Adventures With God

Trusting God When My Sister Nearly Died

The voicemail from my father shattered the night: “Norma’s in the hospital and probably won’t make it through the night. We’ll call you back later.”
I stopped breathing for a moment. My younger sister, Norma, only thirty-six years old, the mother of three children, was dying. I grabbed the phone and called the hospital, panic rising with each unanswered ring. The operator couldn’t find Norma’s name on the patient list, and I feared the worst. Then, finally, she located her in the ICU.
A doctor came on the line and delivered the words no sister wants to hear: “She has hemorrhagic encephalitis—massive bleeding in the brain. There’s no treatment. I’m so sorry… she likely won’t survive.”
The Decision
As a nurse and medical writer, I understood exactly how dire her situation was. Trembling, I called a physician friend. Her voice was steady, but her words were grim. “Get on the next plane. Your parents are going to need you.” Before we ended the call, she said softly, “I’ll pray for you.”
I called my pastor and his wife. It was late, but I didn’t care. They prayed boldly over the phone, asking God to spare Norma’s life—a prayer so audacious it almost felt impossible. I booked a flight from Los Angeles to Wisconsin, tears streaming as I packed. At 2 a.m., I called my spiritual mentor, Aiko, a woman known for powerful intercessory prayer. “This will take a miracle,” I whispered.
Aiko didn’t hesitate. “Picture Jesus as a brilliant white light over Norma’s bed,” she said. Then she prayed: “Lord, let the blood be absorbed from her brain and lungs. Restore and recreate her brain to the perfect form You intended.”
When I hung up, I felt it—the first flicker of peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). Deep in my spirit, I knew Norma would be healed.

A Whisper From God
On the plane, I cried quietly at the window seat, unable to stop the flood of emotions. In the middle of my tears, I sensed God’s voice in my heart: “When you see your father, if he says, ‘She’s about the same,’ it’s My sign that healing has begun.”
At the airport, my dad’s first words were exactly what I had heard in my spirit: “She’s about the same.”
That’s when hope ignited.
A Series of Miracles
At the hospital, I learned that moments after my pastor’s prayer, doctors had stabilized Norma’s blood pressure—saving her life.
But then came another twist: a cerebral arteriogram revealed a ruptured aneurysm. Surgery wasn’t possible; Norma was in a coma, and the doctors said there was less than a 20 percent chance she’d survive.
Still, I refused to let fear win. Following Aiko’s advice, I sat by Norma’s bed and read aloud the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John, clinging to every red-letter promise of healing.
On my second day, I stood with my sister’s pastor, laid my hands on Norma, and prayed aloud: “Lord, thank You for the healing You’ve already begun. Fill her with Your Spirit. Give the doctors the vision to see her walking and talking again.”
At that moment, the monitor measuring Norma’s blood oxygen jumped from 60 to 80, closer to normal. I turned to the nurse, wide-eyed. “Is the machine working?”
She nodded, just as stunned. “This never happens. Levels don’t change like that in minutes.”
Prayers Answered
The next morning, another miracle: the doctor ordered a second brain scan, expecting to find more bleeding. Instead, he discovered that all the blood had been absorbed—exactly what Aiko had prayed for.
Yet the weight of the battle pressed on. Walking out of Norma’s room in tears, the neurosurgeon came along side me, putting a hand on my shoulder, and said: “Don’t give up hope. She’s going to walk out of here.”
The day before, I had prayed specifically that the doctors would see her walking out of the hospital. God was confirming His promise repeatedly.
No Coincidences
Norma’s complications deepened when she developed ARDS—Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Miraculously, I had just written an article about new ARDS treatments and interviewed one of the nation’s leading experts. I contacted him and arranged a consultation between him and Norma’s doctor. Before their call, the expert warned me, “Even if she survives, her recovery may be limited.”
After the conversation, Norma’s doctor told me the expert had confirmed everything he was already doing. Maybe he became more meticulous, knowing his actions were to be judged. Looking back, I know God orchestrated that interview long before Norma got sick. With Him, there are no coincidences.
Coming Home
After camping out for days on ICU couches, I finally returned to California. Norma remained in a coma, but her vital signs improved daily.
Four weeks later, the impossible happened: Norma came home. She had to relearn reading and writing, but months later, she reopened her thrift store and returned to a full, thriving life.
Norma’s healing was the most obvious miracle but it was also a miracle what God did inside me. In those days, I surrendered everything—my fears, my plans, my illusion of control. Jesus carried me. The Holy Spirit filled me with a supernatural strength I didn’t know I had. My faith deepened in ways that have sustained me through every trial since.
Faith That Changes Everything
Looking back, I see a clear pattern: God often moves when we trust Him—even when the odds seem impossible.
“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.” (Psalm 34:(NLT)
Norma’s healing changed my life. It taught me that prayer is powerful, miracles are real, and God’s timing is perfect.
So, if you’re facing something impossible today, hold on. God is still in the business of moving mountains. He still hears. He still heals. And sometimes, He begins His greatest work when the world says there’s no hope.
Because with God, there’s always hope.