passing out. By the 30th, Cheryl had seen enough and called the ambulance. For the next 4 days, I went into a place of absolute confusion while both a kidney specialist and urologists conducted tests to fine the source of what was going on. It was determined that my body had experienced what the doctors called “A Perfect Storm”. My prostate gland had swollen to the point where I was unable to urinate. That combined with a bad interaction between medications caused my kidneys to completely shut down. The attending physician said that he has not seen someone as ill as I was in all his years of practice. The creatine levels in my blood were 15-16 when normal is 1-1.5.
The doctors were not giving Cheryl to much hope and were concerned that it was take me weeks in hospital for me to recover, if I lived at all, and that I might be on dialysis for the rest of my life.
Sunday, January 2nd was a crucial day in my recovery and was a day that the doctors said, I needed a “breakthrough”.
I was told by Cheryl that the church body battled for my life and destiny on that Sunday morning. God heard your prayers. That afternoon, I received my “breakthrough”. It had to be the Lord because I had absolutely no strength of my own. My body turned a corner and kidneys and the rest of my body started to recover. Coincidence? Not on your life! From that point, all my numbers improved daily as well as my reason. I was in hospital long enough for my body to normalize so surgery could be done to correct the issue with my prostate. That was performed Friday evening and I was released to return home this past Sunday! Miraculous!!!!
I want to thank all of you who prayed for Cheryl and I during this time. The Lord saved me and healed me for in second time in a year. I am so thankful for you all and for the faithfulness of the Lord. A few verses come to mind as I reflect on all that has taken place in our lives; the first is Psalm 34:4 (ESV)
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
The Lord both heard and answered your prayers for us. The Sunday you all prayed serves as a reminder for us as believers that’s when we war together in untiy, God listens and acts. The second verse is Ephesians 1:15-19 (ESV)
“ for this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
I am grateful for all of your and thank the Lord for my family in Christ around the world and prayed. The last verse is from the book of Daniel after King Nebuchadnezzar has his reason restored; Daniel 4:34-36 (ESV)
“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” 36 At the same time my reason returned to me,”
Tonight, as I’m sitting here writing this blog, my heart is full of thanksgiving and gratefulness for His faithfulness to work both in and through you to bring forth His purposes in our lives!!!