On July 29—completely out of the blue—my husband had a heart attack. I don’t pretend to have it all figured out. But I do know that God is truly moving in new ways—which we must be aware of, and whatever He has for me and my family—as long as I know it’s what God wants—will be fine with me.
A Life Update
On July 29—completely out of the blue—my husband had a heart attack. He had zero risk factors for what might typically be called heart disease—he is fit and in good shape, maintains a healthy diet (including large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, and organic meat), did not have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and has never smoked. There is no confirmation of heart disease being hereditary. He even regularly participates in health screenings, and had completed one with excellent results just two months prior!
Here’s how it went down. On the previous Saturday morning his throat felt funny and we thought he might be catching a cold. By Sunday morning he felt worse and his muscles were aching—we thought it might be the flu. But Monday morning he said he felt some pressure in his chest and his arms hurt, so we decided it best to head to the E.R.
Even the medical personal were at first confused. He was in obvious good health—as confirmed by his latest screening results—and his E.K.G. came back normal. But they knew something wasn’t right. Then one last blood test came back showing some heart dysfunction and things kicked into high gear. It turned out his main artery was 90% blocked—“the widow-maker,” they call it. Thank God he got there when he did! They performed angioplasty and inserted a stent. To add to the trauma, he went into anaphylactic shock from the dye that was used to locate the blockage—something the nurses said they hadn’t seen in sixteen years! This caused his throat to swell so that he needed a breathing tube, and resulted in severe swelling throughout his body. What a shock when I first saw him—he was of course hooked up to a million tubes, could barely whisper, and much of his body was red and swollen—even his eyes were swollen shut!
After several days in the hospital—much of it in ICU—he’s back home and doing reasonably well. I think one of the biggest adjustments will be all the meds he is now being required to take. Side effects began to appear including extreme tiredness, dizziness/lightheadedness, headaches, and lack of mental sharpness and focus. Of special concern are the blood pressure and cholesterol meds he was told he would be taking for life—remember, he did not have high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels when this happened. We’re in the process of looking for a doctor who will work with our concerns.
Praise items:
- All the intercessors who were praying for us—and are still praying!!
- Doctors caught it in time and there is no permanent heart damage!
- FAMILY!! My beautiful family—I have no words. My adult children (pictured above) all dropped everything in their lives—work, military commitments (our middle child even travelled halfway around the globe) to come home to help us and support their Dad.
- All those who reached out to support us and offer help.
Prayer items:
- No further heart issues.
- Finding a doctor who will work with our concerns to adjust meds to the minimal level necessary.
- Reduced side effects from meds. A praise item is that they are somewhat better than they were initially, although symptoms are still present.
What’s the Meaning of All This?
As prophetic people, I think we all desire to know what’s on God’s heart for us in difficult circumstances. In tough or traumatic situations we might wonder what God’s purpose is. First of all, I don’t believe God causes things like this, although there might be times He allows them. We know it is the enemy (Satan) who comes to kill, steal and destroy—and it is God who both gives us abundant life, and sustains it (John 10:10; Ps. 54:4).
Second, when hard times do come to those who love the Lord, He will work to redeem it for good purpose. Romans 8:28 says that He will work all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.
Next, we need to be realistic as to whether we are maintaining our end of the bargain. In other words, when something bad happens, were any of our choices or lifestyle habits contributing factors? This is not meant to incite guilt or condemnation, as that would not be God’s heart at all—God’s heart is always to redeem any mistakes we might have made. But sometimes we might need to make practical adjustments to live safe, healthy and productive lives. We are spiritual beings, to be sure—but we must also do our part to maintain whole bodies, minds and emotions—and well-being is also a byproduct of our obedience to God (Rom. 8:1; 1 Thess. 5:23; Deut. 28).
And lastly, spiritual warfare is a fact of Christian life (2 Cor. 10:4-6; Eph. 6:11-18). Could this have been a direct spiritual attack against our family? Perhaps. Some have suggested it may be. If so—God is greater than that. He is our healer, our provider, our protector, our sustainer. He is good. He is faithful. He is kind. And even if my husband were to pass—as difficult as that would be—I know He would sustain me, and my family. Of that I am sure, but I am so thankful it did not come to that!
Some Prophetic Musings—God is Moving In Ways We Haven’t Seen!
One thing I have learned in tough times is that it’s best not to overthink it. We must try to focus on God and His goodness—we must trust Him. We must reach out to our inner circles for prayer support, and be willing to accept help when we need it. This incident has been humbling for us—but in a good way. God is so good. It’s brought our family—which was already close, even closer together—and showed us there are so many people who genuinely care for and love us.
I heard the Lord say several interesting things right before this happened. Two days prior I clearly heard, “God is moving in ways we haven’t seen before and we must be aware of it.” And early the morning before my husband went to the E.R., I heard in my spirit, “Whatever You want Lord is fine with me.”
I don’t pretend to have it all figured out. But I do know that for me, both of these things I heard ring true. God is truly moving in new ways—which we must be aware of, and whatever He has for me and my family—as long as I know it’s what God wants—will be fine with me.
A verse has been echoing in my head from the moment these events began to unfold—Psalm 51:10 (NKJV): “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The Passion Translation reads: “Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.”
“Lord, I pray for a new, clean physical heart for my husband, Al, and for any reading this who might have some type of heart condition. Lord, I pray for a new clean spiritual heart for myself, my family, and for all in the family of God. I pray for new levels of purity, holiness, and ever increasingly ready hearts willing to listen, follow and obey. Lord, strengthen all those who are faint of heart, that we would wait upon You—that we may see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps. 27:13-14)! Amen.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
