Category: Faith

In the summer of 2015, Eloise was bit by a rattlesnake.  It is only by the healing hand of God that she is still alive today.  We are grateful for her testimony and we pray it speaks to your heart.

I was walking on the freshly mowed grass on a warm summer evening when the fiery pain shot through my foot. I knew I had been bitten by something. Afraid to look down, I screamed as Emily turned to see a rattlesnake clutching my ankle and refusing to let go. The seconds felt like an eternity as I kept my eyes forward, refusing to face the reality of the moment, until finally, the serpent released its fangs and cowardly slithered under the fence.

LESSON 1: YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE SERPENT WILL STRIKE.

A few days before the snake bite, Miles and I took a marriage retreat. We spent time praying, talking, and having fun together. God gave us specific visions for every area of our lives. We anticipated seeing God’s plan transpire. We also worked on our bucket lists. “Miles, #15 on my list is going to be: witness a physical healing. How awesome that would be!”

LESSON 2: GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS. IT MAY NOT BE THE WAY YOU THOUGHT HE WOULD. 

Just days later, I found myself in the ER, taking injections of anti-venom. Compartment Syndrome in my leg was a probability, and the swelling continued to creep up my body. Once out of the woods for surgery, the condition of my blood was the next concern. Toxins were throwing my blood into complete chaos. Venomous snakes do not tend to hold on to their prey. In my case, the snake held on, releasing every bit of toxic venom it had. Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC Syndrome) was the diagnosis. DIC can lead to multi-organ failure, widespread bleeding, and even cause death if not treated correctly.

In this situation, I had absolutely no control. I began to see things from a new perspective when I accepted God’s sovereignty. My situation did not change, but my mindset did. Trusting God took the focus off myself and put it on my Savior. “God, where are You in this?” changed to “I cannot do this by myself. I cast my cares on You.” [1 Peter 5:7]

LESSON 3: I DO NOT HAVE CONTROL. CAST MY CARES UNTO THE LORD.

I learned to praise God in the miracles along the way. On the terrifying days, I cried out, “Jesus hold me!”, and He was faithful to do so. Rollercoaster, yes. Constant God, Yes.

Fifteen days in the hospital and 34 vials of anti-venom later, I was released to go home and begin the process of recovery. “Miles, you should be planning Eloise’s funeral,” explained Dr. Sharp. What a miracle! I had witnessed a physical healing.

LESSON 4: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER AND THE BODY OF CHRIST.

With a room filled with flowers, Scripture, and food, how can you not experience the Presence of God? The Church is the avenue for God’s love to be expressed. I experienced love mainly through intercessory prayer. Intercessors are people who can carry us to the throne of God when we are unable to get there by ourselves. Jesus intercedes for us [Romans 8:34], and we intercede for each other. I was anointed with oil and prayed over by complete strangers. I could not have come out on the other side without the Body of Christ.

The truth hurts, but it will set you free!

LESSON 5: PAIN IS NOT WITHOUT PURPOSE.

That is the promise of Romans 8:28. God did not make this happen to hurt me, but He used it to build me. God turns misery into ministry. God promised this in the beginning,

Then the Lord God said to the snake, ‘You will be punished for this…You will crawl on your belly and eat dust as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hate each other…Her offspring will crush your head and you will strike her offspring’s heel.’

[Genesis 3:14-15, GNB]

This was a foreshadowing of the Gospel. Jesus’ death on the cross was the strike of the serpent. But the resurrection was Jesus crushing his head, leaving the serpent in defeat. Psalm 91:13 says “You will crush under your feet the lion and the snake.” Yes, Lord, I will!

There were many more lessons learned from my experience two years ago. My human mind cannot conceive a God that is so powerful, loving, and good, but my heart accepts it without reservation.

This post was written by Eloise Bell. To read more about her, click here.

If my life lately has a metaphor, it’s the Good Friday through Easter holiday. Frankly, I’ve been stuck on Good Friday (that awful day) for a while!  My husband and I have weathered deaths, our parents’ changing health (including my mom having a major heart attack and going into full cardiac arrest in front of me), my husband retiring from farming, various other major life changes, and our son graduating from Tech and moving 10 hours away. Those things plus the everyday-ness of life has just be A LOT lately. It’s been the Friday before Easter in our lives for many months.

But…the hope beyond those seasons of ‘Fridays’ is that Easter—that glorious fulfilment of Scripture—is on the way!! I’ve often asked myself, “What would you do without your faith in Him? Where would you be without it? What if I didn’t have the promise of the cross?” I tell the Lord often, “We have come so far,  you and I.  You have been so good to me in the midst. You alone have shown me the path through this season of sacrifice, pain, sorrow, change. You alone have gone to battle before me and for me. Thank You. Thank You. Thank you.”

Philippians 1:6 often comes to mind…actually I’ve worn it out by leaning on it so much!  Simply put, God finishes what He starts. He carries it through. In the ugly, the good, the tears and the laughter, He never fails us. That scripture goes on to clarify that He will carry on that work until His return. Wow! What a promise!

The kicker is that while He’s doing His thing…you know, carrying on the work He’s started in me…am I doing mine? Am I trusting Him on the Good Fridays of my life? If I were honest, I would say that’s where the lesson is for me now: to lean into Him and not to lean on myself or circumstances. To fully trust in Him and His Word is the only rest and hope I have that I will even make to my ‘Easter.’ To drop off my fears and worries at the foot of cross because, as His child, my burdens are His to carry. He paid a beautiful, terrible price for them.

In the Bible, a lot happened in those three days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday! Christ’s crown of thorns was removed, death was overcome, the grave was emptied in the most wonderful example of God finishing was He started!  I’m so thankful to have Christ in my life! It may be Friday for me today…but Sunday’s on the way!!

This post was written by Deborah Smith. To read more about her, click here.

Growing up, I always had a plan. Every January, my parents would pull out the calendar and we would plan events, vacations, school obligations, and sports activities for the entire year. My summers were spent doing math and science workbooks, including SAT and ACT prep. Our family schedules were synchronized and carefully executed.

When the time came, I attended a great University only 20 minutes from Disneyland and 5 minutes from the beach—yet I never actually went to Disney and rarely frequented the beach. Instead, I spent my time doing homework, researching topics related to my major, practicing piano and serving on various academic leadership teams. By the time I received my B.A., I was full of energy and zest: I knew where I was going in life (straight to grad school), what I would accomplish with my degree, and how I would do it. I had complete control over my life…which finally became a problem for the first time.

In the fall of 2009, I drove to Dallas for grad school, ready to work on my M.A. and satisfied with my new job as a dorm pastor of a local college. Only 45 minutes outside my new home, I got a phone call from my new boss. She apologetically explained that my predecessor had decided not to move after all and, though regrettable, they had to retract my job offer. Within 10 minutes I became jobless, homeless, and hopeless. I had no money and realized for the first time that life couldn’t always be controlled by me.

I spent the first month of grad school sleeping on kind stranger’s couches. While this was a hard time in my life, it was also my greatest blessing. As I slowly started getting back on my feet, I learned that surrender didn’t mean giving God the excess or things I didn’t want to handle; it meant giving him authority over situations I desperately clung to and tried to control.

In 2011, my life flip-flopped again as God called my husband and I to Northern Asia for missions. We left our family and friends in 2012, without any church backing or fundraising, to a place we didn’t know.  While I didn’t have a plan, God always did. I’ll be honest: there were some times it was overwhelming to have an unknown future. However, I was learning to trust God and not myself. Our journey would lead us back to California and eventually Texas, where surprises still abound.

While I still make plans and try to live my life with excellence, I know that it no longer depends on my strength. For that I am grateful. I would have never picked Amarillo, Texas, to be the city of my dreams… yet in this season of life (and hopefully many more) that’s exactly what it is. After all, God knows me better than I know myself and He wants His people to rely on Him.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

(Jeremiah 29:11)

What area of control do you need to surrender today?

This post was written by Jess Bell. 

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