“And you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”~Jeremiah 29:13
I thank the Lord for HIS continuous guidance in my life. I couldn’t believe that I was actually there in Penang attending the Adventist Medical Mission (AMM) conference on the 11-14th of April 2019. What amaze me the most during the conference was the stories of miracles from the speakers, which have really inspired me and reminded me that ONLY God CAN Heal, while We help..
‘God Heals, We help’
Back when I was 15 years old, I often fall sick.. Palpitation, numbness of both hands/legs, insomnia, difficulty in breathing, these are the kind of problems I felt daily. The person who worried the most was my Mother. The hospital visits, I HATED it. Then to the alternatives, TRADITIONAL treatment.
I still remember what the doctor said that very day. “ You are fine. Don’t worry.”
To add to that, my grandmother, who is a Muslim gave me “holy water” in the belief that it will give me peace and medicinal properties. A concerned aunt also gave me a type of “wood” a belief that it will protect me and also function as a medicinal element. I was young and innocent, I TOOK and KEPT it.
I am truly grateful to my mom, Mrs. Monice Mandiau. Just like what mothers do, she will bring us for worship everyday before school. Who should i turn to? I ask frequently. The only thing that kept me going are the words of God. While the Bible verses strengthen me, but I still feel sickly inside. This makes me very sad and down.
I was lost.. I really don’t know who should I turn to. At that lowest time of my life, I heard a small voice in my heart telling, “ Jesus died at the cross for you and He loves you”. While reading the bible stories, I discovered that Jesus healed the sick, made the blind see, cast the demons out, healed the leper, and also the verse in the bible, Hebrews 13:8 that says that God is the same as yesterday, today and forever.
Then I said a prayer, “Dear Lord, please heal me..You have healed the leper, sick people and also saved the man who was possessed by evil. You have said that you are the same God before, today and forever..Search me O God and know my heart.. Heal me…”
After 4 years of suffering, God opened a way for me to further my studies in Penang Adventist College of Nursing. My father was so upset with my decision to further my studies at an Adventist institution. With his anger, he didn’t give me any pocket money to start off in College. My utmost gratefulness is to God who open a way of providing my needs while I was studying in Penang. As a result, I finally completed my degree in nursing.
At just the time I felt content studying in Penang Adventist College of Nursing, satan shook up my life again. Deep down in my heart, I still felt sick, down, sad and depressed. My exam results were getting worse every semester. I was depressed. It just so happened one Saturday evening my foster mother, just like an angel appeared asking “how are you?” I was touched because there was someone who cares for me.
I wasn’t able to verbalize my feelings that evening. I kept silent. Running back to my room, I wrote a longggg letter expressing what I felt.. My foster mum told me that she remembered me in prayer and asked me to read the bible in Matthew chapter 27. As I read I felt peace and calm. It gave me strength and the purpose in life. The following week, on Saturday evening, I met my foster parents and told them that I have decided to fully surrender everything to God. I threw away the Holy Water and Wood which was said to be able to heal me.
As I turned my will and life over to Jesus, I found the love I had been seeking, that soul-changing, life-giving, my burdens were lifted away… I no longer experience palpitation, insomnia and difficulty in breathing. God in his amazing grace has healed me. HE showed me that HE is the HEALER. Doctors/nurses are just helpers. Our God is an Awesome God.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
A BIG Thanks to my beloved foster parents Dr. Edward and Dr. Shanthi who helped and showed me that our God is the true healer.- Lynie Binti Johari, Alumni class 2003 Penang Adventist College of Nursing. Lynie is staff midwife now working in Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.