Tell What He’s Done for You

Healed from a Heart Attack

Dear Ones,

On August 21, 2008, around 2:00 a.m., my husband and I were spending some time together as he had just arrived home from work. As we talked, I felt an uncomfortable sensation in my chest. It felt like something squeezing my heart with rather firm pressure. I brushed it off as nothing, maybe some heartburn, and said nothing to my husband. After a few minutes, my husband went into the kitchen, as I was going to prepare a snack. I sat on the bed feeling this uncomfortable, odd sensation and prayed, “Lord, You know what is going on with me. You see my husband’s need for me to fix some food for him. Please give me strength.”

The pressure in my chest became more intense, and I was suddenly, terribly hot. As I began tearing off my clothes, pain shot through my chest, feeling like it was being ripped inside. I could feel my heart racing and suddenly realized this was not heartburn; something was really wrong. I was praying, but there was no relief. Mustering all my energy, I called my husband. He was terribly alarmed. I told him, “Pray—there is something wrong with my heart.” He prayed, then tried to call my parents for prayer. They were visiting in my grandmother’s home and had their phone turned off. There was no reaching them.

We felt we needed an agreement in prayer from other saints and called some brothers and sisters in Oregon. I was not able to communicate with them how severe the pain had become, but Husband told them we were in a crisis, and it was so reassuring to know they were ready to pray and were confident that God was there with us in the midst of this trial.

My chest felt like it was being weighed down with a big truck, it was so hard to breathe. I have suffered from allergies before and had difficulty breathing, but this was far worse. I felt that I was dying. The faces of my parents and my sister flashed through my mind, along with the thought, “It doesn’t matter that I won’t see them again here, I will see them on the other side.” I heard the saints praying, but it was far away and I really didn’t comprehend what they were saying. In that time where I felt life slipping away, I am so thankful that there was no fear. I truly was at peace. I had no desire to call for medical help. If my time was over on earth, I was ready to see Jesus and go home.

Then it washed over me into the depths of my soul that this was not God’s time for me to go. He had other plans. He still wanted me here to be a help-meet to my husband, a mother to our daughter. I was not feeling any better, but I began to have confidence that no matter how I felt, I wasn’t going to die. I began to pray inside my soul that God would give me the ability to pray aloud, in agreement with the other saints. God gave me just enough relief to be able to do this. In tears, I poured out my heart before God, consecrating to suffer as long as He chose. It seemed that the more I prayed, it became clearer to me that God had given this physical battle to deal with spiritual battles. Even while I was still in pain, my heart was lifted with hope and courage that God was there, measuring out this trial, watching over us. I had felt alone and overwhelmed, but God opened my eyes to Heaven’s great cloud of witnesses. The pain was still oppressing my physical heart, yet spiritually, my heart began to soar upwards to God’s throne in thankfulness and gratitude that He never leaves us alone. It may feel that it is our darkest hour of suffering, yet Jesus is still there. He truly cares and never afflicts willingly.

After quite a bit of prayer was offered, asking God for relief for the pressure and pain, one sister suggested we sing “Faith is Believing” in victory and expectancy of God. As the saints lifted their voices in song, God reached down and touched my chest, relieving me of all pressure, pain and suffering. In that one instant, my health and energy was restored. As the last notes died away, I said in a perfectly normal voice, “The pain is all gone.” Our souls were filled with heaven’s glory and we praised God together.

My heart has been overflowing with thanksgiving to our all-wise Lord. In my heart has been ringing the song,

“I thought I needed sunshine, but the Lord sent a rain,

I thought I needed healing, but I got my share of pain,

I’ve been looking for a mountain top, but a valley’s all I see;

Jesus seems to always know exactly what I need.”

I had thought I needed health, because my husband needed me to fix food. Jesus knew I needed pain and suffering at that moment. When I did make that snack, only a couple of hours later, it was a blessing like few other cooking experiences. I thought I was going to die because I felt my life slipping away, but God planned healing instead. In our humanity, we often look to how we feel and what seems best to us or most likely to happen. It is really just a guess; we don’t really know what we need. Jesus knows. No guessing. He really knows exactly what we need each moment of our lives. Not only that, but Jesus measures each trial we need with His love, and promises to carry us through without giving us more than we can bear.

Jesus has done so much, so what is our part? We are to trust. Put our lives, our questions, hopes, and fears all into His hands and walk in faith, doubting nothing. What a blessed life of trust is available to each one of God’s children. To each of His own, God reaches out His hands and says, “Trust Me. Put your hands in Mine, doubting nothing, only follow.”

“I’ll follow Jesus here,
I’ll never, never fear,
Though Satan’s tempting pow’rs assail;
And though I’m tempted sore,
I’ll trust Him evermore,
For thro’ His grace I shall prevail.

“I’ll follow by His side,
Whatever may betide,
Though perils thickly throng the way;
Though billows deep may roll,
There’s naught can harm my soul,
For He is with me night and day.

“I’ll follow all the way,
I’ll never, never stray,
This world no more can win my love;
I’ve left it all behind,
More lasting joys to find,
My treasures all are stored above.

“I’ll follow, follow on
Until the crown is won,
And heaven’s gates unfold to me;
Then with my harp in hand,
I’ll join that happy band,
And praise Him through eternity.

“I’ll follow, I’ll follow,
I’ll follow Jesus all the way;
I’ll follow, I’ll follow,
To the home of everlasting day.”*

Because of Jesus,
Abigail Danielsen