I believe God performs miracles today. Every time I see a man or woman set free from addictions, when I see the restoration of broken relationships, when I see lives transformed through the power of the cross, I know a miracle has occurred.
I know God performs miracles today. The reason I know this is because I am here writing this. That may not seem like a miracle to you, but it is. For those who know me, they know that writing is an integral part of my life; one which I no longer take for granted. I admit, I find it far more challenging than I used to but I consider it a great honour to be able to contribute in this fashion.
May 21 was a day I will never forget. It began as an ordinary day but then it became rather extraordinary for me. After a lunch with a friend, I headed back to the office with focused energy on all that needed to get accomplished. But none of those things got accomplished as I was rushed to emergency with a Transient Ischemic Attack. The symptoms soon passed but I was told to remain in the emergency waiting room until I saw a doctor. About two minutes later, the symptoms began to come back but before I could wheel my chair over to the nursing station, my whole left side had gone numb and I couldn't move. They rushed me through admission as they recognized the signs of a stroke.
I was admitted to the hospital as they could not figure out what caused this stroke to happen. My vitals were all healthy and normal for a 39-year-old woman. They would have to do more tests. A few days later, on May 25, another stroke occurred while I was still in hospital. As I lost feeling in my left side, and then my right side, I kept alert, talking to those around me and describing what was happening to my body. I admit that I was rather anxious about this but tried my best to remain calm and focused on relaxing. As I lay there praying to God, words of a chorus brought reassurance to me: “Rest the Lord is near, refuse to fear.” As I hummed that refrain over and over, I knew that whatever the future held, God's hand was on me.
It is a miracle that I have recovered from these incidents with only minor deficits. I know it could have been much more severe and I thank God for the miracles he still performs today.
The doctors eventually found that I was born with four holes in my heart that I never knew about. After stabilizing me on proper medication, they referred me to a cardiologist and then a cardiac surgeon. Now, as I await surgery, I am confident in God's omnipotence and his presence. No matter what the future holds, I know I am in his hands.
Captain Shari Russell and her husband, Robert, are the corps officers at Weetamah in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Shari also serves as the Territorial Aboriginal Ministries Liaison. Shari and Robert originally met in Winnipeg and were married there, so it is a joy for them to be back. They have three boys: CJ, Gavin and Brannon. As a family, they enjoy travelling, camping, playing sports and music.
I know God performs miracles today. The reason I know this is because I am here writing this. That may not seem like a miracle to you, but it is. For those who know me, they know that writing is an integral part of my life; one which I no longer take for granted. I admit, I find it far more challenging than I used to but I consider it a great honour to be able to contribute in this fashion.
May 21 was a day I will never forget. It began as an ordinary day but then it became rather extraordinary for me. After a lunch with a friend, I headed back to the office with focused energy on all that needed to get accomplished. But none of those things got accomplished as I was rushed to emergency with a Transient Ischemic Attack. The symptoms soon passed but I was told to remain in the emergency waiting room until I saw a doctor. About two minutes later, the symptoms began to come back but before I could wheel my chair over to the nursing station, my whole left side had gone numb and I couldn't move. They rushed me through admission as they recognized the signs of a stroke.
I was admitted to the hospital as they could not figure out what caused this stroke to happen. My vitals were all healthy and normal for a 39-year-old woman. They would have to do more tests. A few days later, on May 25, another stroke occurred while I was still in hospital. As I lost feeling in my left side, and then my right side, I kept alert, talking to those around me and describing what was happening to my body. I admit that I was rather anxious about this but tried my best to remain calm and focused on relaxing. As I lay there praying to God, words of a chorus brought reassurance to me: “Rest the Lord is near, refuse to fear.” As I hummed that refrain over and over, I knew that whatever the future held, God's hand was on me.
It is a miracle that I have recovered from these incidents with only minor deficits. I know it could have been much more severe and I thank God for the miracles he still performs today.
The doctors eventually found that I was born with four holes in my heart that I never knew about. After stabilizing me on proper medication, they referred me to a cardiologist and then a cardiac surgeon. Now, as I await surgery, I am confident in God's omnipotence and his presence. No matter what the future holds, I know I am in his hands.
Captain Shari Russell and her husband, Robert, are the corps officers at Weetamah in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Shari also serves as the Territorial Aboriginal Ministries Liaison. Shari and Robert originally met in Winnipeg and were married there, so it is a joy for them to be back. They have three boys: CJ, Gavin and Brannon. As a family, they enjoy travelling, camping, playing sports and music.
Leave a Comment