My Testimony: God Healed My Back!

FOR GOD'S GLORY

Sunset over the ocean with orange and red clouds

I am praising God and so overwhelmed by Him right now! I have to share with you something amazing that has happened.

God healed my back from scoliosis

(a lateral curvature of the spine). I don’t mean that He took away my back pain, which He did, but I mean He straightened my curve! I cannot help but to glorify and praise God for this miracle!

If you know me, you know that I am going to be honest with you. Now you might think that, although well-intentioned, I am just losing my mind, but that is the risk I am willing to take in order to tell you about what God did for me. For the sake of those who need to know that God is real, and that Jesus is who He says He is, I am going to share my story.

A couple of weeks ago I started reading Lee Strobel’s book, Seeing the Supernatural. In it, Strobel interviews many people about the supernatural and spiritual world. He investigates everything from angels and demons to miracles and near-death experiences. It’s a fascinating read if you are interested in such things.

Chapter two of Strobel’s book is about miracles. It offers accounts of amazing healings. As I sat in my living room taking stock of these stories, I started a dialogue with God that, little did I know at the time, would change my life forever.

Now, before I share with you exactly what happened, I must give you the background to my situation. As I shared in my book, Radical Grace: Live Free and Unashamed, at the time of my birth the doctor informed my mother that I had severe scoliosis and that because it was in the lower part of my back, I probably would not be able to carry a baby during pregnancy. After years of strengthening my back through dance and gymnastics, I managed to give birth to two children. I couldn’t do much toward the end of each pregnancy term and spent most of those days bedridden or sitting on the couch. Because of the pain I endured in my lower back, Phillip and I decided adoption would be how we would have any more children. Praise God for our third child whom we adopted a few years later.

Over the years I have struggled with many medical issues from a failing gallbladder to frozen shoulders, but the worst thing I have dealt with is the persistent pain in my lower back; especially as I have gained weight and lost those great muscles of my youth. The pain had become a worrisome fear that I wouldn't be able to fulfill the commitments I had made to God and my family. Sometimes I thought the rest of my life might consist of wearing a muumuu for comfort and sitting on the sideline as life passed me by. I didn't desire that, but thought that might be my fate if I couldn't do something about the pain in my back. I am one to persevere though, through the pain without complaining, so I have been doing that for years.

However, as I read these amazing accounts of God’s miracles, I wondered if He would heal me. I stopped right there and poured out my heart to God. I asked Him if He would please heal my back.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

I ended that prayer, hopeful, but honestly, not sure about what would happen. I believed God could heal me, but I wasn't sure God would heal me. I didn't doubt that He would (meaning I didn't think more on the side of "He won't" than "He will"), I simply wondered if He would (allowing for His decision to not affect my faith and love for Him). This is an important distinction that I hope you ponder for a bit.

As I stood up, I wondered, Did He do it? Was my back healed? No. Oh well, I thought, I’ll keep praying and maybe someday He will answer my prayer.

Later that day, as my mind swam with thoughts about faith and doubt, miracles, and skeptics needing proof of them, I received a message mixed up in those thoughts. It wasn’t audible, but I felt like the Lord told me, “Three days.” At the time I didn’t know if God was talking to me or if my mind just made that up out of some hope I had for God to answer my prayer, "just not yet."

Sometime in the night three days later, I suddenly woke up to an immense bright light that filled my room. (Phil and I have separate bedrooms because we snore and toss and turn and have different sleep cycles. Our marriage is great. Don’t worry.) I sat up in my bed thinking that lightning had struck the house. I was bracing for the thunderous crack and boom that instantly follows a lightning strike that is so close, but there was no sound. It was quiet. I looked out the window. No rain. No lightning. No thunder. The immense and bright light was not from lightning. I thought, That was weird. I must have just been dreaming, or something. I snuggled back into my blanket and went to sleep.

Now I believe that was when the healing took place and it was the glory of God that filled my room.

That morning when I woke up my back felt different. It didn’t hurt like typical mornings. I wasn’t sure what was going on. Was I imagining it was different because I wanted it to be? No, it really did feel different. I had never in my life known what it feels like to have a straight, normal spine. But I felt like my lower back was stable. I felt physically centered like never before. Did God heal me? 

I wanted to give it a couple days before I mentioned it to Phillip or anyone else to avoid a false claim that God healed me if He hadn’t. What I noticed, though, was that I had no pain. I could bend over, and it didn’t hurt. I could get dressed, and it didn’t hurt. I could sit down and stand up, and it didn’t hurt.

I became convinced something was different. After a couple of days, I timidly shared my strange story with Phillip. I had him feel my lower back to see if it felt any different than the millions of times that he gave me a back rub over the past 43 years. He told me the bump that had been present on my lower back was gone.

A few days later I went to see my chiropractor. I didn’t tell her what was going on to avoid any kind of bias, I simply asked her to examine my back and let me know if I had scoliosis. She said I do not. I do not! I don’t have a severe curve that for years gave me terrible pain!

Now, I realize that the risk I am taking to share my story is that you won’t believe me, or you will think I’m nuts. The fact is, it is worth the risk of criticism and naysayers if just one person who needs evidence that God exists comes to Him.

I do not know why God chose to heal me. I also do not know why God chooses not to heal others or not to answer certain prayers. Think of all the variables He has to consider when choosing whether to answer a prayer or not: all the people who would be affected, how His answer might affect what they are praying about, future events and people, just to name a few. I am sure He has our best interest at heart.

I don’t have the answers, but what I do know is Jesus is the Savior of the world, and I have the Gospel of Grace to share. I hold His message of grace dearly and my prayer is for everyone to realize its truth, receive it by faith, and receive His gift of new life. God is real. Jesus is real.

If you want to talk with me, please email me at Laurel@LaurelAppel.com I’d be happy to set up a time to chat. I want more than anything for you to know the loving God of grace, His Son, Jesus, and His Spirit. I'm thanking God for His gift of healing every day as I step out in faith to preach His amazing and radical Gospel of Grace.