Fully Healed

“i stand IN AWE. today i find myself healed. fully healed.”

Facebook status posted by Melanie Sanford on Thursday, March 14, 2013

It isn't very often that I get to play a part in a healing miracle where the whole elementary student body and staff are involved so it is what this post will be about. Melanie (Mel) Sanford is a bubbly, energetic, full of life 6^th grade teacher at our school. I once remarked to her that she was like a breath of fresh air whenever I saw her at the halls or walkways of the school. Her spirit affected those around her and she just exuded joy and warmth.

It was disconcerting and alarming then when she became ill six weeks ago. Her disease just quietly came upon her, unannounced. Mel and her husband were then shopping at Warorot Market during the week-end of the Chinese New Year. She said they had just left one of the stores when she started to feel dizzy. It was the first time she ever felt like that so she didn’t know what to make of it. She began to feel steadily unwell but still made it to school to teach by Monday. It was then that she noticed that in addition to the dizziness, she also started to feel exhausted. She told her students that she needed to sit while teaching; something she’d never ordinarily do. In spite the adjustment, she felt worse and ended up going to the emergency room – but no diagnosis was made at that time.

For the next few weeks she was constantly exhausted, dizzy, or both. She couldn’t do much due to the exhaustion. Much of her days were spent resting on their living room couch. When she saw the doctor, she was told that it was Meniere`s disease: a chronic lifetime ear disease that would affect the quality of her life. She may eventually go deaf. This information was such a big blow to the Sanfords but for Mel, she couldn’t even deal with the implications due to the exhaustion she felt. She contemplated her future and thought that she may not be able to teach again. It wasn’t looking good.

Mel with Pilar Prus, the other 6th grade teacher

Thankfully, God had other plans for her. She was obviously laid on not just my heart because colleagues Sue and Susan went to visit her on Sunday. While I prayed for her on my own, they went to see her and prayed for her. Mel said the past week-end was hard and the symptoms, more pronounced. Yet, through the visit, a glimmer of hope arose. Sue talked about bringing more people to pray and Mel looked forward to the support of our community.

On Monday, I couldn’t shake the thought that I should go over and not just pray for her, but also anoint her with oil. I connected with her and she said it was all right for me to go over.  That same day, Sue sent out a message that on Thursday she wanted to have as many people as possible go over to Mel to pray and anoint her with oil. I had another commitment then so I just went ahead and visited Mel, bringing them drinking water. Later, I thought it symbolic that I literally brought them water but it also felt like the living water from deep within her was called forth to surface during our prayer time. I also prayed for her healing and deliverance. She later said that Monday’s prayer time encouraged her and got her excited that God was about to do something HUGE. Her symptoms lessened and she physically felt better. She had more energy and no dizziness. Spiritually though, she was still up and down.

Monday morning's greetings from very
excited and happy students.

 At Tuesday’s chapel, the teaching was on Psalm 23 and when people anointed with oil. There was also discussion on anointing the sick with oil as described in James 5:14-15. To end the time, prayers were said for Mrs. Sanford’s healing. All the students signed a poster that was going to be sent to her and they were all asked to pray while doing so. The teachers were encouraged to write messages of hope.

On Wednesday, Mel and her husband prayed for the folks coming on Thursday. She said she felt God say, “Get ready because I’m working and tomorrow my work will be done.”

Victorious Mel back at school
by the grace of God.

Meanwhile, I sent her an email saying Grace was coming. She described Thursday’s prayer time as grace indeed poured out. LOTS of teachers rallied and went. There was an intense hour of powerful praying. Past and present issues were prayed for. Mel said, “The darkness lifted and the light started pouring in!” She felt emotionally and spiritually free! She also apparently cried almost the whole time. =)

When they left, Mel spent some more time on the floor praying. She said God was speaking to her. She kept writing without even realizing what she was writing. When she then looked down at her paper, she saw that it said, “I am fully healed.”

As of this writing, Saturday night, she is still euphoric, ecstatic, and excited about her whole experience. Thank you, Papa God. We praise you.

I’d like to end with how she preceded her post, above. She was hardly capable of doing anything and was miserable for most of the past six weeks but she stated:

my heart is so full. i will never be able to say thank you enough for all 

the love and kindness and beauty of these last 6 weeks.

Sure, she was physically healed, but, her emotions and spirit were even more so.