karin dancy

Every Sunday, for eight weeks and counting, a lot more happens in our home.

We smile a lot more.

Grateful tears fall a lot more.

We breathe deep sighs of relief a lot more.

You see, the enemy came for my sweet husband on Sunday morning just after Valentine’s Day. His attack was clearly meant to take Joel all the way out, starting with first-time-ever seizures at 4am. Those seizures were scary. But, ER tests revealed an even scarier triple threat: extremely elevated glucose, a lung clot, and a brain tumor.

All. At. The. Same. Time.

We felt ambushed. An out-of-the-blue health crisis, Goliath size and heavier than boulders. While medical emergencies aren’t new for me after many years of supporting my late parents, this felt completely different.

At its core, it felt like an all-out attack – not only on Joel’s health, but also on our faith. While all my human heart wanted to do was curl up and cry, instead I told our older kids, believing every word out of my mouth: This is scary, but we won’t be scared. We’re trusting God.

It was all a whole lot. So, we held on tighter to The One who specializes in “a lot more.” 

We knew God already knew all about what was happening and what was coming. And, true to form, He delivered a lot more of everything Joel needed. A lot more mercy. A lot more healing. And, a lot more miracle-producing power.

We witnessed this in the hands of surgeons and medical teams. We received it in the helping hands of loved ones from near and far. We felt all of it in the prayers of countless souls who lifted us up then and continue lifting us up today.

Our family is still processing all my husband endured in tiny, bite-sized morsels. Complete healing will take some time, and pacing himself is still essential. Even so, Joel has been walking unassisted, talking clearly, and more. The tumor is gone, glucose is controlled, and care is underway for the clot. He’s a hallelujah-miracle, indeed.

Our hearts overflow with gratitude for God’s hand on Joel. When asked, “How are you?,” his reply every time since surgery is the beginning of his own beautiful testimony: “God is great.”

This experience reminds us that, when our faith meets God’s faithfulness, miracles can happen. Our Heavenly Father’s gentle touch – so merciful, healing, and powerful – means Joel still has more living and praising God and blessing others to do.

A whole lot more.