Grandma’s Hope, God’s Miracle

Grandma’s Hope, God’s Miracle

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

“I’m having pain in my right side,” said Trina. “I have indigestion and a lot of gas that seems to get worse when I eat a fatty meal. What do you think is wrong?”

Trina was a classic gallbladder case. She presented with the four Fs we use to diagnose it: forty, fertile, fat, and flatulent. Though her presentation was textbook, something about her case seemed different.

I started by testing her gallbladder. The test results showed a tumor in the pancreas, but it was barely visible on the ultrasound. I ordered a CT scan, which revealed that Trina had a large tumor covering her abdomen. I sent her for consultations with gastrointestinal and oncology surgeons, and they both agreed: A Whipple procedure was Trina’s only hope; otherwise, she would have less than a year to live. But the Whipple procedure wasn’t a guarantee. It is a complex operation that would remove parts of her pancreas and small intestine, along with her gallbladder.

When we met in my office to discuss her options, Trina said, “I’ve prayed and prayed and decided to go through with this. Not so much for me, but because I’m raising my two grandsons, and they need me to be here for them.”

“Trina, I know this decision isn’t easy, but I’m confident that God will honor your prayers. He will sustain you and fill you with peace, hope, and joy, even during the difficult days ahead.”

Trina had surgery a few days later and came through without any problems—which, considering that her condition was much more complicated than originally diagnosed, was something of a miracle. From the initial diagnosis through a very complex surgery, God had heard and answered our prayers.

Four years later, not only has Grandma Trina been cured, but she is also filled with hope for the future as she watches her grandsons grow into the men God intended them to be.

My faith has been strengthened as well. I know that the Lord must have some mighty plans for those young men because he miraculously preserved Grandma Trina to raise them.

TODAY’S RX

God is able. With him, even the most difficult journey is possible.

Help me not to despair, Lord, when the road ahead is scary. I know you are able, and I trust that you will carry me through the heights and depths of this journey. Thank you for being near.