GOD'S HEALING POWER TOWARDS ME

by Debbie Watson-Allen

The period 201 5 to 201 6 was devastating for me. In 9 months, I lost my father to heart attack, a dear uncle to cancer and paternal grandmother to an extended sickness. All that could go wrong did go wrong and oh what a surprise I was in for as I attended my yearly mammogram appointment. It is routine for women over the age of forty to have an annual mammogram, and I had done it before and thought nothing of it. However, the call came in that another test was needed because the scan was not clear enough.

With my nursing knowledge, I thought, "Oh, it’s just some dense tissues.”

The result showed a suspicious area that required further investigation. This was followed by an ultrasound-guided biopsy. At the time I decided to go for the results alone so not to scare others. While sitting in the waiting room somehow I sensed that it was not going to be good but I did not want to embrace the feeling that I was having.

The doctor entered the room, pulled up a chair, and did the usual greetings of asking me how I was doing..., but I just wanted him to get to the results. Then he gave the results...; it was breast cancer.

I immediately thought, "OK, let's just do surgery, chemo, whatever..., let’s just get it over with."

I felt lost as I left the hospital. I was upset. I asked myself, “How could I have missed this for it to reach this far?”. Many questions ran through my mind.

“Why? I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, or use any other form of addictive drugs. Why do I even go to doctors when they are missing on examination?”

My faith was shaken. There was so much uncertainty. Now the biggest question was who would be the best person to share this news with... My husband was working out of town, and I did not want to alarm him. So the first option was to go to my pastor's wife; however, she was not at home, so I spoke to my pastor instead.

The packed emotions erupted into tears as I told him what was going on. Then there was great relief when the pastor's wife showed up. The intercessory prayer made on my behalf was powerful. I felt God's Spirit descending on me at that moment. He moved through my body and immediately I knew then that God had touched me.

The doctors’ plan was to shrink the stage III invasive breast cancer with metastasis to the lymph nodes and then do surgery and radiation, BUT GOD... had other plans.

I recalled going to the second appointment with the Oncologist, and after the examination, the Oncologist could not palpate the lump.

I looked at her and said, "God has healed me."

The doctor went back to her computer to see where the cancer was supposed to be. She returned and repeated the examination but still unable to feel any abnormality. At this time, I requested another MRI scan, but the doctor refused, because repeat scans were customarily done only after chemotherapy.

After six rounds of chemotherapy, the repeated scans came back negative, but I had already known the result. I was adamant from the time I received those prayers to keep trusting God. Like the three Hebrew boys, even if God did not heal me, He is still God. I held on to the promise that with the stripes of Jesus we are healed (Isaiah 53: 3).

I realized that during the time of my treatment, my faith grew. I was encouraging those who called to ask how I was doing. It was out of that realization that my book was birthed; Chosen For Battle, and written to inspire others in their faith.

Resilience built by faith became my new norm. I was pushing the limits in my mind against every illfeeling that came over me. I remained resolute in my prayers that God was and still is the source of my strength and I stood my grounds on not having further treatment from the doctor who wanted me to do radiation, because I was healed.

W H O I S D E B B I E W A T S O N - A L L E N ?

Debbie Watson-Allen is an author, mentor, evolving speaker, wife, and mother of two. In her early teenage years, she accepted Christ as her Savior. From the island of Jamaica she has served as Youth Leader, Assistant Missions Director, and Sunday School teacher over the years. Debbie holds a nursing degree and has served in Jamaica for fourteen years. She now lives in and continues working in the nursing field.