Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

I was married and teaching school in Nashville during my daughter’s early childhood. After her third grade year, I resigned from my teaching job to work with my husband. We moved to Atlanta and had some success with his business venture. Life revolved around work, a daughter, a silver poodle named Cokie, and a 12 year marriage.

In Atlanta, we attended church as a family. My daughter was active in youth group, and I taught Sunday school.

In 1984 my family and I had gone to Daytona Beach for a vacation.  During this visit Laurie (my daughter) and I were riding a float when I saw a wave coming toward us that was going to take us under.  I jumped and turned my head to the right.  When I did this the wave hit the left side of my head and filling my ear with water.  Laurie was trying to get back on her feet and we were having a great laugh together. After the wave, I ended up with water in my ear.  Never thinking this was going to be the last time I would be well.  I could not hear and the noise in my head started roaring. I was beginning to have ringing in my ear and dizziness.  When we got back to Atlanta I went to an Otolaryngologist (ear specialists) to see how to get well.  He took one look in my ear and said I think we are dealing more with a tumor than we are with an ear infection.  He sent me for x-rays and found the cholesteatoma that was growing in the ear canal.  He scheduled surgery for three weeks away and I went home to take another round of antibiotics. 

My thoughts were turned to getting over the surgery and recovery, but I look back now and realize that I was never going to be well again until the Lord Jesus touched me.

After the surgery I could not sit up or walk without help. The left side of my face would not respond to stimuli and the physicians were questioning whether the facial revere had been cut during surgery. The left side drooped and looked as though I had had a stroke. Because the taste nerve had been damaged during surgery all food tasted like wet cardboard. I also had the same sensation in my mouth, as though metallic fillings had dropped on my tongue. I did not mention this to the physician during revisits until the third month and he informed me that he must have cut the taste nerve during surgery.

Due to the dizziness I could not be up or walk without hitting one side of the door or the other. I couldn’t tell where I was in a room in relation to the walls, chairs, or other furniture. The only way I can explain the dizziness would be compared to a child turning in circles continuously.

After being sick for several months my husband filed for a divorce and left me to raise our daughter by myself. At this point I felt overwhelmed with what lay ahead of me. I needed a job, to sell the Atlanta home, move back to Nashville, assume the role of both parents for a 12 year-old girl, and deal with an incapacitating illness.

Laurie and I returned to Nashville after selling our house, and we began to try to make things normal for her.  Our return to Nashville brought confusion and sadness for both Laurie and me, but I knew somehow we would push through. 

At this point I thought I could teach school in Nashville. I had done that years before, but when I went to the person who promised me a job, he said he was sorry but they had too many teachers returning from maternity leave that there were no openings.  The only opening he had was in special education.  I agreed to take classes at night in exchange for a position with the school system.  When I went to pick up the contract and books the Dean had initially said $600.  Something happened to me in that meeting and I realized I could not teach school.  While the Dean was reaching for my contract and books he handed me a bill for $3,000.  I had my answer.  I told him thank you for your trouble, but I do not have that much I am in the middle of a divorce.  Once I reached my car my balance was gone all I could do was let the seat back and sit in the car – all the while talking to God.  At this point in my life I had not met the Holy Spirit, but the best was yet to come.  While I was lying in the seat God and I had a serious conversation.  I felt he wanted to bless a medical transcription service.  I began to go over the process I felt comfortable asking him to bless.  First, I was not able to sit up and transcribe.  Second, I did not know the medical terms. If He was going to open a transcription service, He needed to provide transcriptionist to complete the work.  Third, I would not look for transcriptionist, clients or worry how to meet payroll checks.

You can see the only thing left was for me to lie on the couch and answer HIS phone.
God in HIS goodness had set up the perfect job for me.

Once we were in our apartment in Nashville I saw a doctor to begin once again the long road to surgery and removal of the cholesteatoma.  In two years we had not progressed much but I still need a physician that could prescribe medication for me.  One time the resident on call had prescribed ½ tablet three or four times a day for pain.  The trouble was the medication only came in capsules so while I was sitting in bed that night I actually went blind.  I called the Otolaryngology Clinic and was told I had over dosed on the prescription.  The resident advised me to stay in bed and let the optic nerve get over the medication over dose.  He then explains all medications that work on the ear –work on the optic nerve as well.    After that I realized I needed to manage my own health and check the dosage before taking future drugs. 

We scheduled a second surgery to remove the tumor.  This time was more involved than the Atlanta surgery.  The doctor actually removed the ear and tried to get the entire tumor that he could.   What was supposed to bring healing actually only brought more illness.  I was dizzy, unable to sit up and nausea was an everyday occurrence. 

After January 1987, the doctor explained the tumor was back again and there needed to be another surgery in March to remove the cholesteatoma for the third time. 

February 11, 1987 was a Wednesday, and my office phone began to ring about 9:00 am.  When I said hello the person on the other end of the phone immediately asked me if I was going to come to the Wednesday communion service to hear Delores Winder.  I said “no, I’m sick on the couch and really able to come.”  Then the strangest response was spoken to me on the phone which was “we think you are supposed to be here.”  After hearing those words I prayed and asked God to make the office peaceful if I was to attend the Wednesday prayer and praise service.  As God would have it the entire office was quiet.  I then took the opportunity to slip out of the office and drive to the church service. 

Three sets of words became mysteriously part of my life.  The first set said “this could be the last time you drive to church sick.”  I heard the words two more times in a different order.  When I arrived at the church I stepped out of the car and felt the words come up from the pavement “this can be the last time you walk into the church sick.”  The third set of words came at the church door and said “this can be the last time you walk through the church door sick.”  

At this point I was not questioning where the voice had come from. I was on so much medication for my illness, that I could not be sure where the voice was, but I assumed I could always remember the three occasions that had visited me on the way to the church.

When the music started, our praise and worship band sang “Who is the Great I AM,” a sweet song that was poplar in the 80’s and into the 90’s.  I looked at the altar and just to the right I saw a beautiful image of Moses at the burning bush.  Then I saw the words I AM THAT I AM.  Suddenly everything around me was praising God and acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus. 

After the worship ended, Delores began to speak and then she called individuals up for healing.  I sat an hour and a half watching her pray and seeing people begin to react in a way that said they had identified with whatever she was saying to them.  Some fell down other just wept quietly and then returned to their seat. 

This was the moment I later knew that Satan was in the room because I heard words that said, “You need to go back to the office. The girls are struggling with covering your job.”  I started to get up and leave when I heard the second set of words “sit down and listen what if you are driving back to the office and she calls out a left ear healing? You will miss your healing.”

These words came two more times.  One voice was from the left, as the accuser, and one voice was from the right, as the voice of the Lord. I finally said “I am not leaving until she is through and leaving the church.”

She did not call out an ear, but we did approach her for prayer.  Her first question to me was “Do you know Jesus?”  I replied that I did know Jesus and knew that he healed, but I wasn’t sure he wanted to heal me today.  She then explained that Jesus absolutely wanted to heal my body.   Delores placed her hand on my shoulder and back then she began to pray.  After that I was on the floor totally unaware of my surroundings but still able to hear some of the noise in the church. 

Suddenly, I was aware that I was in another place.  I could see my body lying on the church floor and wondered if I was down there and where was I at this time.  I was totally surrendered to the Holy Spirit at this time.  Could I be in the presence of Jesus?  He continued to tell me that I was loved as well as forgiven.  Near the end of the healing, I saw words spelled out in large letters that said “YOU ARE HEALED.”   I remember weeping and calling out to Jesus when I woke up on the floor.  I realized quickly that I been in the presence of Jesus. 

Today, Jesus is Lord of my life and I love him more today than I did 22 years ago when I first met him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection:

Just as Jean said in her testimony, there are so many things we have not learned in our churches about healing, the Holy Spirit, Satan- so many things! Is it that they haven’t been taught or we haven’t heard? Instead of trying to place blame, let us “go forth and learn” about these things.

As Kathryn Kuhlmann said, “If you call the Holy Spirit ‘it’, you don’t know Him.” He is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is also the Holy Ghost in some translations of the Bible.
I believe that there are some that do not want to know about the Holy Spirit. They immediately associate the Holy Spirit with Pentecostal Movement and see visions of bodies lying in the floor, people speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, and all of the things the “proper church people” do not do. Well, my Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” So, we can be “decent and in order” and still allow speaking in tongues.
However, the Holy Spirit is SO much more!!

Jesus spoke to the disciples in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

He comes to us and lives within us. He lives there to comfort, to counsel, to pray with us, to guide us, to teach us, and to speak to us the Words from the Father. What a wonderful gift from God.
The Holy Spirit in Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
The Bible is full of scriptures that tell us so much about the Holy Spirit. There is no way that I can in this short teaching, tell you all that you need to know about the wonderful Spirit of God. I do encourage you to get a good concordance and look up the scriptures and get to know Him. Just as we come into a love relationship with Christ Jesus, we should learn to love the Holy Spirit. He was sent by God to help us through our lives on this earth and prepare us for our heavenly home.

But just as we have the Holy Spirit, we also have Satan. Satan has been given dominion over the earth and as long as you live in sin, you probably will not have a problem with Satan. But when you choose to live life in Jesus, here comes Satan.

Jesus knew that Satan was to be on earth, and he told us in Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” God knew it was coming and he gave us the Amour of God to put on to protect us against the enemy.

This testimony of Jean’s shows us how the enemy tired to keep her from going in the church and even as she sat there, Satan kept reminding her that she should get back to the office. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus comes to give life abundantly (John 10:10). The enemy tries to keep us entrapped through weariness, discouragement, confusion, and asking questions, such as, “why would God heal me?” That is why we must learn to trust God completely and when our emotions take us on this road, we must ask the Holy Spirit to come along side us and help us to pray through.

Jesus went about His ministry while He was on earth delivering people from the evil spirits. This is the army of Satan. You remember when Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven that he took 1/3 of the angels with Him? He has quite an army, but it is nothing compared to the army of God.

He tempted Jesus, Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” If Jesus was tempted, how can we expect to escape temptation? Jesus answered, “It is written…” and we must learn to do the same. We can only answer in that form if we know the Scriptures.

We have no need to fear Satan, but we must be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Keep your eyes on Jesus. Study His Word, and Pray without ceasing. That is our protection against the enemy.

*** Jean Hunter has recently gone to be with the Lord, but her story lives on in the lives of others today. She was a precious friend of Delores and will be greatly missed. Jean was always a joy to be around becasue her personality seemed to effect almost every person she came in contact with. ***