Since Rodney and I married, God has certainly been busy watching over us. As many of you who have been at LBC for quite some time may remember, shortly after we were married Rodney collapsed while helping a friend repair his roof and was rushed to hospital with an aneurysm (a burst blood vessel in the brain). The doctors were unsure whether to operate immediately to relieve pressure on the brain or to wait and see if he would stabilize. They decided to wait and for the next few weeks Rodney slept as the blood in his head slowly dispersed.  The effect of this is very similar to having a stroke and Rodney was left with paralysis down one side and short term memory loss. Throughout this time many, many people both at LBC and at other churches in WA and even people in the eastern states were upholding Rodney and myself in prayer before our heavenly Father. After four weeks in hospital, things were gradually improving and Rodney was restless and anxious to return home. The doctors explained that they needed to do one more test and then he could go. This was an angiogram, where a tube is inserted through the groin and passed up to the head. Three dyes are then used to enable doctors study the blood vessels. Unfortunately Rodney had an allergic reaction to one of the dyes which caused him to lose his sight. I knew that it was something serious when they brought Rodney back from theatre and the head neurologist was urgently called in.

This was the hardest time for me. Everything had been looking up,  Rodney was about to come home, then crash, suddenly Rodney wasn’t able to see. I felt like I couldn’t take much more. As I spent every afternoon and evening at the hospital, Rodney’s mum would cook tea for me and have it ready to zap in the microwave when I arrived with a daily report. Back then Fred and Betty Hackwell lived next door to Rodney’s parents and I would often pop in to update them about his condition. That night I went next door to share what had happened with Fred and Betty. I was crying, upset, unable to see anything but bleakness. They were marvellous, praying with me and comforting me.  Fred said to me “when you are going through a valley and all seems dark it’s hard to pray. Allow others around you to support you and pray for you. You just trust in your heavenly Father.” What peace God gives when we do trust in Him! There is no need to worry about tomorrow, and what might or might not happen.  Has not God promised to always be with us, to provide all we need, and never to put us through more than we can bear? By  the third day Rodney was able to see again.  After another long week in hospital he was finally able to come home.  Four months later he returned to hospital where they operated and cut out the weakened parts of the blood vessels that had caused the aneurysm.

With Rodney having short term memory loss, it was very difficult for him to return to his job as a travel consultant as travel consultants need to multi-task.  Unfortunately the travel agency where he worked had changed owners during the time Rodney had been in hospital and the new owner wasn’t very understanding. When Rodney made a mistake in someone’s booking, the new boss decided to dock the amount from Rodney’s pay. By then I wasn’t working as we had a 6 month old son, Matthew.  With no money coming in that pay and very little ($17) in the bank, I wasn’t able to buy any food.  There was still some canned food in the cupboard so we wouldn’t starve. We just couldn’t be too fussy!  We never told anyone about this, but our heavenly Father knew.  That day he laid it upon someone’s heart to leave 3 bags of groceries on our doorstep. “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). How Great is Our God.  Day by day he provides and cares for us, His children.  Often it’s in the hard times when we have nothing else, that we are able to see most clearly just how great is His love towards us.

- Sandra Mortimer