by Bob Russell, ©2021
(Aug. 27, 2021) — On Thursday, August 19, 2021, I observed the 7th anniversary of the severe stroke that has left me very disabled. In May 2016 I had a dream that I woke up totally healed from the effects of the stroke. On April 23 of this year I had another dream of healing. This time I was in an auto repair shop walking around with a nut and bolt, screwing and unscrewing the nut from the bolt. Being left-handed I held the bolt in my right hand and used my now paralyzed left hand to operate the nut and washers. These dreams are signs to me that God has my restoration in the works. I don’t know when it is going to happen but I KNOW that the dreams ensure my full recovery, in God’s time.
Hope is a gift from God, a gift that is important. I have hope knowing that my eternity is with Jesus and that I will see a full recovery from the effects of the stroke in this life. After looking at the CT scan taken when I arrived at the hospital the doctor gave no hope of survival much less full recovery. My wife was later told that the benchmarks of recovery are 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, that where I was in recovery at 12 months was the best we could expect it to get. Medical technology and the experiences of the doctors tells one story but my experiences with God’s healing power tells me of a much better outcome.
At my first office visit in February 2015 the doctor told me that in 25 years of practice he had never seen anyone suffer as much brain damage as I had and survive more than a few hours. The fact that I made it out of the hospital is a miracle and the miracle keeps getting more spectacular every day.
I have hope in full recovery because God told me in two dreams that I would see full recovery. I admit there are days when keeping hope is difficult. Satan wants me to give up on God, especially since it has been so long since the first dream of restoration, but I believe what God told me in my dreams so I push through the discouragement and despair knowing that if I persevere the dreams will come to be but if I give up I will never improve. I believe God’s Word and the dreams He has sent me to help me through this very difficult time in my life.
There is a praise/worship song that says to wait on the Lord. I don’t know the exact title of the song nor who does it but I do know that waiting on the Lord is important and HOW I wait is even more important. Waiting with a good attitude matters because not only is God watching my attitude but other people, especially non-believers, take note of how I deal with the crippling effects I have to endure. A person who goes through adversity with a positive attitude and a smile on his face has a much more impactful testimony than one who whines his way through it. I have tried very hard to project positivity to others in spite of the defects my body suffers through and the mental stress that goes with it. I can’t do much but when I can serve or help others I do, and when I need help I accept it with thanksgiving to those who help me.
I often knock my cane over through my clumsiness. I can pick it up but often healthier people are nearby and offer to get it for me. I let them help me and thank them with a smile. I don’t complain about my disability. I tell people what happened to me and explain it is difficult to deal with my disability but also that I believe restoration is coming. Through faith I believe recovery is assured. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but I do know that recovery is coming. Naturally I hope each day is the day and when it isn’t I thank God for the day knowing that it has brought me one day closer to THE day.
The Bible tells us that God doesn’t like, and won’t reward, murmuring and complaining. When I tell people about my circumstances I don’t whine and complain. I tell them what happened to me factually, the results, and then express my thankfulness for the positive results I have seen so far and my belief of total restoration through the mercy of Almighty God. Expressing my faith in recovery is important to me because it is important in leading people to Jesus. If I whine, complain, and tell people my situation is hopeless my testimony would have no value because people would take despair as a negation of the faith I would be claiming but not showing. Showing people I have great faith goes much farther than talking about it. Talking one way but living the opposite destroys anyone’s testimony. When I hear a person say one thing but act the opposite I immediately discount what they say as a false narrative because if they believed what they were saying they would be showing it in their actions.
There is nothing medical technology can do to help me, so any improvement will come from Almighty God, as has been the case since the stroke. After first saying I wouldn’t survive the few hours left in the night the neurologist in charge of my treatment eventually said that it looked as if I would live, at least for a while, but would be totally paralyzed and a mental vegetable. The doctor was going on his 25 years of experience dealing with strokes but God has a much longer time of dealing with illnesses and also has the final say in the outcome.
It is clear to me that God has things for me to do in this life. I don’t have a clue as to why He has kept me around nor what He has in mind but I live out each day trying my best to fulfill what He wants me to do for His glory. I am extremely limited in the scope of physical ability but do the best I can with what ability I have. The testimony I have is an incredible story of God’s mercy and grace, and showing and telling my testimony may be the reason He spared my life. There are people who have told me that they have been inspired and encouraged by seeing the way I struggle yet keep a positive attitude and praise God for the progress I have experienced since the stroke occurred at about 6:00 p. m. on August 19, 2014.
Faith will take one a long way because faith in Almighty God is what He uses to help people overcome serious situations. The Holy Bible says that “faith without works is dead.” This means that talking about faith is an empty vessel, that people need to act on faith for it to work to their benefit. All the faith in the world wouldn’t have helped me if I had not been willing to get out of that bed and wheelchair and work through the pain to be able to walk again.
My arm is a tougher issue because most of what is needed to help my arm depends on using my right arm to assist and I have a torn muscle in my right shoulder that makes most of the therapy activities impossible to do. I was scheduled for surgery on my right shoulder to repair the torn muscle but the stroke hit a week before surgery was to happen so my right shoulder is still severely impaired. I daily pray that God will fix the torn muscle also and believe He will do so.
I can’t say when God will fix me but I know He will, in His timing. Abraham had to wait 25 years for his miracle to happen, having a son that was promised when he was 75 years old but born when he was 100 and his wife 90 years old. I hope I don’t have to wait 25 years but if that’s what it takes I will wait because I know God never fails to do what He says He will do and I believe my dreams were God telling me He will fix my body.
I submit this in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in faith, with the responsibility given to me by Almighty God to honor His work and not let it die from neglect.