FROM DEATH TO LIFE - THE POWER OF PRAYER
Rosalie Willis
FROM DEATH TO LIFE -- THE POWER OF PRAYER
Rosalie Willis is the Founder and Co-director of “A Company of Women “, an interdenominational ministiy for women with more than 25 Chapters across the United States and Canada, and two Television Shows on the East Coast. It is based on Psalm 68:l1 She has written and recorded, word for word, the music for all 150 Psalms, and she has authored three books, “A Walk With Jesus”, “Walking On With Jesus”, and “The Singing Bride”. Rosalie lives in Post Falls, Idaho.
The trip I was planning to Yakima, Washington took much of my time the morning of January 15, 1998, so the eerie bright lights I had seen through my left eye were not given a great deal of thought. It had left me weak enough though, that I did lie down for an hour. But I was better, and the conference had to be attended.
A few days later, I again had a repeat experience with the bright lights. The same abrupt weakness consumed me, but this time it was so overpowering, I had to grab a chair to keep from falling. I pulled myself into bed and rested for the night. “I’ll see a doctor tomorrow,” I promised myself.
Unfortunately, the doctor wasn’t in, so the Nurse Practitioner examined me. She cleaned out my ears and told me I had water on my eardrums. An antibiotic and antihistamine was prescribed, and I went home.
Later that day, even more bizarre, jagged brilliant lights appeared in my vision, with my eyes open or shut. “What in the world is going on, Lord?” I asked. That night, two seizures flailed me about like a rag doll, both times flinging me to the floor. I called the hospital and the doctor said, “Come in immediately.” But it was in the middle of the night, I was home alone, and I knew it wasn’t safe for me to drive myself in, so he told me to call my doctor right away in the morning.
The next morning, Wednesday, January 28th, I called my doctor. She couldn’t see me and suggested that I check myself into the hospital. Friends from “A Company of Women” began to earnestly pray. My daughter Shanette flew in from Seattle to stay in the hospital with me. Tests were performed, along with an MRI. Surgery for Friday was scheduled to correct what was believed to be a clogged carotid artery in my neck.
However, at 5:00a.m., Friday morning, I had a stroke, a Code Blue. But at exactly at 5:00a.m. the Lord awakened women from “A Company of Women” saying, “Rosalie’s in trouble, pray earnestly!” It took three hours to totally bring me back to consciousness. I was paralyzed, blind, deaf and unable to breath or speak. Fortunately for me, most of those symptoms were short lived and the surgeon proceeded to operate at 11:00a.m. that morning. To their amazement, the artery wasn’t clogged at all, but dissected, torn and falling apart. I was bleeding internally.
Then, while still on the operating table, I had a second stroke, a second Code Blue. But once again they were able to bring me back. After five hours of reconstructive surgery, my surgeon gently approached my family saying, “I’ve done all I can. There is not much hope.”
Two hours later, I awoke in the ICU Recovery Unit, just in time to hear my surgeon say, “We’re taking her back in.” The monitors had been reporting that I was not responding properly. Another arduous five hours of surgery transpired. As the surgeon approached my family the second time, he came with more hope, but only if I could survive the night.
I woke up at 11:00p.m. that night in ICU. I was on oxygen and had tubes extending from me in all directions. I could see my reflection overhead and it was not a comforting sight. I was totally unrecognizable. My face was swollen down to my chest and out to my shoulders and I was in great pain. They put a block of ice on my neck, wrapped in a towel to try to bring the swelling down, but the weight of the ice caused more pain. My dear daughter went across the street to the grocery store and bought packages of peas and small baggies and rotated them through the night. It worked, along with much prayer, for the Lord had alerted many precious intercessors to pray for me. It wasn’t till the following morning that they would find out that I had survived two Code Blues, two strokes, paralysis, being unable to breathe, talk, hear or see and ten hours of surgery.
After the initial crisis of the first day, my daughter, family and friends reached out to other intercessors across the U.S. and International Prayer Networks, around the world, saying that the next few days were critical to my survival. Her loving 24 hour a day presence in my hospital room during my 24 day hospital stay was also critical to my survival. She had the wisdom to know what to do, always at the right time. It seemed that I was stabilizing, although still on the critical list.
However, four days later, I had a third stroke, a third Code Blue. But, once again, they were able to bring me back. God’s people were praying and again, His intercessors continued to carry me through.
For almost a month, I wasn’t allowed to sit up, totally lay down or get out of bed, shower or wash my hair. Everything had to be done for me like a baby. I had to learn to breath, talk and walk again. The muscle and nerve in my left arm totally shut down for three months because of the great swelling in my neck. But the Lord miraculously restored the total use of that arm. The doctors were completely amazed at my total recovery and a month later I was home.
During the second month, my daughter Shanette commuted back and forth from Seattle, working three days a week and spending four days a week caring for me. She scheduled round the clock care for me with loving friends from “A Company of Women”. Each dear friend would come for their appointed time and end up staying to enjoy the love and fellowship of the other dear friends that were scheduled to come. The house was always filled with loving, laughing, worshiping, praying women. What a wonderful way to heal!
Easter Sunday, April 12, 1998 was my day of resurrection too. I went to church to celebrate being healed and restored. The nurse that was with me more than any of the others during my hospital stay was also there that morning. What a shocked look came upon her face when she finally realized who I was. Others too were so totally shocked at what had happened to me and now so amazed, and their faith strengthened at my recovery. I have never known the Body of Christ to come together in prayer like they did for me. I’ve learned more about prayer during this experience than ever before. It has been an awesome journey.
Our God still shows that He is in the miracle working business as we pray in one accord! How many people prayed. I don’t know. I only know that because of their faithfulness and prayers, I am alive and totally restored to continue this wonderful adventure of loving God and loving His people.
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