Lenten Devotion, Thursday, April 1, 2021: By Sue Olds

Published April 1, 2021 by SMBC

Count the Miracles
By Sue Olds

When I moved back to Houston in 1971, I was pretty much a basket case. I had been married 12 years to the man of my dreams and had a beautiful, 3-year-old daughter, Kristi, when my husband told me he wanted to marry someone else. I went from church to church trying to find a place where a single divorced mom could feel at home. No church had a singles ministry for a divorced mom. Needless to say that only amplified my pain. Then God provided a new ministry at SMBC, calling Dan Yeary as the Singles Minister. The Main Point welcomed singles, regardless of marital status, which is what brought me to SMBC in 1973. That group felt like a miracle to me, and provided a turning point for my life.

And then, in June of 1985, I was hurt in a horse-riding accident. I had catastrophic injuries to my leg and spine. In the middle of that terrible situation, God provided so many miraculous interventions. A stranger at the scene, who turned out to be an off-duty first responder, ran up and provided first aid. The ambulance driver who arrived to transport me to the nearest hospital stayed for hours while I was x-rayed because he thought I would need to be transported to a better hospital, and he was right. God protected me from an inexperienced x-ray tech who moved me all around and could have paralyzed me because of the unstable spinal injury. After multiple surgeries, and medical miracles in reconstructing my leg and spine, I continued to face obstacles to my physical healing, including multiple blood clots in my lungs and large hematomas along the incision line on my back.

After he prayed, I went to sleep, and when I awoke the next day, for the 1st time in 4 days, there was no pain. The relief to my body and spirit was miraculous.

In one of my darkest moments, when the pain was beyond horrible and affecting me and my family, God provided one of my most memorable miracles. After four days of continuous pain, with no relief from medication, and so much agony for my family, I found myself praying that God would just take me Home?I couldn't stand the pain it was causing my family. But at that very moment, Gene Vickrey walked into my room despite a strict "no visitors" policy. Gene said, "It's not going so good, is it?" And I said no and told him what I had prayed. Gene told me that he was going to pray for me, but he could not pray the same prayer. Instead, he asked God to take away the pain. After he prayed, I went to sleep, and when I awoke the next day, for the 1st time in 4 days, there was no pain. The relief to my body and spirit was miraculous.

So many "God Winks" happened along the way, I can't share them all. I received enough cards from SMBC members to fill three walls in my hospital room. My friends and SMBC church family?some of whom I didn't even know?stepped up to help me during my recovery. So many miracles.

And through all of this, and more, I'm still here. I have come to believe God isn't finished with me yet. So if you find yourself in a desperate place, try to count the miracles and remember?God isn't finished with you either.

About the Author
I have been an active member of SMBC since 1973. In 1974, under Dan Yeary and Ken Chafin's leadership, my friend, Floy Herndon, and I became the first women ushers, serving until COVID stopped everything. Ushering has been the most joyful thing I have done as a SMBC member. It is a ministry getting to greet folks and making sure they know how glad we are to have them there. Another Joy is being a part of the choir. I don't read music, but through patience and love of choir folks like Thomas Coker, Jamie Wallace, Catrice Mays, and others, I have been able to manage. As the choir returns post-COVID, I hope to return once things are back to normal. My daughter Kristi, her husband Matt, and granddaughter Samantha live in Silver Cliff/Westcliffe, CO; my grandson Kristopher lives in Westcliffe.