Only Believe…

It’s allergy season—itchy eyes, runny noses, walking in a fog most of the day gets pretty tiresome and frustrating to so many of us during a season that is intended to bring newness of life.

I wanted to share Alyssa’s personal testimony of the Lord healing her from allergies at the age of 4. I know most people may think that allergies are too small of a thing to even “bother” the Lord with but He loves us so much and does want us to have a life filled with abundance. Praying this encourages your heart! 

Alyssa would be up nightly coughing and coughing and coughing.  Her eyes were so puffy and she was miserable. It got so bad she didn’t want to play outside, I didn’t want her to play outside. She would get home from school and I would wash her hair and try to give her some relief from the pollen. Anything to help her.

Then the experiment started. Which allergy medication was going to help her and let’s try two or three different ones and it won’t interact was what I was told. The doctors tried to diagnose her with reactive airways which would eventually lead to asthma. She was now on an inhaler every four hours, eye drops, nose drops, daytime and nighttime medicine, when we counted all the prescriptions it was 11! She was only 4! I started the regimen in all hopes for some relief and some much needed sleep! By the second week, my baby girl who loved school and loved life started to cry uncontrollably and didn’t want to attend school.  She would kick and scream as I would now have to literally drag her out of the car;  she started having nightmares; during the day randomly she had hallucinations; anxiety filled her mind. Alyssa started to slip into a depressive state right before our eyes and we felt helpless. Her teachers were asking what’s wrong; Her family didn’t recognize her; Her parents had no answers!

One day after I dropped Alyssa off to school, I remember calling Dan at work and bursting into tears out of complete exhaustion. I mean it’s just allergies! Why is it this difficult? Dan had already felt in his heart to do some research on the many medications she was taking and what do we find out that morning but so many moms and dads complaining of the interactions and most of them had the same  exact symptoms as Alyssa was now experiencing. So what do you do? Do you keep giving the medicines that are supposedly helping one thing but now created several different issues? Which side effect was I willing to trade? 

At a lost, I went to her room with my bible in hand and the story of Abraham and Isaac came to my mind.  (Genesis 22:1-20). This story is about a father choosing to be obedient to the Lord and going through the steps of sacrificing his one and only son. See, God obviously didn’t let Abraham go through with it but sometimes as parents we hold on so much to our blessing that we forget the blesser has our back! That story ministered to me deeply. I cried and said, “Lord–you love her more, so take care of it.” At that moment I knew what I had to do and that was to have faith and believe that she was already healed. I must’ve prayed forever but when I got up I felt peace and certain of our next step. I called Dan and said I was throwing away all the medicine! (Now don’t get me wrong we aren’t against medicines by any means–God can use anything but in this case it was not for Alyssa’s good) It was the craziest thing throwing all 11 items away. I just knew if it was in the house I would be tempted. 

I wish I could say by the snap of my fingers she was healed but everytime a symptom came up we prayed and kept believing in her miracle. Until one night it was the worse! She would not sleep and she was coughing over and over and there I am in the darkness of night rubbing her back and patting her to sleep.  Every negative thought ran through my head: “what was I thinking; what did I do; how will she ever sleep; maybe I should give her some nighttime medicine and see if it will help!” Alyssa turned to me and in the midst of a cough said gently, “mommy Jesus said don’t worry just give me some water, I don’t need any medicine.”  I still get goose bumps recalling this night–let me tell you my mouth dropped and tears streaming down my face–Alyssa had no idea what was racing through my mind, she didn’t  know the battle and back and forth I was having with myself! I gave her a drink of water and she  drifted off soundly to sleep! I was left thanking God for loving her more than I ever could. 

Alyssa is now 10 years old! She does not have any symptoms of allergies; she does not have asthma, she plays outside whenever she wants, as a matter of fact she’s a runner! God is good! 

As we all head into celebrating Easter,  I encourage you to think on this verse and only believe–He loves us So much! 

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by His wounds we are healed.