Brausen - Praying for healing while planning a funeral: a miraculous story of hope

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

www.broadstreetpublishing.com

Praying for Healing while Planning a Funeral

A MIRACULOUS STORY OF HOPE

2015 Rosey Brausen

ISBN: 978-1-4245-5000-5 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1-4245-5062-3 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful and encouraging information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your physician. The publisher and author are not responsible for any needs that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any websites or other sources. The names of some people mentioned this book may have been changed to protect their privacy.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ERV are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version 2001 by Bible League International. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Gods will is to heal disease, but we live on a fallen planet and we may go home through the pathway of illness. The trick is to love Him so recklessly in the process that you leave nothing on the table when asking for healing except His sovereignty.

P raying for healing is a tricky business. Its a kaleidoscope of hope, doubt, belief, faith, trust, and fear all wrapped up together. Throw in some feelings of unworthiness, confusion about Gods sovereignty, too much Internet information, plus all that comes with not feeling well, and you have a perfect storm, a true spiritual battleground. It just so happens to be the place where my husband, Gary, and I found ourselves on March 15, 2011.

Have you seen the movie The Avengers? The earths superheroes have to team together to take on a fierce villain who wants to control humanity. Its not easy to save the earth. The heroes really have to duke it out in order to win. My favorite scene is at the end when all the Avengers are sitting in a destroyed diner; their clothes are dusty and torn. They are covered in scrapes and bruises. Frankly, they are exhausted and all they want is a sandwich and a cold drink. This is how Gary and I felt as we journeyed through cancer. We joined God in a fierce battle for Garys life because we believed that God is the author of our first day and our lastnot cancer. However, we dont have superpowers. We are ordinary people, who live ordinary lives, and have ordinary jobs. But it is what happened to us through the journey of cancer that makes our story so extraordinary.

As you read our story, it is important to remember that in the Bible Jesus didnt heal the same way twice; some of the healings were immediate, while others were a process. Each biblical healing has specific attributes especially designed for the person He healed, as well as to teach the world how He longs for a relationship with us. As Gary and I went through our journey together, God was faithful to bring these stories to our minds, encouraging us along the way. They taught us the way we should go, and how we should respond to Him in our situation. He lavished us with patience, mercy, and love as He opened up His healing miracles to us. We used these stories as our pathway out of cancer. Like the healings in the Bible, He may speak to you or your loved one in a completely different way, so it is important to leave room for the creative God to dazzle and surprise you.

Another part of our story, which is a little harder to understand, is that we believe that because God is so relational, because He loves us so much, and because when Jesus died He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, He communicates with us all day long. We believe that He speaks to us through Scripture; or He speaks to us from a note from a friend, or during our dreams at nightreally, in a thousand different ways. You may be thinking, Sure, this is plausible, but by the end of our story my prayer is that you know this to be the truth and your desire to get to know our loving God in new ways is undeniable. He loves you tremendously, endlessly, fully, and completely, and He longs for you to discover His amazing love.

We get it. God seems so far out there, so intangible, so busy. Does He really want to talk to me when He has so many things on His plate? After all, there are starving people in Africa, genocide wiping out thousands of people in other countries, collapsing governments, and billions of prayers for Him to tend to every day. How can He possibly be so tender, loving, and omniscient to be aware of all that and still communicate with me individually? These were actually many of Garys own questions for most of our twenty years of marriage, so dont feel bad if you are unsure about the validity of communicating with God. He knows you. He knows where your limits are, and He will reveal Himself to you as you are ready.

One request we have is for you to keep an honest log of your emotions as you read this story, which can be done in a separate notebook, or you can write in the margins of this book. Make note of the aspects of our story that make you angry, defensive, sad, frustrated, hopeful, peaceful, or joyful. We ask this because in these emotions are hidden self-secrets, the beauty of your heart, wounds, and the sins you struggle with that all need to be worked out with God. He is tender toward your journey. He understands your disappointments, loneliness, heartache, and trust level. His heart is to heal you emotionally, spiritually, and physically. He wants to set you free, not because you have enough faith, and not even because you are worthy enough. But He wants to heal you because its His nature to do so and He is God. Go figure.

The kicker, and what brings us all to our knees, is that this book will not be able to explain the fact that many people more devout and obedient than Gary have prayed for healing and have gone home through the pathway of illness. We cant even begin to address this reality in the pages contained here. We are here to simply tell you our storythe way God chose to move in our lives, and deal with us. And by you reading the way God chose to deal with us, we pray that our story brings you hope, increases your faith, and stirs a desire in you to trust yourself with our wonderful God. He lavishly loves you and He desperately wants to help you into healing, whether it is spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical.