Coming Back To Thank God For A Miracle

Hello my dear friends, this is Odie reporting in from City Reach in El Mirage, Arizona. We have had a wonderful week! It is amazing to watch God moving in people's hearts and lives. I cannot wait to see what next week holds. I am praying and believing for several of our friends and others to come back home to God this week!

I really do appreciate all of you who have taken time to pray for us this week! Many of you have called, text , or emailed and let us know you were keeping up with the events of City Reach. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I wanted to take a little bit of time to thank God once again for the miracle he gave me in April 2014. Here is a short recap, I woke up April 13, 2014 completely blind in my left eye. For nine days I had no vision in my left eye. It was an extremely scary time for me and my family. We had no idea what the future held for us.

Doctors say I had Optic Neuritis. My optic nerve in left eye was inflamed. A team of wonderful doctors begin to treat me with medicine, but I had no promise that my vision would return.   

At the end of the ninth day my victory began. The family of God had surrounded our family with prayer and love. Many of you are the soldiers that went to war for us! I will forever be indebted to everyone who prayed and fought for my victory. 

April 21, 2014 my vision began to return in my left eye. And as of my last check up at the eye doctor in November 2015, I now have 20/20 vision in both of my eyes. In fact, my vision is better now than before I went blind! God is so good!

This Wednesday will mark 2 years since we suddenly began that battle. It was scary. At the time I felt like I was fighting for my life. I look back now and I am blown away by God's sustaining grace that carried me to victory. 

I thank God daily for the miracle He gave me. I will never be able to give Him praise He deserves!  We blogged about the whole journey, but today I wanted to thank God once again for restoring my vision!

I will close today with my actual words from nearly two years ago. It was a frightening experience and I am still praising God for His help.

Have a great weekend.

Odie 

Odie's Heart Full of Praise

Originally posted April 26, 2014

A Note From Odie:

Hey friends, it is almost 2:30 AM Saturday morning as I type now. I can not find sleep yet. I am full of thoughts about what God has done for me. Two weeks ago this battle started with blurred vision in my left eye on Saturday. By Sunday morning, as most of you know, I was mostly blind in my left eye. In a way I sit here shaking my head saying that it does not seem like two weeks ago, It feels like yesterday.  In other ways it has been a very long two weeks. 

I think back to Friday night before this all started as we finished revival in Central City, Kentucky. At the end of the service The Lord visited the place strongly with peace. As we begin to sing Peace Peace Wonderful Peace, wave after wave of God's peace came through the building that night. I remember thanking God for the nearness of His spirit. Little did I know how much I would lean on His Peace the next two weeks.  

By that Sunday night in Salem, Kentucky I was in the thick of the fight. Yet I had an assurance of peace to weather whatever this storm brought my way. Most of the times I have had way more questions than answers but God's peace settled me. Now I am seeing victory clearer and clearer everyday. My heart is so full of joy right now. 

One week ago I crashed into bed after an eventful afternoon and evening at the ER. I must say the ER staff at Bethesda North Hospital treated me great last week. All along I have prayed for God to heal or to guide me where I needed to go to get the correct care. After last weeks MRI results I was rejoicing over some good news but I still did not have the promise of my sight returning. 

I chose to believe I would see again because of God. Everyday is  better!  I can not begin to thank God for His help!! God began to give us insight Monday into what was going on spiritually and He began to heal me physically. Although I am not seeing like I used to, I am improving tremendously every day.

My doctor's office called yesterday to check on my progress and I gladly told the receptionist who called that I am praising God because my sight is coming back. I have talked to her many times in the last two weeks. I was desperate to get the correct treatment in a timely manner. I have stressed to her, I am blind and I need help. I was glad to now be able to tell her that God is helping me.

Over the last last several days I have leaned on scriptures and songs to encourage me.  "Be still an know that I am God" has been my lifeline. During my MRI I was listening to Enlighten on XM and the song "Stand Still" began to play. As I listened closely to the words of one my all time favorite songs again, every word hit home. I had to stop myself from losing it completely right there. I knew again this was in God's hands.

Take few moments to listen my favorite group sing this timeless song. This video is from September 2010. 

I can not yet declare total victory. I know it is close!!!  I know it is because of prayer! Thank you to all who went to war on my behalf. Please continue to pray. I hope and pray I never face this again, but I have no promise this will not return. But I will try to rest with these words in my mind 

Victory is mine Victory is mine 

Victory today is mine

I told satan get the behind

Victory today is mine."