Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

From Tumor to Typo

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Wow! What a week this has been!

First of all, thank you SO MUCH for your many prayers, kind words, and encouraging notes regarding my last post. Your prayers have been answered! In short, I don’t have a tumor…it was a typo by the transcriptionist on the MRI report. I DON’T have a meningioma on my spine. I DO have a hemangioma, but that’s an entirely different matter. It’s actually more like an internal birthmark/strawberry. It’s not the source of my back pain, and it’s certainly nothing that requires an invasive procedure. I probably never would have known about it had the MRI not been done to seek the source of my back pain.

So, anytime the Lord prompts you, I still welcome your prayers regarding the back pain. I would love to have it go away permanently. In the meantime, I’ll be starting a different treatment plan (including physical therapy) that I pray will fix the problem.

I can’t tell you how LARGE the lesson was for me in this. God spoke clearly to me through it, and I love how He could take something so looming as a potential tumor diagnosis and reduce to something as minor as a typo. Only God, friends. Only God!

Warring Acrostics

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For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:12

Yes. It. Is.

At probably no greater time in my life have I felt the spiritual battle going on around me. While I might not be in battle against flesh and blood, my very own flesh gets caught up in the battle at times – until I drag it back out and remind it where it takes its orders from…the very Word of God!

I battle, in my flesh, the same things people do that don’t know Christ. But…the difference? I’ve already received the Victory, through Christ’s death on the cross…FOR ME! I’m not bound by those fleshly battles. They do not determine my eternal home. But, they sure put a damper on this earthly life that I’m still called to live.

So, why do I allow this warring battle of emotions to even take place? Why do I not simply rest in what God’s Truth speaks? Because, I’m grieving. Because, I’m not Home yet. Because, I’m imperfect…continually striving for holiness but will never be fully sanctified until I’m standing as a bride before my Holy Groom. And…so the battle wages on.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. This doesn’t give me the right to simply give up and cave into my emotions. NEVER! This doesn’t give me a right to continue sinning, knowing God is willing to forgive. Absolutely not! But, this does give me liberty in knowing that I have a Perfect Father that adores His imperfect daughter and will continue to help me work out my sweet assurance of salvation until my warring acrostics (using the letters in my husbands first name) look more like the one on the very bottom (see below). I am a work in progress. But, at least I’m in progress. The enemy has no power over me. He will not win!

In my flesh…I feel…
C – confused
H – heart-broken
R – restless
I – invisible
S – sad
T – tainted
O – overwhelmed
P – pained
H – heavy-hearted
E – empty
R – rocky

In Christ…I am working to feel but know that I am…
C – courageous
H – happy
R – restored
I – inspired
S – safe
T – triumphant
O – overjoyed
P – peaceful
H – hopeful
E – encouraged
R – redeemed