Tenacious faith...

    Cristina, an athlete and professional body-builder, was forced to deliver her baby by emergency C-section due to dangerously high blood pressure. She had been diagnosed with preeclampsia and doctors expected her blood pressure to stabilise after the baby was born. This did not happen. Instead, days after delivering her baby, she suffered a stroke and started to bleed. The doctors were able to stop the bleeding but told her that she could possibly die. If she did live, her mobility would be limited. 
    As the days passed, mobility proved difficult and she relied on her faith and prayer to help her through. She refused to accept what she had been told and prayed that God would bring her blood pressure down enough so that she could go outside. Her family, friends and church supported her in prayer and within a week her blood pressure went down and she was discharged from the hospital. Her blood pressure, however, remained elevated and caused fainting spells, dizziness, blurred vision and headaches. The doctors had very little hope for her recovery.                        
    She desperately wanted to be the person and mother she desired to be and knew that with God’s help she could do it. She drew her strength from God and His Word. She changed her diet and started working out again. She improved slowly finally regaining her mobility and coming off her medication. It was not easy but she admits that prayer is what got her through. It took her four years to find complete healing. She is now able to enjoy motherhood and is back to competitive bodybuilding where she has won several awards. She is still off all medications and her blood pressure remains normal. 
    One of the things about Cristina that caught my attention, is the fact that she refused to accept or receive the negative news from doctors. She refused to accept her condition and chose not to simply lie down and die in it. She partnered with God and leaned heavily on prayer and on His strength to see her through. Yes, she struggled with her mobility and with the negative effects of high blood pressure. She was discouraged I am sure, with the negative reports from doctors, yet, she chose not to give up, she chose to keep going. I believe she simply chose to live and to live the best life God had for her. This meant that her focus was on what God could do not on the little she or the doctors could do.
    I am reminded of the story of the two blind men sitting at the side of the road (Matthew 20:29-34). When they heard that Jesus was coming they shouted to get His attention. The crowd told them to be quiet but they cried out even more loudly. They too made up their minds that they were not going to remain in their condition. The answer to their healing was coming their way and they were not going to miss the opportunity to be healed by Him! The negative voices did not stop them. Their inability to see Jesus for themselves did not stop them. They heard that He was coming and their focus was on what they knew He could do for them. 
    As I said last week, the faith walk is not an easy one. It can be easier to trust what we can see but it is certainly not more rewarding. God desires that we live an abundant life in Christ. No, it does not mean a perfect life and it certainly does not mean a life free from sickness, disease, pain or disappointment. But, when we choose to partner with God, we can live the best life He has for us. We can have the confidence that God will always have our back and give us the strength we need to make it through tough times and seasons. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God does not want us to live a limited life. He wants us to enjoy the best he has for us. And, with Him in it, all the strength, support, love and joy we need will sustain and keep us no matter what comes our way.

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