John Heaphy

Yesterday, I reached my breaking point. I woke up with a piercing headache that I prayed would subside, but as the day went on, it only worsened. Every time I tried to think or process information, it would throb so hard that pain would shoot through my skull. As the hours and classes passed, it became more intense, and several times, I fled to the bathroom and wept, overwhelmed and discouraged. After school, feeling lower than I've felt all year, I went home and took a lot of medicine and fell asleep on the couch until David came home.

It was the night we had planned to visit our dear friend John Heaphy in Winston-Salem, so I pulled myself off the couch to meet him as promised. On the way there, I told David through tears how tired and frustrated I’d become. I told him I felt like a shell of who I used to be, and I don't remember what it felt like to be happy. My head hurt the whole drive, and David rubbed my head to relieve me of some of the discomfort as he drove.

The time with John was refreshing and fun, but it was so hard to cope with the way I was feeling. To make matters more interesting, the Beast’s battery died (the Beast is my 2003 Honda Civic) when we picked up John at the Rescue Mission. One of the chaplains jumped us off, and off we went to AutoZone to get a new battery. Sadly, the Beast died again in the left turn lane right in front of the AutoZone. We got out and pushed the car back to give people room to go around. A man in a green jeep behind us named Rob got out of his vehicle to help.

Poor John had to stay with the car to direct traffic around our dead vehicle. I talked with Rob some at AutoZone and found he was headed to Sri Lanka soon for business. We bought a 2-yr battery because that’s all they had, and David and Rob installed it. The Beast was as good as new, and we thanked Rob for his kindness.

We decided to skip on church, which I was glad about, so we could spend time in conversation with John. We took him to Burger King by his request, and he had his first whopper in 6 years! He told us his life story and testimony in detail, and it was just so amazing. To think that he attempted suicide 3 times after his girlfriend of 5 yrs left him, yet every time something kept him from succeeding! He says he is “hard-headed,” but that he finally realized God had a plan for his life. At work, a man witnessed to him and he accepted Christ after attending church with the man a few times. He said the most appealing thing about God was that he really chooses to talk to us through the Spirit. Over time, though, John lost his job and stole a car to have a way into prison where he could at least have food and shelter. He served 10 yrs for the crime, but once he got out, he still had no work and no hope, so he stole a car again to earn him a second term. That is when we came into his life—when he was finishing up his last year of prison.

Now that he’s at the Rescue Mission, he is working in the phone room. My prayer for him is that God would provide him employment before his 90 day period concludes. I also pray that his foot continues to heal so that he will be unlimited in his capabilities.

Visiting John, to me, is always like visiting Jesus—the Gospels make that so clear. Whatever we do to others, we do unto Christ himself. That restores my soul. And even in the midst of the discomfort my head was experiencing last night, my soul was well and even joyful.

I went to sleep by the grace of God right when we got home, but I woke up with the same headache. I decided to just do my best today and go on to class. But PRAISE BE TO GOD, by 1st period, my headache was gone, and I felt like a new person completely.

If someone could have seen my thoughts yesterday and then could compare them with my thoughts today, they honestly would not believe I am the same person. All I can do is give God the glory for He chose to have mercy on me. I know David has been praying for me, and I also remember my sobbing prayer yesterday on the chair in the spare room: “Daddy, daddy please help me. I cannot take the pain anymore. You alone are my God and I need you. Please tell me you hear me; do not look away. Restore me, or give me the strength to go on. I’ve got nothing left.”

He has restored me today. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but the Word says today has enough trouble of its own. I just want to praise you, Father, for healing me. I pray that you will continue to revive my body so that I can go on to learn medicine and practice it for your glory until I die or your Son returns for your glory, AMEN!

I ask that you continue to show me what it means to trust that you know what I need even when it's painful.