God is faithful

Recovery began with the use of a walker.

I haven't publicized or told a lot of people about it, but the past six weeks I've gone through the toughest physical battle of my life. Before I explain this fight, let me start with the good news that God is faithful and is bringing me through, restoring my health.

It all began on Nov. 3, when I traveled to Birmingham to have a biopsy on my prostate. That was due to high PSA tests. Following a MRI on my prostate, in October, the doctor zoned in on some suspect places and then 12 random samples. The good news is the biopsy samples all came back negative. The bad news is I became extremely sick following the procedure. On Nov. 4, I was teaching Bible study at Love In Action when chills overcame me. I was shaking uncontrollably. Martha brought me home, and that's when I became violently sick.

Being a hard head, I didn't want to go to the hospital, even though I had a fever of 103.9. It finally broke around 3 a.m., but the next morning I felt bad again, and this time I let Martha take me to the ER. As if the chills, body aches, and 103 fever weren't bad enough, I was also extremely dehydrated to the point my kidneys were not functioning.

So, they hooked me up to all kinds of fluids and antibiotics and did a lot of lab work. Soon afterward I was admitted to the hospital where I would spend the next 10 days, some of those days feeling like I was battling for my life. The truth is, I became too weak to fight. I remember calling out to Jesus and asking Him to help. He was always there taking care of me and working through the doctors and nurses, who were all wonderful. And, He was working through my precious wife.

Through the procedure in Birmingham I developed a severe prostate infection and E. Coli. To make matters worse, two days into the hospital stay my back started hurting to the point I couldn't stand, much less walk.  The pain was intense.

But, through all of that I couldn't stop thinking about how Jesus understood, because He went through much more severe pain to bring healing and salvation to me and to everyone who believes in Him. I kept calling out to Him and kept thanking Him.

As it turned out, the infection settled in my lower spine in the L4 and L5 disks. It also effected muscles deep in my back that would spasm causing excruciating pain. I know everyone on the fifth floor of SAMC could hear me yell when the spasms hit.

When I made it home I was so relieved. There's no place like home. In less than a week I was done taking antibiotics intravenously once a day. Two days later, Thanksgiving afternoon, the chills returned. I was in bed and I called out to Martha and told her I was cold. I never say that unless I'm sick. We decided not to wait this time and went straight to the ER.

I was admitted again, this time adding C-Diff to my list of infections. Six days later, I returned home. This time, the doctors said I needed to take antibiotics intravenously three times a day for six weeks. Thankfully, Martha has a medical background, so she administers the antibiotics to me. I would be in horrible shape if not for Martha. She's never left my side through all of this, and has gone above and beyond to help me.

Still dealing with significant back pain, I knew I needed to get up and walk to begin recovering and building up strength. I had to use a walker to get around. A week later I graduated to a four-prong cane. This week, I'm thankful to say I do not need the walker or the cane. I walk kind of funny because of the pain. I tell people I walk like Fred Sanford.

I'm so thankful. Through all of this, God has been right there with me. He gave Martha and me opportunities to pray with nurses and staff at the hospital. He gave us opportunities to bring encouragement to others. One of the coolest moments happened during one of the most painful times. My back was in a long spasm. The nurse came in to give me some medicine to try to help. She asked if there was anything else she could do. I said, "pray with me." With her on one side and Martha on the other, the Holy Spirit just took over and I started praying for her and thanking God for the great care she gave me. She looked at me and said, "You're the one in pain and you prayed for me." I told her Jesus went through great pain for us, prayed for us and died on the cross for us, so we should pray for one another even when we are in pain. That was all the Holy Spirit.

Through these past six weeks God has spoke so many things into my heart and has shown me different things. He has refocused me and has given me more clarity for the ministry. He has made me very excited about 2016, and it's not just the usual excitement of a New Year. Martha and I have gone through a lot this year. I told a friend we have gone through the refining fire of God this year.

That's not always fun. It hurts. It challenges. But if we just persevere, God will do His complete work and we will be better for it. That's what 2015 has been for us. God has also been setting a lot of things in motion, and I believe with all my heart He will bring many of them to fruition in 2016.

God is faithful. He truly never will leave nor forsake us. The phrase "Fear not" is in the Bible 365 times, so I 'm pretty sure God doesn't want us to live in fear. When times get tough, we need to grow closer to God. When things are good, we need to grow closer to God.

If we follow Jesus, then we need to be faithful like He is to us. I have determined to be like what the prophet wrote in Isaiah 50:7, "But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame."

I have made up my mind and purposed in my heart that by the grace and power of God,  I will endure whatever comes my way and stay the course God has put me on. The direction of LIA is directed by the Lord, and it excites me about everything He has done over the past 15 years. I look with great excitement to everything God has in store for us in 2016 and in the years to come until Jesus comes back.

I want to thank all of those who have been and still are praying for my healing and complete recovery. God has heard all of those prayers from throughout the U.S., Haiti, Philippines, Myanmar, Pakistan and China. I thank my beautiful bride for her constant love and care she has given me. I thank the nurses at SAMC who were wonderful, and all of the doctors who worked hard to figure out what was wrong with me and to provide the proper care to make me well.

Most of all, I thank Jesus. It's by the grace and power of Almighty God that I'm still hear and getting better every day. Yes, yes indeed, our God is faithful.