A Personal Prayer Request

Dear friends,

As those who've been reading my blog through the years know, I said from the start that this blog would include personal matters as well as public issues in my life. This one is personal. I'm writing this blog to ask you to pray for my wife, Melanie, tomorrow.

A couple of years ago, Melanie was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal disease that has become progressively worse over time. She has been through therapy, medication, neurologists, pain management treatment, and exercise to address the situation. As we have prayed and trusted our Father for healing throughout the process, we have sought to be sensitive to His leadership in how to proceed. Her pain and degree of debilitation has reached a level at which we have been advised that surgery is the best route to address the situation.

After prayer and doing our due diligence with a particular surgeon, Melanie decided to move forward with the operation. That surgery will take place in Atlanta tomorrow morning at 8:00 EST. She will spend several nights in the hospital afterward and will come home in a back brace they tell us she will wear for four months. They plan for her to have two months of physical therapy and believe this will both restore some normalcy to her lifestyle and eliminate pain in that part of her back.

Because we believe those who read this blog sincerely care, not only about my ministry, but about us as people, I am posting this to ask for your prayers. We don't need anything other than the knowledge that you are praying with us about this.

For the record, we believe in Jehovah-Rapha - the LORD our Healer. I didn't grow up in a charismatic environment but have learned much from my charismatic friends. So you guys go ahead and name it, claim it and proclaim it from the bottom of your hearts. To those who grew up like I did, please utter a prayer for me to have peace and cross your fingers, will you? (Okay, I'm just having some fun here. Don't take those last two sentences seriously! :)

But I am serious about wanting you all to pray for us. We trust our Abba but at the same time feel nervous. The Doc says these first few days for her won't be fun, to put it mildly. So would you pray with us that her recovery would be easier than they project? And pray that it will be sooner rather than later? And pray that the surgery will have the desired result?

Do I think prayer manipulates what God will do? No, I don't. But, if you are so moved, it is a great way for you to join Him and us in what He is doing in our lives. We know that, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't a biggie - but it sure feels that way right now. So we ask that our friends share this experience with us through your prayers.

I thank God that we have wonderful children who are committed to attend to specific, practical needs after the operation. Now, I'm finally finding it was worth those teen-age years after all! :)

Thank you, my friends. Our Father's grace is sufficient. I don't just teach this stuff. I believe it. For many years, Melanie and I have regularly declared to each other out loud, in these words, "God is God...and God is good." We believe that, no matter what life's circumstances may bring.

I'll update you on her progress as I'm able.

Steve