My Refuge & My Fortress - Psalm 91:1-2
Friday March 11
My Refuge and My Fortress - Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
As my child lay in the hospital with IV’s and wires coming from his head, I felt hopeless. Our five-month-old son was diagnosed with infantile spasms, a form of Epilepsy. We had just moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, two weeks earlier to begin our training with Lutheran Indian Ministries. We didn’t know anybody and our families were miles away.
I had never been in a situation like this before and had never felt this fearful and overwhelmed. I started to put the blame on my past sin, and even my lack of faith.
But thankfully, God puts the right people in our path; he put my new mentor, Pastor Mark Schumm, by our side. Many in Lutheran Indian Ministries began praying for us. Pastor Mark, and His Wife Joan, were there for our physical and spiritual needs during this time. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
Pastor Mark was especially helpful. He helped me put my trust in God, knowing that He had a plan in all that was happening. This trust did not come overnight. I will be learning to trust Him for the rest of my life.
After a couple of weeks of prayer and hoping for answers on what our future holds, our baby boy’s second checkup with the neurologist came back,. The doctor told us that only God could have done what the test results were showing. His EEG came back normal - we were amazed at what we had witnessed. He told us 90% of children diagnosed with infantile spasms do not have a good outcome.
We at Lutheran Indian Ministries use the trials in our own lives to reach out to others in desperate times and similar situations.
Father God,
Thank you for healing our son. Please forgive me for my lack of faith and my lack of trust in You. Thank You for seeking me out and showing up in my despair. All the glory goes to you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Bob Prue (Lakota Rosebud Sioux) - Oneida, Wisconsin