Several years ago I had a very unique experience. At the time I was somewhat overwhelmed but now in hindsight I can only laugh at the way it all unfolded.
I had flown to Denver to spend time with our dear friend and brother Dieter Skowron. This was not an unusual visit; we would often spend time together as time afforded us.
The first thing that we would customarily do on our way to Johnstown is have lunch at a mexican restaurant that he would pick for its uniqueness and quality of food. The one he had chosen for our excursion today was very unique to say the least. It was very small with only a few tables and the colors were very bright to the eyes as I looked at the many different painted walls. Dieter mentioned to me, “don’t let the colors or the building scare you, the food is out of this world.” I seemed to hear him say that same thing the last time we picked a restaurant like this. That experience to say the least did not go well at all. I will let you read between the lines.
The food that day was quite good and I certainly had my fill. However after about an hour I started to feel ill. This did not feel like food poisoning. It was very painful in my abdomen. We waited for a while and since the pain only increased it was decided that a trip to the emergency room was necessary. They wanted me to spend the night and examine me further but I felt that I needed to deliver the message God had given me to their church that night. The doctor relented and gave me some drugs for the pain. Which I decided to take only after I was done speaking. I remember how severe the pain was as we drove into the parking lot. I prayed that God would help me through. Maybe this was satan’s way of keeping me from sharing the message that God had delivered to me for this wonderful congregation I thought as I walked to the platform that night. The worship leader had a huge look of relief as he saw both of us come into the building. Service had already been going on for a half hour and I know that he was wondering how long he could keep singing the same songs.
I have to admit the pain was excruciating by this time. However as I was introduced and the pulpit was turned over to me a miracle took place. As I placed my hands upon that wooden pulpit and opened my Bible all the pain lifted and in its place I felt a very strong presence of the almighty. The words seemed to flow from my mouth and God seemed to provide a special anointing. However as soon as I finished and turned to go back to my chair the pain came again like a freight train causing me to grimace and bend a little at the waist. I took as much of the pain medication as I could and it helped slightly. All that night I lay awake in my room praying for relief and the dawn to come.
In the morning I asked for a ride to the hospital, even though I had my own rental vehicle the pain was more than I could handle. To make a long story short I spent the next week in a Greeley Colorado hospital. The diagnosis was diverticulitis, a very painful condition where a pocket forms in a person’s colon and then becomes infected. This is especially dangerous for if those pockets burst it could cause sepsis and possibly death. Of course they kept me on IV antibiotics till the inflammation had somewhat subsided and till it was safe enough for me to go home.
That was good news, the bad news was that my friend had planned on me heading home after a few days and had other commitments with his family. The doctor had ordered me not to take a plane flight home for another week till these pockets of inflammation were totally under control. He mentioned the pressure changes in flight could cause one or more of these inflamed pockets to burst and that would certainly not be a good thing.
At this point in my healing I was getting around pretty well. I encouraged DIeter to keep his commitment so he made arrangements for the delivery of food each day until he returned in a week. In my personal walk with God I had been going through a very dry time. It always seemed that when Gods blessings fell I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had longed for a personal encounter with God but it seemed the train I was on was heading in the wrong direction.
At this point in time I was quite depressed. I was still sick, I was physically and emotionally depleted. Now at this time I was alone in a big house and my exciting vacation plans were swirling down the drain. I again stress how alone and discouraged I was. I was too exhausted to cry and was disappointed with God. I had so looked forward to this time with Dieter and the trips we had planned to his special places in the mountains. I thought instead of a friend I had become a burden to him and his family.
I looked around the living area in the family room which I shared with a bedroom in the lower level of his home. On the table I spied a video and casually picked it up. It was called “Home Alone”. I thought it was appropriate, so I slipped it into the VCR and leaned back and for a time was transported away from my discouragement. When the movie ended it was just after 12:00 noon and I decided to lay down. Little did I know that God had not forgotten about my plans He had just decided to change them. I thought I needed a vacation, God really knew that I needed a spiritual manifestation of His love for me. Really isn’t that the way God often works in our lives. Someone once told me that if I wanted to make God laugh to just tell Him my plans. Remember our ways are not God’s ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts.
As I crawled into bed and laid on my side, I have to confess I felt like crying. I had asked my wife not to come, no use making her miserable as well I thought. I felt empty and again I emphasize, I felt all alone. As I lay there staring at the blank wall I felt as if someone was there with me, laying next to me. I felt an arm around my shoulders. I must tell you very plainly that I was not asleep and I was not dreaming this. When that arm touched my shoulder I immediately felt a wave of peace come over me. I knew what was happening, I knew that this was an angel sent from God to encourage me and bring me peace. Just as Elijah was ministered to by the angel as he lay under the juniper tree as he fled in fear from Jezebel, God was allowing this messenger from heaven to deliver me an element of His peace and encouragement. I fell into a deep and restful sleep.
From that moment on things were different in this big old empty house. That load of despair seemed to be lifting gradually from my shoulders. Near the middle of the week something extraordinary happened. As I prepared for bed I did my nightly walk through to make sure the doors were locked and all the lights were off and everything was secure. I crawled into bed and fell right asleep. I opened my eyes to hear the sound of music and talking upstairs. I wondered how someone could come in with deadbolts on the doors. I came to the bottom of the steps and called up and asked who was there and there was no reply. I came upstairs and checked the doors. They were still deadbolted from the inside. All the lights were on and the radio was playing. I shut off the radio and I stood there in wonder. I know I had made sure everything was off the night before.
Then like a tsunami the Spirit of God came over me and God allowed me to feel the presence of the angels which filled the room. It felt like in my mind that a voice that spoke to me, saying that I had never for one instant been alone. God and His angels had walked with me through every aspect of this trip. I was reminded that I had longed for just this sort of thing for a long time and this was the package it was wrapped in. You are never closer to God than when you find yourself walking through the valley of the shadow of death. You never have a better meal than the one you eat in the presence of your enemies. Your cup is never more full when the road is hard and your flesh is weak. Paul said it best,
2 Corinthians 12 KJV
12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
If you’re praying for a cloud burst of blessing expect the thunder to roll and the winds of adversity to blow. But the sweetest rain comes through the darkest storm.
This trip was more than what I bargained for. I never really got to enjoy the beauty of the Rocky Mountains but I was able to ascend into the hill of the Lord. There I found beautiful fountains of peace and trees filled with the fruit of renewal. I came home a different man than I was when I left.
However, that was not the end of my experience. The time had come for me to head back to Milwaukee. I was flying Midwest airlines back. My doctor had really wanted me to use a wheelchair at the airport. He did not want me to jostle that diverticule in my abdomen until it was less inflamed. He also said that I would get through security faster and that immediately sold me on the idea.
There were two skycaps that accompanied me to my gate. I had given them my ticket and trusted them to get me to the right place. Now if you have never been to Denver airport you might be surprised at its size. They have subway trains that run between terminals. It’s quite a big deal. I tipped the skycaps and thanked them and they left me there. As I sat there I was surprised that so few people were even in the area. The flight was scheduled to leave in 15 minutes and I was the only one there.
It was then I took out my ticket and checked the gate number. That number did not match the gate I was at nor did it match the terminal. They had ineptly taken me to my seat number C3. My ride had dropped me off, I could not afford to miss this flight home. I desperately wanted to get home to my wife and kids. I made up my mind that I was going to be an olympic contender in the two mile run. I jumped out of my wheel chair and ran as fast as I could. The eyes of one little girl caught my attention as I sprinted by. I think she was telling her mother that the man must be healed as I jumped from the wheelchair. I caught the next train heading to the terminal of my departure. I jumped off the train and slid into the gate as they were just getting ready to shut the door. The stewardess looked at me as I huffed and puffed and said they had expected me to arrive in a wheelchair according to the information they had received. I could not think of an appropriate answer and just sort of shrugged my shoulders.
The lesson I learned that day was this. You can have the right airport, you can have the correct destination, you also can have a valid ticket. However the plane only leaves from one gate, and it doesn’t matter if you have an excuse or not, if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time all you will be able to do is wave goodbye to your dreams.