Personal experience with what you believe to be Miraculous healing

[Ginevra]

I’m asking this question because of the structure of the novel I am writing.

If you believe you have personally received or witnessed an example of a person being physically healed of an affliction, what was the situation and what prompts you to believe it was divine intervention? Mental or situational things (i.e., healed of anxiety or got a job after praying for one), you’re welcome to share too; I’m sure it would assist in my characterization efforts, but I prefer physical healing because it is the least subjective. 

Thank you for sharing. 

[Catwoman]

You’re writing a novel? That’s so cool!!!! Yay for you!!!

[historically accurate]

58 minutes ago, Quill said:

I’m asking this question because of the structure of the novel I am writing.

If you believe you have personally received or witnessed an example of a person being physically healed of an affliction, what was the situation and what prompts you to believe it was divine intervention? Mental or situational things (i.e., healed of anxiety or got a job after praying for one), you’re welcome to share too; I’m sure it would assist in my characterization efforts, but I prefer physical healing because it is the least subjective. 

Thank you for sharing. 

I was raised in a Pentacostal Charismatic church that believes in miraculous healing. I do remember one service with a traveling pastor. An older lady in my church was slain in the Spirit. She was out for several (10ish? 20ish? I don't remember) minutes. When she came to, her built up shoe was no longer needed. Her leg had grown. She actually had my mother measure her legs on the next day, and they were the same size. I am possibly no longer a Christian (long story), but I still remember that one. It was actually measurable. She had other health issues that were not healed, but her legs were the same size.

Not as instantaneous, but here's my story of "coincidences" or miracle if you will. I went to the doctor for a checkup shortly after my 35th birthday. My doctor went through everything, and he handed me a card saying, "You're 35? You'll need a mammogram. Call this number tomorrow." So I did. I did the mammogram, was called back for an ultrasound, and then a biopsy. Then I was scheduled for a lumpectomy. I have no family history; literally no one among my eight aunts and seven older female cousins and several great aunts have had breast cancer. I do have a great grandfather who may have had breast cancer (it was the 1950s; mom wasn't sure of the diagnosis as she was a young child at the time). The surgeon said I didn't really meet the criteria for genetic testing, but because of my age and possible male relative's breast cancer even though it was too many generations back, they would do a genetic test (this was 10+ years ago, so genetic testing wasn't as widespread as now). The test came back positive for BRCA, so lumpectomy changed to double mastectomy. After that surgery, the pathology came back with the location we knew about and 3 other locations all within the ducts. The next year, at my physical, we were discussing all of the surgeries I had had, and the surgery that was remaining, and the doctor asked me, "Why did I send you for a mammogram? You were only 35." Come to find out, he was at that time only sending women with family histories at 40, his normal age for a baseline mammogram was 42. So, if I hadn't had a doctor who sent me for the mammogram 7 years early, and had a surgeon who decided to do the genetic testing, the cancer wouldn't have been found, and it definitely wouldn't have found all the cancerous spots. 

And, yes, yay for you writing a novel!

Edited September 6, 2020 by beckyjo
Adding some words that got missed.

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, beckyjo said:

was raised in a Pentacostal Charismatic church that believes in miraculous healing. I do remember one service with a traveling pastor. An older lady in my church was slain in the Spirit. She was out for several (10ish? 20ish? I don't remember) minutes. When she came to, her built up shoe was no longer needed. Her leg had grown. She actually had my mother measure her legs on the next day, and they were the same size. I am possibly no longer a Christian (long story), but I still remember that one. It was actually measurable. She had other health issues that were not healed, but her legs were the same size.

Thank you for sharing your bc story. 

I grew up in the same type of church tradition and there were many “faith healing” services and some supernatural stuff that, even still, is hard for me to argue was not legit, but it’s interesting to note that I never personally *knew* someone at the church who was indisputably healed of something as in your example. I did know of a couple of tragic “non-healings” where someone who was believing for a healing died. One was a girl my age who was diagnosed with cancer as a teen. AFAIK, this wrecked the faith of the parents. 

[Doodlebug]

I won't share all, because it would be too many details for my own comfort.  🙂 But the story in its entirety still takes my breath away...

In 2004, after many many health hurdles for DH, we were finally ready to face the issue of our infertility.  There were many bumps and false starts along the way, but I conceived in our first embryo transfer.  We were so elated to have good news!!!  However, my second blood test revealed stagnant HCG numbers. Several weeks later, when no fetal pole or heart beat developed, I was taken off all the hormones and went through the miscarriage process. 

I was gutted.  After all we'd been through with DH, I was certain God owed me this one and I railed hard against him.  I was so angry and I was honest about it with two very close older friends in my workplace (a church) who sat with me, held me, and prayed fervently for my heart.  They adopted my husband and I for a time, and loved us so well.  It was one of the hardest times, but it is also one of the dearest times for me to think about.

Fast forward to 2005, we gathered ourselves and our paltry finances to try again.  Again, I conceived.  And again, after that second blood test, I was told to prepare for a miscarriage.  I remember going in for blood tests every 2-3 days over a 2 week period where the HCG numbers rose very slowly, never making it out of the 100s.  And then, the nurse called me with my last result saying, "Doodlebug, there was no rise... the number is exactly the same as it was two days ago.  We are going to switch you over to oral hormones until the numbers fall, and then you can stop them..." 

It felt like I was floating through this period of time, but I remember praying and feeling a deep sense of peace that I had done this before and come out the other side, and that I could do it again.  That life without a child could be a glorious and wonderful thing.  That I had my husband, who was whole and we would travel and just find a new direction for our lives.   

We left for a week long vacation, during which I felt compelled to continue on the progesterone injections despite the nurse's advice to switch over to the easier oral delivery.  

After our week away, we came home and I called the clinic to tell them I had not begun bleeding.  So they scheduled me for an ultrasound.  I'll never forget my doctor coming into the room as we began the ultrasound, hand on my shoulder, trying to be encouraging in my second loss.  His hand dropped.  And that's when I saw it... something fluttering.... a heartbeat?!  We were speechless.  My doctor looked at my HCG numbers and said, "This is nuts!"  It was incredibly wild.  I still struggle to believe it happened the way it did.   

That baby is now 14.  We went through another miscarriage 2 years after he was born and I'm sensitive to share this story in the context of our losses, because it was not a matter of what I did, how I prayed, or my ability to hold faith during a hard time.  I did nothing but walk through it and accept the things which came, the joy and the suffering, the anger and elation.  And though the baby in the end was a miracle, I still feel that the stranger and perhaps greater miracle was losing a child, facing the loss of a second and the hope of any others, and being able to see a life beyond it.  Never would I have thought it possible.     

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Doodlebug

[Katy]

I'll send you a PM

[PinkTulip]

Just over a year ago, my son was on his bike crossing a street at a crosswalk, when a car traveling 45 miles an hour t-boned right into him. He flew up and broke the windshield in an 18-inch diameter circle, and then was thrown 70 feet. The bottom line is that he had a mild concussion and lots of road rash, but no broken bones, no internal bleeding, no permanent impairment, and was not even kept overnight at the hospital. His bike helmet was not even cracked, nor his glasses broken. Our family considers his survival and lack of serious injury to be a miracle. 

[Farrar]

Not personal exactly, but secondhand. My mother was basically a counselor at a pediatric cancer center. I won't give too many details, but they had a patient who was diagnosed with a serious cancer. Began treatment. My mother got to know the family. Prognosis was pretty bad. And then, poof, kid went in for scans and the cancer was gone. Totally gone. The doctors were downright shocked. No one knew what to make of it. There were articles written and so forth, mostly calling it a miracle - and the family were very religious so they were all in on that theory. My mother was like, I have no idea. This was a long time ago now, but I remember how she was like, this is bizarre.

[Guest]

Doodlebug, thank you for sharing that beautiful story. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Catwoman said:

You’re writing a novel? That’s so cool!!!! Yay for you!!!

It’s because of the Story Genius book! That book is awesome. 

[Momto6inIN]

A friend's husband was driving an open cab tractor with their 6 year old son down a country highway and was rear ended by a semi. They were both thrown from the tractor and when the EMT's arrived on the scene, the tractor tire was on top of the 6 year old's head. The dad sat sobbing in the ditch and praying in pain for losing his boy. His grandma sent an urgent prayer chain around and I, like many others, dropped to my knees and prayed for the family. The EMT's were trying to extricate what they were sure was his dead body when they saw him breathing and began frantically trying to free him. He had a few bumps and bruises and the hospital kept him for observation but he went home completely fine just a few days later.

I don't know what the dad prayed for in that ditch because his state of mind was obviously pretty incoherent, but I know what I prayed for, and it was a miracle.

[Catwoman]

5 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

A friend's husband was driving an open cab tractor with their 6 year old son down a country highway and was rear ended by a semi. They were both thrown from the tractor and when the EMT's arrived on the scene, the tractor tire was on top of the 6 year old's head. The dad sat sobbing in the ditch and praying in pain for losing his boy. His grandma sent an urgent prayer chain around and I, like many others, dropped to my knees and prayed for the family. The EMT's were trying to extricate what they were sure was his dead body when they saw him breathing and began frantically trying to free him. He had a few bumps and bruises and the hospital kept him for observation but he went home completely fine just a few days later.

I don't know what the dad prayed for in that ditch because his state of mind was obviously pretty incoherent, but I know what I prayed for, and it was a miracle.

 

Wow! What an amazing story! 

[J-rap]

I'm a Christian who doesn't generally believe in miracles, so maybe you don't even want my input.  🙂   I do believe there was a time and a reason when miracles were abundant, as we read about in the Bible.  But I think that generally, God created a world based on logic and things play out that way.  The human body is amazing though, and sometimes it can pull through some pretty amazing stuff in ways that seem to defy what's understood as possible (like cancer recoveries, etc.).   And most of the other "on-the-spot" miracles like an arm growing longer or a person suddenly not needing glasses anymore, actually revert back to the same ol', same ol' a week or two later.   

And a miraculous healing that would be truly 100% unquestionable, like an amputated leg growing back, or a person who has downs syndrome or is severely mentally challenged being healed... I've never heard of that happening.  So yes, I'm a big miracle skeptic.  Do I believe that miracles are therefore off the plate completely?  No, I still like to hope in them, but I think God generally has different plans.

HOWEVER, I do think God works in the details of our everyday lives, helping to line things up when we're sensitive to listening to our instinct -- or I like to think it's the nudging of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  For example, when my dh -- who was fairly young and in perfect health, suddenly felt compelled to take out long-term disability insurance.  (The urge was sudden and so strong, that he didn't even talk to me about it and I didn't know about it!)  Exactly one month later, he had a devastating event that will prevent him from ever working again for the rest of his life.   Also, on the night that it occurred, I was actually out of town (having driven three hours at midnight to pick up our dd at the airport, and staying the night there).   During that night, I had a strong sense that something was terribly wrong, and I called my dh at 5am.  When he finally answered, I could hear that something terrible had happened, and I called 911 and they saved his life.  Things like this have happened in our lives again and again.  So, no miracles that change something that has already happened;  but a still small voice that, if we listen to it, will help smooth our future road.

Edited September 6, 2020 by J-rap

[Garga]

After I gave birth to my second son, like the morning after, I had pain in my wrists.  Every single night I would fall asleep, and by the morning, if I had slept with my wrists bent even the slightest bit, I would wake in terrible pain.  

Throughout the morning, the pain would go away, until the next morning when it would be back. I would do my best to sleep with my wrists fully straight, but even then, there was always pain in the morning. If they were bent, it was just awful.  This went on for 5 years.

 

My church had a service where everyone was to get in small groups and pray for each other for healing. I found it very uncomfortable, but there was one guy who was enthusiastic about praying. When it was my turn for prayer, I mentioned my wrists.  Enthusiastic Man was very excited by that and said he’d had the same issue and had been healed of it and he would pray for me.

The next morning...no pain. 

It’s been 10 years, and I‘ve never had pain in my wrists in the morning again.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Garga

[hjffkj]

I sent you a pm

[PrincessMommy]

I'll send you  a PM.  I consider these things to be deeply personal.  

[Robin M]

Congratulations on deciding to write a book. Look forward to hearing more about it.  

I was in a car accident back in my college days and had horrible whiplash.  I suffered from head aches and a perpetually stiff neck for the longest time afterwards.  Fast forward ten years and one of the Catholic churches in my area was having a special presentation that included a faith healer.  Which was unusual at the time and I decided to check it out and while there, they called for healing prayers. They said to hold hands with whoever you were sitting near and prayer for healing. I'm trying to remember and I think they went progressively through life matters and then the physical body.  So get to the neck and by that time, I was now sitting with 6 people and we were no longer strangers.  Anyway to make a long story short, we prayed and they all had their hands on my head.  I didn't feel any different and let it go as an interesting experience. Fast forward to a week later and I go to have my hair done. My hair stylist who I had been going to for years noticed the difference when I laid my head back and completely relaxed while she washed my hair.  From there I noticed I could turn my head more easily and the headaches had gone away.  I haven't had any problems since.  God used the 6 people pushing my head down and forward to adjust my neck. 

One other thing that occured was that I was estranged from my sister and hadn't talked to her in a couple years.  Long story short, I had congestive heart failure while in labor with James, passed out, hubby was given a choice between me and the baby, and went into emergency c section.  My sister called the hospital, got ahold of my husband to give a message to the surgeon not to use pitocin because it had caused problems for her during surgery.   Surprisingly the surgeon heeded her warning and I found out later the surgeon had put out a call for prayers before they'd gone into surgery. Divine intervention. I think so.  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

I'll send you  a PM.  I consider these things to be deeply personal.  

If you tried and did not succeed, I have cleaned out my inbox. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, J-rap said:

I'm a Christian who doesn't generally believe in miracles, so maybe you don't even want my input.  🙂   I do believe there was a time and a reason when miracles were abundant, as we read about in the Bible.  But I think that generally, God created a world based on logic and things play out that way.  The human body is amazing though, and sometimes it can pull through some pretty amazing stuff in ways that seem to defy what's understood as possible (like cancer recoveries, etc.).   And most of the other "on-the-spot" miracles like an arm growing longer or a person suddenly not needing glasses anymore, actually revert back to the same ol', same ol' a week or two later.   

Thank you and, yes, I do. My character puzzles over his beliefs when prayer doesn’t seem to work as expected. I haven’t decided what all the dreadful things that are going to happen to this poor character, lol. 

[Terabith]

Dunno if this is what you are looking for, but....I have severe anxiety and depression and ptsd.  Like, I'm a mess more or less all the time.  I've been hospitalized multiple times.  It's a huge issue for me.  

I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks, and then six weeks later was pregnant again.  I was terrified.  Immediately after getting a positive pregnancy test, I went to church, and I heard a clear voice say, "This baby is going to be okay."  And my anxiety completely went away.  

When I was in labor with oldest, they went into distress.  Did a vacuum extraction, got them out but with a fourth degree tear for me.  I was bleeding buckets, and baby was gray and had an apgar of 2.  They were doing cpr and the nurse kept telling me, "The doctors are doing everything they can."  I knew cognitively that I should be terrified, but I just had a complete peace about it, that everyone was going to be fine.  

And she was.  

[J-rap]

2 hours ago, Robin M said:

Congratulations on deciding to write a book. Look forward to hearing more about it.  

I was in a car accident back in my college days and had horrible whiplash.  I suffered from head aches and a perpetually stiff neck for the longest time afterwards.  Fast forward ten years and one of the Catholic churches in my area was having a special presentation that included a faith healer.  Which was unusual at the time and I decided to check it out and while there, they called for healing prayers. They said to hold hands with whoever you were sitting near and prayer for healing. I'm trying to remember and I think they went progressively through life matters and then the physical body.  So get to the neck and by that time, I was now sitting with 6 people and we were no longer strangers.  Anyway to make a long story short, we prayed and they all had their hands on my head.  I didn't feel any different and let it go as an interesting experience. Fast forward to a week later and I go to have my hair done. My hair stylist who I had been going to for years noticed the difference when I laid my head back and completely relaxed while she washed my hair.  From there I noticed I could turn my head more easily and the headaches had gone away.  I haven't had any problems since.  God used the 6 people pushing my head down and forward to adjust my neck. 

One other thing that occured was that I was estranged from my sister and hadn't talked to her in a couple years.  Long story short, I had congestive heart failure while in labor with James, passed out, hubby was given a choice between me and the baby, and went into emergency c section.  My sister called the hospital, got ahold of my husband to give a message to the surgeon not to use pitocin because it had caused problems for her during surgery.   Surprisingly the surgeon heeded her warning and I found out later the surgeon had put out a call for prayers before they'd gone into surgery. Divine intervention. I think so.  

Thanks for sharing that...  Wow!     Also, "divine intervention."  That's the term I was trying to think of.  👍🏼

[MercyA]

My grandpa had prostate cancer and had undergone various treatments without success. His PSA kept going up and up exponentially. He decided that he didn't want to have surgery and was just going to be done.

However, he received a call from his doctor about an experimental treatment and decided to give it a go. He went and had his blood drawn as instructed.

We had all been praying for him. One night he had a dream that he was supposed to look for a particular chapter in the Bible, John 5. He tried to look it up without success in the middle of the night. He wasn't very familiar with the Bible. My mom saw him the next day and had her Bible with her. He asked her how to look up the chapter. She opened her Bible and it flipped exactly to John 5. At the top of the page it read, "...was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."

My grandpa later received a call from his doctor's office apologizing that he was not eligible for the experimental treatment. The reason? His PSA was too low--below normal. He had it checked many times after that and each time it was normal.

He lived for many years after that and died from another cause. 

Another story:

This happened to my former pastor's son-in-law, whom we have known for many years. He was on a mission trip to Ecuador. There was a man in a church service there with a large mass on his side. During the service, our pastor's SIL felt very strongly that he was to lay hands on this man and pray for him to be healed. We were not from any tradition that generally does this. It's uncomfortable and foreign to us. Our friend was thinking, "God, are you sure? What if it doesn't work???" But he went for it. Laid hands on the the man and prayed for the mass to be removed. It disappeared, instantaneously.

Edited September 6, 2020 by MercyA

[MercyA]

I want to read your novel, Quill!

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I want to read your novel, Quill!

Aww, thanks. It could be a while, lol! 

My working title is A Servant of God. 

I’m a person who generally doubts what I create could be any good at all. So, I feel that way right now. But who knows? Something may come of it. 

[MercyA]

2 minutes ago, Quill said:

I’m a person who generally doubts what I create could be any good at all. 

That's crazy talk. You absolutely have the skill and perception to write a good novel. I hope it is an enjoyable experience for you!

[cjzimmer1]

Gosh there is so many that I would say are miraculous but most are the person sharing their testimony but one that I witnessed was at a ladies conference.  There was this lady who was in a wheelchair after a time of prayer they wheeled her chair to the platform and 2 people helped her stand and shuffle a couple of feet to the stairs, she held tightly onto the railing but walked up herself.  She walked across the stage but was clearly wobbly.  But I remember watching her walk and being shocked how tiny/thin her legs were (she was in a skirt so her lower legs were bare).  I mean my 7 years arms are thicker than her legs, it was like everything had wasted away.  She said she had been completely wheelchair bound for 25 years and during prayer God had spoken to her and told her she was healed.  And what we had been watching was the first walking she had done in 25 years.  Then she walked off the other side of the stage, the wobble was gone and when she got to the floor she DANCED, praised and worshipped for at least 15-20 minutes.  But those legs have always stood out in my mind because it was clear without God's intervention there is no way they were big enough to support an adult human dancing the way she did.

[Momto6inIN]

6 hours ago, Quill said:

Thank you and, yes, I do. My character puzzles over his beliefs when prayer doesn’t seem to work as expected. I haven’t decided what all the dreadful things that are going to happen to this poor character, lol. 

I would love to read your book too, Quill! The story I shared about my friend's son and the tractor was a miraculous "yes" and I am thankful for it! But I also have learned some very real and lasting and important lessons when the answer has been "no" ... or "wait" ... or "this whole other thing you've never even considered is even better". I look forward to reading what your character learns too 😊

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

I would love to read your book too, Quill! The story I shared about my friend's son and the tractor was a miraculous "yes" and I am thankful for it! But I also have learned some very real and lasting and important lessons when the answer has been "no" ... or "wait" ... or "this whole other thing you've never even considered is even better". I look forward to reading what your character learns too 😊

That’s what I intend to be the point of the story, though sometimes, I have seen that concept treated too flippantly. Like, “Well, gee, the restaurant screwed up my order but it turns out I liked the shrimp scampi much more than the penne with eggplant I ordered and they gave me the shrimp for free because of the mistake! Win-win!” 

My point is more - excuse the expression - well, I got a shit sandwich. But I survived. And I may even be better, ultimately, for having gotten the shit sandwich, which was most definitely not what I ordered. But it took me fifteen years to realize it. 

[Calm37]

7 hours ago, Terabith said:

Immediately after getting a positive pregnancy test, I went to church, and I heard a clear voice say, "This baby is going to be okay."  And my anxiety completely went away.  

 

I lived with severe dizziness for 7 years. I was mostly fine at home, but needed an arm if I went out. I was prayed for many times during those years. I went on a mission trip with my family, and I was nervous that I would be of no use. The first day of work, I also heard that clear voice, "In this find healing." And I was well. That was over 7 years ago now. I give God all the glory for that! 

Now I don't mean to make it sound like i don't have health problems and many things not healed! I lost many children and have suffered many things. But that day, that day I received mercy and grace for healing, and it released me into a new work of ministry. I believe in miracles.

[Momto6inIN]

10 hours ago, Quill said:

That’s what I intend to be the point of the story, though sometimes, I have seen that concept treated too flippantly. Like, “Well, gee, the restaurant screwed up my order but it turns out I liked the shrimp scampi much more than the penne with eggplant I ordered and they gave me the shrimp for free because of the mistake! Win-win!” 

My point is more - excuse the expression - well, I got a shit sandwich. But I survived. And I may even be better, ultimately, for having gotten the shit sandwich, which was most definitely not what I ordered. But it took me fifteen years to realize it. 

I think that's an amazing story that needs to be told ❤

[vmsurbat1]

52 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

My point is more - excuse the expression - well, I got a shit sandwich. But I survived. And I may even be better, ultimately, for having gotten the shit sandwich, which was most definitely not what I ordered. But it took me fifteen years to realize it. 

This reminds me of something I've pondered a lot after something touching my own life.   When I was in my 30s, my mother clearly told me that she didn't think she'd be able to endure a prolonged decline in health/suffering with illness for years.  Like, even as a Catholic, she might choose some way to opt out.  Fifteen years later, my mom did get cancer, went through some radical (grueling, harsh) treatments, lived another few years with increasing immobility.  After she passed away, I found in her nightstand, a printed sheet of personal prayers that she had to get through the days.  One of which was all about thanking God for her illness and the blessing it became to her and others.  Finding that prayer has brought a lot of comfort and hope to me.....

[gardenmom5]

I will PM you.

[TheReader]

Not exactly a healing, but....
...several years ago, my cousin was out fishing with friends. Somehow or another, a fish hook went into his eyeball. Someone placed their hands on the side of his head and held his head perfectly still while he pulled the hook out of his eye. He very clearly, distinctly felt that.

None of his friends did it, nor saw anyone else there. 

The hook was removed in such a way that the doctors later said had it moved pretty much at all, had his head moved the tiniest amount, he'd have likely lost the eye. 

The general belief/understanding of all parties was that an angel was there. 

[Lori D.]

@Quill -- One last thought:

The article I linked ("Can I Use Miracles in My Fiction?") suggests that miracles only "work" in certain genres that would allow for that (i.e. Fantasy, or Paranormal). I disagree, because all 4 of these books that I linked (re-listing them below) are well-written realistic fiction/realistic literary fiction, and the miracle and faith aspects works extremely well and is very believable -- not a "deus ex machine" device at all. JMO!

- Peace Like a River (Enger)
- Death Comes for the Deconstructionist -- and sequel -- Do We Not Bleed (Taylor)
- The River Why (Duncan)
- The Plover (Doyle)

 

ETA -- AARRGHHH! I accidentally wiped out my original post! 😱😭

Edited September 9, 2020 by Lori D.

[Guest]

Thank you, Lori D. That’s very useful info. 

[Random]

My son was born with severe, life threatening food allergies and had more than one anaphylactic reaction.  It was horrible and terrifying.  I prayed many, many times for healing.  Actually, I was begging and wishing.  He was so sick for so, so long.   This kind of thing runs in my family, and it had not turned out well for one of my close relatives.  After years of successfully living with the severe restrictions and obsessively caring for him, he had two accidental exposures that made him horribly sick about age 10ish.  I was devastated, but very soon after that he was prayed for by a visiting minister at our church (at his own request) and was completely and instantly healed.  He eats everything now, zero restrictions.   Even the foods that caused anaphylaxis.  Even the foods he had the accidental exposure to, right before his healing.  It's been almost 10 years, and I am still in shock over it at times.  I wondered if the accidental exposures (although upsetting) were possibly God showing me he was *still* allergic because I had been doing well managing everything for years?  I don't know.  My son was crazy excited and told everyone.

[bethben]

My daughter was adopted from China and had a cleft lip/ palate.  Because they never put ear tubes in her ears which is standard practice in the US, she came to us with permanently ruptured eardrums.  She had good sized holes in both eardrums.  She had awake hearing tests and sedated hearing tests that she failed constantly for four years.  She wore hearing aids due to moderate hearing loss.  She was praying to Jesus that he heal her ears.  Then one day, one of her ears passed the hearing test and came back normal.  The doctor looked into her ear and couldn’t find the hole.  He proclaimed, “ This type of regeneration usually doesn’t happen.”  My daughter yelled, “ I prayed to Jesus and he healed my ear!”  The doctor proclaimed, “Go God!”

She got her other ear surgically repaired two years after this.  I’m not sure why God didn’t heal both ears.  When she got it repaired, we were shown pictures before and after.  It wasn’t a little hole.  It was like she was missing her whole eardrum.  To this day, her surgically repaired eardrum still gives her problems and the one God healed works perfectly.  It’s like God wanted to show how he heals vs. what modern medicine can do.  

[bethben]

On 9/6/2020 at 7:56 PM, Quill said:

That’s what I intend to be the point of the story, though sometimes, I have seen that concept treated too flippantly. Like, “Well, gee, the restaurant screwed up my order but it turns out I liked the shrimp scampi much more than the penne with eggplant I ordered and they gave me the shrimp for free because of the mistake! Win-win!” 

My point is more - excuse the expression - well, I got a shit sandwich. But I survived. And I may even be better, ultimately, for having gotten the shit sandwich, which was most definitely not what I ordered. But it took me fifteen years to realize it. 

My son on the other hand has multiple and severe disabilities and has not see any healing that we know of despite us begging God for scraps.  I also got a “sh*f sandwich”.  I am better for it, but would much rather have had a typical child.   No win-win.  I live win the tension of knowing He can heal, but hasn’t with this one child in particular.

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, bethben said:

My son on the other hand has multiple and severe disabilities and has not see any healing that we know of despite us begging God for scraps.  I also got a “sh*f sandwich”.  I am better for it, but would much rather have had a typical child.   No win-win.  I live win the tension of knowing He can heal, but hasn’t with this one child in particular.

I understand that. It is part of what I want my character to face. 

In my own life, it was losing a prayed-for “miracle” baby at birth. It stayed a shit sandwich. There are ways in which I may be a better person for having gone through that, but I would rather have my Lydia girlie. 

Part of the purpose of writing this book is the catharsis of facing those never-repaired wounds. 

[Alicia64]

On 9/6/2020 at 11:23 AM, Quill said:

It’s because of the Story Genius book! That book is awesome. 

I'd never heard of this book!! Thank you for the name! Is it strictly for novel writers? I'm currently writing a non-fiction e-book and would love some inspiration. Would it work for me?

And congratulations on going for it! (And I have a story for you, but I won't know until next Tuesday if the happy ending I'm hoping for will really happen.)

Thank you again!!

W.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Alicia64 said:

I'd never heard of this book!! Thank you for the name! Is it strictly for novel writers? I'm currently writing a non-fiction e-book and would love some inspiration. Would it work for me?

And congratulations on going for it! (And I have a story for you, but I won't know until next Tuesday if the happy ending I'm hoping for will really happen.)

Thank you again!!

W.

It is specifically, definitely for writing fiction. The subtitle is How to Use Brain Science to go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel*

*Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere.

Of course, it is certainly possible that reading this book will inspire you in some way for structuring your NF book, but the entire basis of the book is setting up a story. The exercises you do as you go through the book are for the purpose of writing things that will be in your story.