WHO DID IT??!”, GOD DID IT!!!!!!

“Who did it?!!?!, GOD DID IT!!!” My late grandfather would say this at any and every family function. I remember it being a type of familial call and response and when he’d yell out, “WHO DID IT!!?!?!”, I was conditioned to reply “God did it!!!” In a way, I was groomed like Ivan Pavlov’s dogs that salivated at the sound of a bell. I responded without really understanding what it meant and why I should respond in such a way.

At birth, I was diagnosed with a blood disorder that came neatly packaged with more doctor’s office visits than I can count. I vaguely remember the earlier years but around age 8 my life changed dramatically. I was in school and all of a sudden felt like “Mushmouth” from Bill Cosby’s cartoon, Fat Albert as I spoke with my peers in class. I went to the nurse and remember my Dad picking me up from school and going to the doctors.

Upon arrival and after running various tests my parents learned that I had suffered a stroke. I now realize how serious that is but as a child, all I knew was that I was sick and they had to run more tests. I suffered 3 more strokes as time passed that I remember; one time when I could not hold my fork when eating at a friend’s house, another occurred when I was walking and my right foot felt like a cement block I had to lug around and finally in the doctors office when my doctor asked me to smile and she responded to my mom stating “see how her face is drooping, she’s having one now”.

Ok, now lets fast forward. They did brain surgery to prevent future strokes, prescribed different medicine’s to help with recovery and my overall health and sent me on my way! Finally, I could be a kid again! Although, the strokes were placed at a standstill and I was back to 100% or so I thought, the doctor’s required me to get blood transfusions every 4 weeks for the rest of my life to prevent strokes. No big deal to me from elementary school through college. I got a day off from classes every month in exchange for a full day at the doctor’s office! To be honest, it was normal to me since I grew up doing it and felt it was an equal trade-off to keep strokes OUT!
As I got older, days out of school turned into days off from work and I was growing tired of the same routine and started to realize that what I thought was normal actually was not.

When I graduated and returned home from college, I visited my doctor and she explained how I was now building up a resistance to the blood that was once seen as life-saving. The very thing that was helping me was now turning it’s back on me. Not to mention, the exposure to blood transfusions for the past 15 years now required medicine that was harsh on my liver and cost $700 + for a month’s supply!

During a visit to the doctor’s office in 2014, my doctor mentioned my growing resistance to the blood used to “sustain” me. I had had enough and asked my doctor what would be next when I was completely resistant to the blood. She explained that a transplant was the next best option and then proceeded to tell me all of the complications associated with a transplant and began to talk about what happens if your body rejects the transplant. I zoned out completely as tears began to well up in my eyes and I felt so hopeless wondering why all of this had to happen to ME.

She continued talking about various alternatives and all of a sudden I literally could not hear her talking. God completely shut my sense of hearing off to everything and spoke clearly to me and said: “Before it reaches that point, I will have it all taken care of.” A sense of peace immediately came over me and I have to admit I didn’t understand exactly what God meant but the peace was so comforting.

I got up and went about my appointment and life as usual. Every 4-6 weeks for the next 6 years I continued seeing my doctors for blood transfusions. I began to question myself like “Did God really say that to me??” and I didn’t realize that I was feeding the enemy with ammunition to make me doubt what God had spoken over my life. I was frustrated and basically decided that this was it and blood transfusions would be the norm until I could no longer take them.

March 1, 2018, I went to what I didn’t realize would be my final transfusion as a part of my monthly regimen! I went to get my blood counts checked 4 weeks later to see if I would need a transfusion for the month of April and was told everything was fine and to check again in 4 more weeks. I continued to do this and 2 months turned into 4 months and 6 months turned into 9 months. At times, I would get anxious and wonder if being without a transfusion would make me have another stroke as I had 20 years ago. Meanwhile, my faith was growing and I can explain it like the famous scene of Bambi when Bambi is learning to walk. God was delivering on his promise from 6 years back and I was learning how to walk in it despite all of what logic told me.

Today, March 1, 2019, I write this EXTREMELY overwhelmed and grateful to God for delivering on His promise to me. I wondered so many times why I had to be the one to go through all of the pain and suffering. I think of John 9:3 “but this happened so that the Works of God might be displayed in him.” I don’t know who you are or what challenges you face but know that there is a RAW TESTIMONY on the other side of your struggle. God is ENOUGH. Whatever it is, know that God is all you need. Trust Him and hold on to all of the things that He says. You may go through the fire but you won’t be singed or smell like smoke! I can now respond to my family with a full understanding when they ask “WHO DID IT??!”, GOD DID IT!!!!!!

Be Blessed!