Monday, August 28, 2006

His Grace Is Sufficient

Today my parents sent me the following letter. It was written by Chris Klicka, a mighty man of God. He tells about some of the things he has been facing lately. It's an amazing testimony!

Dear friends,
By God's grace, I am sustained by His hand everyday! Thanks so much for your continual prayers. Your prayers are being answered in powerful ways. Here is more evidence that prayer works!

This year has been marked by more decay of my bodily functions. Most notably, most of my right hand and most of my ability to walk.

I am trying to be a faithful soldier of the Lord, nonetheless, and I continue to have a strong calling and a clear mission from Him. So I constantly improvise, adapt, and overcome by the Holy Spirit's power.

All I can do is hang on to God's truth which is unchanging and immoveable. Even though this disease looks unbeatable, I know "through Christ I can do all things because He strengthens me." I am assured "greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world." I am confident that "all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose"-----even MS and all the pain and mishaps I experience! I know absolutely that "power is perfected in weakness so I would rather boast about my weakness that Christ may be seen dwelling in me."

So I have learned to improvise every year in order to complete my God-given mission. I keep re-adjusting how I walk, sit, stand, type, and many basic functions. I am learning to write with my left hand and even do my signature.

Using the scooter has greatly expanded my horizons! I taught my children how to garden this year while sitting on the scooter, I go on scooter rides almost every day with my kids down back roads, I go to battlefields, museums, stores, and restaurants again using the scooter. It is humbling but praise God for restoring these "good things in the land of the living!"

Yet in other ways, God has healed me -------------I regained my full eyesight and ability to read clearly. God has taken away all depression and has kept my mind very sharp---------when 70% of people with MS experience brain shrinkage, losing their short term memory, and have "brain fog."

My left hand started to go----------I cried out to God with all my heart and He brought it back fully! My swimming has become better as I swim 25-30 laps a day, 5-6 times a week in my "Endless Pool." I am keeping up my muscles strong even though many of them I can't use well on land. Most amazingly, God sustained me through 4 trips in 4 weekends in a row speaking 4 to 5 times Thursday through Sunday each week. It culminated in preaching the sermon in my church the fifth weekend. I never did so much speaking in a row even when I was healthy!

But here is the rest of the story. . . the miracles of God's power along the way!
A few weeks before my trips, I was a little fearful. Could I walk on planes anymore? Would I be able to get to bathrooms? Would I be able to stand for my speeches a whole hour?

The Torn Ligament
I was praying up for my 4 speaking trips beforehand----and swimming everyday to be in maximum shape. One day I was walking out of the pool room after 30 laps and I let some kids in too early. Unknown to me, the ramp was wet and I did the splits.

I fell backwards tearing the ligament in the right knee and falling on the pool control panel. My knee was still twisting as I was screaming in pain. All I could think of after was how could I do these trips?

Every step was so painful and crawling in my bedroom at night was excruciating. Every time I stood up I yelped. The ligament, the doctor said would take 6 weeks to heal and I shouldn't walk at all. How could I make it?

Then Julie Randall, my wife's friend, invited me to healing seminar at their church. I listened to the evangelist preach from the Word about Jesus' power to heal. I felt convicted of my sin and began weeping. I went forward in my scooter to have him pray for me. A lady in the congregation said she saw "fire" on my legs and another saw "a cloud showing God's power" in me. As the preacher prayed for my healing of my torn ligament and my MS, he laid hands on me. I was afraid to stand because of the severe pain and told my wife so. Then she told me "a 12 year old girl just came up to me and the Lord told her to tell you to stand."

So I stood with no pain! My knee was healed and even though it was late at night, I walked out of the church without pain after not walking for a week!

God graciously healed my knee so I could soon go on my 4 trips to minister to about 10,000 people in his name.

I still have MS but His grace is sufficient!

The Power of His Word
As I spoke at each conference, God gave me the words to say AND enabled me to stand the whole time for each session. Also I was able to get on and off the planes. I traveled with one of my children to each state, which normally I did not do when I was healthier, and God has used that to bond our hearts closer together and give me wonderful time to train them much deeper in God's truths! God knows what is best for me and my children!

Last year, I dragged my laptop and fancy power point with me to every conference-----but the technology would always fail! So God would instead give me the words to say---His words!

This year I left my powerpoint behind and God blessed mightily again! The last trip, I tried to use my powerpoint and guess what? It was mostly blank! So I stopped and prayed for the words and He gave me a new speech. Afterward scores of people came up and told me how God changed them ----and some were saved!
Praise God------His love endures forever!
Thanks for praying me on.
IN service to our King,
Chris Klicka

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