Call Upon Me

So, it was nearly 3 years ago... the night of Feb. 15, 2005. I was lying in bed unable to sleep from the pain in my back. I opened the devotional on my nightstand ( Charles Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters). I flipped through the pages in search of some sort of comfort... I cried out to the Lord (literally) for some answer, ANY ANSWER! I can't deal with this one more night! The monotany of pain... sleeplessness... more pain... less sleep... ahhhh! At the time I had been dealing with chronic back pain for almost 7 years. Avoiding back surgery at such a young age... going through all other options... then deciding on a spinal fusion, only to realize I had to wait over a year for insurance to cover it. Well, the wait was over, but I was told they wouldn't be able to schedule my surgery for a few more months...
All that to say... I was at the end of my rope. I came across pg. 85... it was titled... Call Upon Me. Psalm 50:15

" Oh Lord, You see how great my trouble is! It is heavy. I cannot carry it, and I cannot get rid of it. It follows me to bed, and it will not let me sleep. When I rise, it is still with me. I cannot shake it off. My touble is unusual. Few are as afflicted as I am. Please give me extrordinary help, for my trouble is crushing. If you do not help, I will soon be broken! This is good reasoning and good pleading.
Turn your adversity to advantage. Go to the Lord this moment and say, 'Lord, do you hear me? You have commanded me to pray. I, though I am evil, would not tell anyone to ask me for something unless I intended to honor their request. I would not urge them to ask for help if I meant to refuse it.'
When God tells you to call on him, He will deal compassionately with you. You are not urged to pray in the hour of trouble to experience greater disappointment. God knows that you have trouble enough without the burden of unanswered prayer. The Lord will not unnecessarily add even a quarter of an once to your burden. When He tells you to call on Him, you may call on Him with out fear of failure.
So plead the time, plead the trouble, plead the command, and then plead with God. Speak reverently, but with belief, 'Lord, it is You Yourself to whom I appeal. You said, Call Upon me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you.' So Lord, by Your truth, by Your faithfulness, by Your immutability, and by Your love, I, a poor sinner, heartbroken and crushed, call on you in the day of trouble. Help me. Help me soon, or else I die.'
If I were in trouble, I would pray like David, Elijah, or Daniel in the power of this promise, ' Call Upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me'."

C.H. Spurgeon


So... I cried out to the Lord (very honestly) that night. I never got to sleep that night, so I baked a homemade red velvet cake (my favorite), to take to my doctors app. the next day. It was pretty hysterical, me hobbling in for my app. with a cake in tote.
So I ended up in the waiting room forever... my back started 'spasming' so I stretched out on the floor with this cake balancing on my stomach... with tears of pain and exhaustion streaming down my face. Well, the miraculous happened... My surgeon had a cancellation for the very next day! Within 24 hours I was in surgery! Febuary 17, 2005.
I wish I could say that was the end of my back troubles. It wasn't. But I can say with confidence that the Lord heard my cries and He answered. He doesn't always answer in ways we expect, but He answers... and He is building my faith in Him. I look forward to the day when He heals my body completely, but until That Day, I know I can Call out to Him and He will answer.