His Decrees Are for
our Good
"In my distress
I called upon the Lord; to my God
I called. From
his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came
to his ear" (2 Sam 22:7)
In March 1996 at an Inner
Healing Retreat, after giving witness on the stage, Fr. Mathew Elavunkal
pointed at me and asked me,on the mike, to get myself tested by a doctor
and then give my witness in Vachanolsavam. "Listen, don't tell any one
about this. But go straight to the priest and let him examine you." (Mk
1:44). But since I did not have any pain thereafter, I went on telling
my relatives and friends about the healing I received. " But the man
went way and began to spread the news everywhere" (Mk 1:45). Because
of total absence of pain, I sent my witness to Vachanolsavam in July 1997,
without getting myself checked by a doctor. The witness was published in
its August '97 issue. During this time, I was taking all sorts of food
and there was absolutely no pain for about 1 1/2 years.
But in March 1998, I again
started having pain in my stomach. I could easily make out from the nature
and location of the pain that it was the same old ulcer pain. I was really
puzzled and worried over its reappearance. When it became unbearable, I
went to my family doctor who knew my medical history thoroughly. He, as
usual, gave me medicines for my ulcer. But even after this treatment, the
pain continued unabated. Then we prayed over the matter and decided to
meet Dr Philip Augustine one of the best known gastro-enterologists in
the country today, at P V S. Hospital, Kaloor. I met him on 23 3 98 and
explained to him about my ulcer pains right from 1976. I also showed him
medical reports from Apollo Hospital, Madras after undergoing endoscopy
there in 1992, which clearly mentioned my duodenal ulcer. The doctor of
Apollo Hospital had opined that shortly I might have to undergo an operation.
Dr Philip confirmed the verdict in order to determine the present condition
of my ulcers, so that he could take an appropriate decision. On 25.3.1998,
I underwent a fresh endoscopy. Immediately after the test, Dr. Philip Augustine
told me, " Mr. Raphel, you had ulcers, but they are totally healed." Tears
of joy gushed out my eyes and I cried out "Praise the Lord!" Ps 145:13
flashed through my mind like lightning: " The Lord is faithful to his
promises and he is merciful in all his acts."
Then the doctor told me
that he had taken some liquid from my stomach and given it for testing
and that the present stomach pain was caused by a bacteria. He gave me
some medicine for it. As far as my ulcers were concerned, he said that
they were totally healed and I need not have any doubt about it. While
he said this, I saw in my mind the scene where Fr. Mathew Elavunkal, pointing
at me and told me to get myself first checked by a doctor and then to give
my witness to Vachanolsavam. Perhaps, it was because of my lack of faith
or it was just reluctance on my part to undergo a second endoscopy, that
I did not go to a doctor then for confirmation of my ulcers. But God had
desired that his glory should be revealed in the most authentic way. But
as I did not do it immediately after the retreat, God made the pain reappear.
By this experience, God has taught me a number of lessons-the most important
among them being that his instructions, however inconvenient they are to
us, should be carried out in full and not in part. Praise the Lord !
Raphael C Konikkara
'Prabhat',
Trichur - 680 001