A Personal Encounter with God - Breathing Life into Dry Bones

My lovelies, I have had three very personal encounters with God in my lifetime where He has had to intervene personally. Speaking into my heart in such a way that I know it was only God.

This is about one of my 'twelve stones', my second personal encounter with the Great I AM.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’"(Ezekiel 37:5, 6 NIV)

My dad had been battling an unknown illness for months, that is causing appetite loss leading to extreme weight loss, and pain in his legs, all disabling him from walking. He had frequent trips to his medical doctor and the trips to the emergency room became more frequent. The disease that has attacked him was slowly deteriorating his body. Doctors are baffled with his condition and have no answers.

On July 27th my dad was rushed to the emergency room where he went into cardiac arrest and had to be admitted to the ICU, and put under 24 hour surveillance. He lost his desire to live and had expressed it more than once to a nurse.

I was away on a 'Women's Leaders Retreat' and found myself feeling helpless. I did all I could do.. Which was pray, pray, have my sisters pray with me and pray some more until I fell asleep.

Once again I felt that gentle nudge in the early morning hours... and in my head all I could think is Valley of Dry Bones. Ezekiel 37. As I opened the Word and started reading I felt in my heart God speaking to me.. Telling me 'I'm going to breathe life into your father's dry bones. He and all whom know him are going to know that I am God!' Wow... At only 50 years old, my father had literally become dry bones... He was so thin, malnourished, he couldn't walk unassisted, but more than that He was not saved. I believe that God spoke a Word over my father's life that morning.

God is an awesome God! He meets us exactly where we are. In the middle of our pain, in the middle of our fears, in the middle of our doubt, he sends us what I like to call 'God Sightings'. Reminders of His Sovereignty. Reminders of His Omnipresence. Reminding us that He is Lord!

God Sightings:

-While doctors and nurses are responding to my father going into a cardiac arrest, an elderly woman in the emergency room looks at my mom and says 'Don't worry God is right there. Don't u see him?' As crazy as she may have seemed to those around them, my mom (a believer) held on to those words. They were filled with hope.

- While in ICU a nurse comes in to the room and asks if they believe in prayer and intercedes on his behalf.

-The man assigned to his room for 24 hour surveillance, a brother in Christ that witnessed to my father and reminded us of Gods faithfulness to King David at his time of need by directing us to the Psalms. (This man was an answered prayer, a light shining in the darkness. I recall driving on my way to the hospital, praying for a believer to be assigned to my dad's room.)

When all seemed like it was getting better, things took a turn for the worse.

On Aug.1 the day he was to be sent home he suffered a stroke.

I recall clearly how my dad looked physically as they prepped him to transfer him to a a stroke unit, where he was having a procedure done to remove a blood clot in his brain. A few hours later we find ourselves In the waiting room listening to the Doctor say 'The procedure was unsuccessful, we were unable to remove the clot from his brain, he is still in danger of having another stroke and well his recovery only time will tell..' UNSUCCESSFUL?!! Your a Doctor?!!!

I started questioning God. Confusion was setting in. God what is going on? You spoke to my heart! Ezekiel 37, Do you remember? Did I make that up?! You said you would breathe life that you will build him up so that He and everyone would Know that YOU are GOD! I need to know God that, that the word came from YOU and that I didn't make it up!

The next morning when I open my Word to read my devotional, my reading is Ezekiel 37. Immediately I heard God speak to my heart again!

'I AM not done yet! Doctors?! I created Doctors!!! I am the Alpha and the Omega!!!! All starts and ends with me!!! How could you know that I AM God if Doctors had answers for you! How could you know that I AM God if Doctors saved your Dad! You have NO ONE to hope on except ME! I control this! All you and your Family have is me!

Humbled.... embarrassed that I questioned God, but grateful that He is not a man that He should lie. We can all talk the talk but when it comes to walk the walk, that's a whole different ball game.

We found ourselves in the most difficult place anyone could be.. We have no choice but to wait on God.

My lovelies, my Dad was released from the Rehab center with 99% of movement on his left side, seven weeks later, not 3 months as doctors had predicted. Today he is still battling the 'unknown' but is physically better. His outlook on life is full of hope and he is very much aware that God is on the driver seat! On January 25th my Mom and Dad were baptized together. He is a walking testimony. He is not ashamed and is eager to share what God has done for him.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within my 'dad and my family' will continue his work until it is finally finished... Phil 1:6

Thank you Father, for Your faithfulness, even when we doubt you, You still remain faithful and you stay true to your Word. God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV) Forgive us when we doubt your Word and Your promises. We fail you daily but You will never fail us!