Snatched from the claws of death

Snatched From The Claws of Death

I woke up on the morning of December 31, 1998, feeling healthy and normal as usual. A fine day, I thought, as I set on about doing my household work. This day I was particularly excited as I was planning to visit my parents the following day for New Year's celebrations. Well, that was my plan; the devil had a different plan instead.

I was just about to enter into the shower when suddenly I felt a very sharp pain in my head — I have never experienced such excruciating pain before in my life.

I decided to rest for a while hoping the pain would go way. However, the pain did not stop. Later that afternoon, I took anti-malarial tablets as thinking that was what I was suffering from - malaria is known to strike suddenly.

Evening came and nothing had changed — actually I was getting worse. Deciding not to take any chances, my husband took me to dispensary in the estate. This was at about 10.00 pm after we had taken supper. The doctor looked at me, read my temperature and without any further tests, decided I had malaria. So he gave me further anti-malarial tablets and an injection that was meant to ease the splitting headache that I was now suffering from.

When we got back to our house, I took the medication as prescribed. I felt slightly better and was able to do a few things in the house — despite my husband's protests. However, after a while I felt some numbness all over my back but decided not tell my husband since I thought it was because of the strong medicine I had just taken. At around midnight — since we had stayed up late — I could not sit or stand properly — again we thought it was because of the strong medicine the doctor had prescribed. However, I was in a state to sleep. My husband prayed for me then we retired to bed and we all slept well.

The following morning I woke up feeling numb all over my body. It seemed as if all strength had been sapped out me. I was also getting delirious. My husband looked at me and asked me what was happening, but all he could get from me were incorrigible noises.

After praying for me, my husband jumped out of the bed, hurriedly dressed up and shot out of the bed to look for transport to take me to the hospital.

By God's grace he was able to get a car within a very short time. Though the owner of the car was planning to take his family upcountry, God intervened and he agreed to take us. May God bless that Good Samaritan.
By this time I had almost lost consciousness. I was practically lifted off the bed and taken into the waiting car.

My husband was later to tell me that on the way to Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, I was completely delirious and seemed to have lost all consciousness. The driver would occasionally look at the back seat where I was sitting with my husband and my pastor who had come to assist my husband. It was a battle between life and death. But I fought on and hang on to God. Meanwhile, my husband continued to pray for me.

At Aga Khan I was whisked in a wheel chair through the emergency door. After the doctor examined me, he immediately admitted me. After a series of head scans (X-ray) the doctor finally discovered the cause of my pain — I had mysteriously suffered a mild stroke, a cerebral breed at the lower-right part of my brain. For three days I was in a semi-coma, occasionally gaining a little consciousness, then drifting off into a coma.

Meanwhile the doctors took all sorts of tests to find out what had caused the breed so that they could treat the cause. All were negative.

On the third day the doctors had decided to operate on me if I did not improve. However, before the doctors could operate God intervened and I started showing signs of improvement. Meanwhile the Christian brethren were busy praying for me. My husband was later to tell me that on this particular day before he came to see me in the hospital, he had asked God to perform a miracle. He had prayed 'Dear Lord, please let me find her in an improved state'. So when he came and found me greatly improved, he was visibly excited. I was even able to have a meaningful discussion with him.

Remember on this day I was supposed to go for an operation. The doctor had said the previous night that since my condition was not improving, an operation was inevitable. For those who don't know, a brain operation is very risky. However, God came in that night and performed a miracle. Suddenly I was feeling a lot better. So when my husband came in the following morning and was informed that I was to go for an operation and that the doctor wanted to see him so that he could sign the consent documents for the operation, he could not understand since I looked so much better. When my husband told the doctor about my current status, the doctor could not believe it. He actually came to witness for himself. You could read surprise written on his face as he said, 'we will hold off operation for now, but if she deteriorates....’ That was enough to put a beaming smile on my husband. God had already cancelled the operation! Hallelujah!

From then on I started to improve tremendously. Meanwhile the doctors were still running tests to find out what might have caused the breed initially. After exhausting all possible diseases or scenarios that could have caused the haermhorrage without success, the doctor at Aga Khan booked me for a dye scan at Nairobi Hospital — an expensive one-hour scan that cost us Kshs 28,000 ($350). In a dye scan, a liquid is injected through the veins that pump blood into the brain. This liquid then scans the blood for any sign of illness and relays its findings onto a computer. It is one of the most thorough scan available in the market. Let me tell you brethren, I experienced such excruciating pain as I have never experienced before. Finally the examination was over and the results came out. No trace of any illness was found in me! Let me tell you brethren, in science, everything has a cause and effect. To this day we believe that God came into my brain, operated on me, and removed the cause of the illness. Praise God! God does not only remove your suffering, but he also uproots whatever it was that caused you to suffer in the first place. With God, it is total healing.

However, even though I was on the way to recovery, my body was still week and numb in some places. One area that was seriously affected were some nerves leading to my eyes. They were paralyzed and swollen, causing me to see deflected double images instead of one.

My other body nerves were very weak such that I could hardly do anything on myself. I had to be assisted to bathe and even to eat.

I sincerely thank God for the brethren who stood in the gap to intercede for me before the Lord Jesus. Even when I was unable to pray, they showed me a lot of love and cried unto the Lord for my healing. My husband tells me he could sense the prayers of the brethren. He tells me he felt as if a mighty army composed of brethren had risen in defiance against the devil. Brethren, when the devil strikes, there is no time to feel sorry for yourself or get remorseful, it's time to get aggressive and launch an offensive against the devil. With Jesus on your side, victory is sure!

As time went by, my body regained strength at an awesome speed. Though my eyes were still seeing double, I was fit enough to be discharged on January 18th 1999. Remember Queen Esther; she who pleaded with the King not to have the Jews slain. Were it not for her effort, the entire Jewish race would have been wiped out of the face of the earth. One younana; layout-grid-mode: line"> Soon the devil started whispering to me that I will perhaps not regain my sight at all. I remember one Friday night I felt so desperate. I remember telling God — not praying — that ‘Father, if truly I will regain my strength, please let me see just a sign by the morning’. Jesus be glorified. You never lose strength even when we are weak. You never give up even after we have given up. About your ways, no man can understand. You never leave your work halfway done but you complete everything according your desired will’.

In the morning when I woke up, I looked at the ceiling of our bedroom as I normally did to check whether my eyesight was improving. Up to this time I had been seeing things in double and blurred. But this morning I looked at the ceiling edge and could see only one clear line. I looked at the edge of our bedroom curtain. It was one! Hallelujah, a miracle had happened while I slept!

I immediately woke up my husband to tell him of the wonderful news. We marveled at the faithfulness of God as we gave him thanks for healing me. God did not just show me a sign, but he healed me, He restored my eyesight.

That Saturday evening my husband took me out for dinner in town. I went without an eye pad and could see everything so clearly.

The following Monday morning I went back to Aga Khan to see my Ophthalmologist. After examining me, he was amazed at the improvement. He told me that I could stop using the eye pad as I was completely healed.

The palsy had disappeared!

Brethren, God is more concerned about what we go through than we might think. God also has His ears inclined towards us. Whatever we ask of him, a whisper, a simple plain request or a prayer of faith, God will come. He might come at the dead of the night, in the morning, in the noon time, in the evening when the sun goes down — whatever time he chooses to come, lest assured, He will ultimately come. The Bible says in Psalms 23:4 that ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me’.

As I write this testimony I have no trace of the disease. My nerves are very healthy and I have no palsy in any part of my body. An year after my healing miracle, God blessed us with our second son and third one (hopefully a girl, due in on or around 31^st August 2006). At birth he weighed 4kg and he is growing fast. He will forever remain an evidence of my total healing. I can now do all the things I used to do before I got sick. May the Lord Jesus receive all glory. It doesn’t matter what you are going through for there is nothing impossible with God (Lk 1:37).

I am a witness to the delivering, healing and saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one that we can cling on when all else has failed. He will never fail us. He will never desert you. Whatever you are suffering from, he will be there. He is your ever-present help in times of trouble. In the darkest night, he will be with you. In the deepest sea, He will be there with you. He is your refuge, your strong tower. With Him you are safe and secure. Call on him today and He will answer. Even if you are in a fiery furnace, he will hear you and come to comfort you. No weapon that is forged against you shall prosper. You will watch your enemies fall on all sides by the thousands. And you will be left standing, praising the name of God and giving Him all glory.

By Jane Mwangi