April 10 - Monica Awad

Long praise story of God's Faithfulness

3 years ago I had a mass on my neck, about the size of a golfball. After running bloodwork and experiencing symptoms, my doctor sent me to a specialist. My mom and I sat in the doctor's office numb after hearing the diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We walked back to the car in silence and my mom called my husband to tell him the news. My husband was away for 6 weeks for work. Mina told me he would be home Friday night and we would process all this together.

But we knew what road this would lead us down.

I sat there, couldn't say much of anything but had one other call to make. I called to update the pastors, who knew of this appointment, and they all called me. Each one cried with me on the phone. Pastor Lloyd said I did not have to come for worship practice that evening and to be with family. But I knew that was where my heart and soul needed to be. My mom agreed so I went to worship rehearsal. We prayed all together before rehearsal and the song that I was asked to sing was "God With Us" that weekend. I barely made it through the bridge "where there was death, You brought life Lord. Where there was fear, You brought courage. When I was afraid, You were with me... and you lifted me up." He knew what I needed. I needed to sing this bridge on repeat to let the words sink deep into my soul.

The next morning, I opened to my devotions and read Ps 28. "Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. The LORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed."

Psalms 28:6-8. This became my life verse.

He knew and He saw me. El Roi.

The following Tuesday was the last Bible study before Covid shut the world down. The Lord gave me yet another song "I've seen you move, you move the mountains and I believe I'll see you do it again. You made a way, where there was no way and I believe I'll see you do it again. Your promise still stands great is Your faithfulness. I'm still in Your hands, this is my confidence you never failed me." It was like the Lord just wrapped me in a blanket of warmth and His presence was so powerful I got on my knees before the Lord in the prayer room and the leaders and I prayed.

The next day I went through the removal surgery and biopsy. The doctor told us proir that "if you're a praying family, pray for Hodgkin's, because it's curable." So that's what we did. But we prayed bigger. We prayed for healing if that was His will.

After the surgery the doctor called my husband and said "it was the oddest thing. I saw the lymphnode and it was swollen so I removed it. And then I saw it. The pocket of a cancer like mass. I started to touch it. And all of a sudden it popped. I have never seen anything like this before. Did you pray?" My husband said yes and smiled.

We waited the week through deep prayer for the news. I was ready to walk the road of chemo. My heart and soul were ready and prepared for whatever road this would lead. BUT GOD. The doctor called for us to come in to get the results. "I cannot tell you what exactly this is called but it looked like cancer. But the biopsy results are benign. It isn't cancer". He healed me. He took the cancer away from me. I didn't have to walk that road. Jehovah Rapha. We cried tears of joy. I have a scar to remind me of His faithfulness!

I will forever look back on this day and praise Him for who He is. I will worship Him for He is our ever present help in time of trouble. Ps 46:1