Giving thanks to the Lord for He is GOOD!!!

James 5:14 and 15

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Annabelle has had a hernia in her bellybutton since she was born. It was not very serious like the lower hernias usually are because it was up higher but eventually would need to be operated on. They say that they commonly shrink until a child is about 5 years old and if they haven't then the surgery is generally done before they start Kindergarten.

I talked to the surgeon about operating on the hernia around Christmas time and he asked me to take her for an ultrasound because he saw a second hernia above the bellybutton He wanted to make sure it was not just a ball of fat or something else before including it in the surgery. I took her in February I think for the ultrasound and they found that sure enough, both were hernias but the top one was very small. The doctor said that since she would be put to sleep for the bellybutton one anyway, we would just get them both taken care of at the same time. He would not normally do surgery on one so small if it was the only one but the one in the belly button needed surgery anyway. Surgery would include putting her to sleep, cutting 2 small cuts and stitching up the muscle and then stitching her belly back up. It is about 2 weeks recovery. I have been through this same surgery, very painful indeed!

I set the appointment for the surgery and of course was nervous but felt that it is better to get it done now than when she is a teenager or something and you could see the hernia through her clothing, especially after eating or when Annabelle would get angry. The doc said that kids always notice and bug kids who have them. That is why they operate on them before school.

When I told my mom about the surgery she encouraged me to have prayer over Annabelle and to trust God to heal her. I KNOW that God can heal. Adam and I have experienced that first hand, but I was hesitant. I was concerned that maybe He wouldn't and then Annabelle's faith would be weakened and that she wouldn't trust him. I know, not a very faith filled thought but I really didn't want to harm in any way the beautiful faith that God had put in my daughter. So, I thought about it and then talked it over with Belle, explaining that sometimes God heals through just prayer, and sometimes through doctors but that we need to know in our hearts that He wants to heal her, either way. So we would pray a prayer of faith that God would heal these hernias before the date of the surgery. We began to pray every night for the last 2 weeks I guess and then took her to a prayer meeting and had her prayed over. Nothing seemed to be happening so I just started to prepare myself for the surgery. I thought that the larger hernia had shrunk a bit but I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, wishful thinking. I know, that doesn't sound much like faith either. But I do have faith, I know He heals!

We continued to pray over her and then took her to cell last night and had her prayed over again. Nancy held her hand over Annabelle's belly button and prayed a spirit filled prayer over her. When I heard it, my faith was strengthened. I knew that God was going to heal. I felt Annabelle's belly button as soon as Nancy was done. The hernia was noticeably smaller. Like it went from about a toonie size to about a nickle size!!! In minutes!!! And then when we got home Adam and I went to Belle's room with her and Adam anointed her belly button with oil and again asked for God's continued healing. Today, when feeling the belly button the hernia feels about the size of a large pea! And the belly button is not sticking out which I have not seen in all her life! The top one is still there but it is so minor and I have faith that God will take that one away, too.

I had to write this now to say... Our God is an awesome God, so faithful! Annabelle told me tonight that this makes her love Jesus even more! He is able to work, even where my faith lacks.
Thank you Lord!