JRA Testimony

Short Testimony of a recent miracle in my life :)

          A few days after the last day of school, I went to my doctor and he diagnosed me with Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis (I don't think I spelled that right). Anyways, this was a shock to us but it made perfect sense with what had been happening at the time. 

          During this time, I had been preparing for my first missions trip to Cork, Ireland, and I believe this was a way the enemy was trying to keep me from going.

           So my doctor prescribed me with an excessive amount of Ibuprofen which eventually messed up my system, leaving me in nights of agony and sickness which happened at least once a week. Because of this, I began to refuse to eat and became Anemic, which means I was iron deficient. This added more medication to the list that I already had to take in order "to get better".

          My missions trip was drawing closer, and I was becoming nervous that I wouldn't be able to go. I continually asked youth leaders to pray for me, but nothing was working. The Tuesday before I was supposed to leave I became severely sick again, and this was four days before my trip. My dad finally said that if I became sick one more time, I wouldn't be allowed to go. I was terrified.

           Thankfully, I didn't get sick before we left. I brought various wraps and braces and medications with me just in case something decided to hinder me. The days quickly passed. On the third day of our trip, one girl on our team hurt her knee while doing a skit, and I loaned her my brace. She wore it for the rest of our trip.

I did get sick on one night of our trip and was then told to stay at the middle house for the day, but this was good. I ended up reading the book of Song of Songs, which honestly I had been avoiding, but God was talking to me that day through that book. I spent the whole day in his presence then joined the rest of my team at the youth rally in the evening. God blessed me with a day of rest in the middle of the week after my busyness of helping at a VBS the days before. God protected me.

          After that I was fine for the rest of my missions trip. However, the day after I returned from this trip I left for my family vacation. We drove for two long days to the Western Coast. The moment I walked into my grandparent's home I was hit with sickness. Most of the time I was there, I laid in the guest room nauseous or asleep. I now had to be a testimony to my grandpa who has several illnesses, I don't think I did a good job of it though.

But anyways after a week I was soon home. The weekends of sickness began again. I was so frustrated. I continued asking for prayer, but healing didn't come.

         Until one night, I went to my youth group's girls group night. We were simply talking about the new covenant, and I noticed that there were 12 girls in that conference room (12 disciples, maybe? random connection I noticed). Anyways, at the end I asked for prayer again along with all the other prayer requests, and we went around the circle and prayed. But during this my friend, Megan Malinaric said she had a vision of all the girls laying hands on me and praying. So they did. My goodness, Those. girls. can. pray. Then Megan made me claim healing. She told me to pray and I did. Then we decided to lay hands on other girls and pray for their requests as well.

        The next day I felt a little sick, but it wasn't at all like it was before. The weeks began to pass. I felt a little nauseous now and then but I was never sick, and I haven't been sick ever since. I still avoid certain things just because I'm still nervous, but I honestly believe I am healed from the medication attacks as I call them. I still may experience some side effects, but I will still believe I Am Healed no matter what happens. Certain events have left me knowing now how to trust blindly and I trust blindly that he healed me. 

        Now, I realize that God allowed me to be diagnosed with JRA so that I would bring my brace for that girl to wear. He allowed it so that I could connect better to another girl staying in my dorm every night when we'd sneak down to take our medication. He allowed it so that I now have more power in my prayers for healing for others, to share my testimony of healing to help other's continue to believe.

I don't know if I'll ever know all the reasons I had and suffered from this but I know that everything is for a purpose, and this had multiple purposes.