My answer to prayer.

Hello all! It's been a while since I posted here so I thought I would give you a little update.
So first things first. My health continues to be stable, so real big changes. My lung functions are holding steady about 75% I would like them to continue to climb but I'm not complaining. My insulin has been reduced again, so this is good news, hopefully as the prednisone is reduced it will allow my sugars to settle back down. I continue to get stronger with exercises I'm up to 30min on the treadmill at a 2% incline and 2mph, and big difference from the 5min I was doing at the beginning. I am also increasing the intensity of the O.T exercises as well for example I'm up to 6lbs biceps curls for 90secs, thats up from 1lb I was doing in the hospital bed for only 10 reps! With all these increases I'm up to 2hrs in the gym/O.T (Occupational Therapy) every morning! phew! But it's growing on me I'm finding I am enjoying myself...

Well there is not all that much to report from here, I am told that my Grandma continues to do poorly. So she really needs all your prayers right now, that would be greatly appreciated by all of us.

So to the reason I was going to write this post. I was talking with a friend on FaceBook and we got to talking about what I have experienced lately and how I was with God through all of it. Then that got me to thinking about my testimony. Most of you know that I was baptized in the ICU in Saskatoon. I was going to be baptize with my brother but obviously God had other plans for me, I ended up in the hospital. I was awake one night in the ICU and I kept thinking I should get baptized, I tossed and turned and couldn't shake the thoughts "you should get baptized, no time like right now to do it, believe and be baptized" So the next day I told my parents "you know what? I still want to get baptized, I mean I know I am going to get better but i would like to do it now, you never know what's going to happen I mean look it I was supposed to get baptized but now I'm in the hospital but I still want to do it" It probably wasn't in that many words I was really short of breath but the idea is there.

My testimony I had prepared to read was as follows:

Hey I’m Donovan and this is how God has been working in my life. At a very early age I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. In short Cystic Fibrosis is a terminal disease that mainly affects the lungs, causing the lungs to be plugged and infected constantly. After many infections the lungs become scarred and useless.
I was privileged to be raised in a caring, Christian home. I remember accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour as I prayed with my father at the end of his bed when I was just 4. I remember a feeling of a huge weight being lifted off me and a feeling of becoming brand new.
As time went by I knew God was with me as I went through the good times and the hard times But as the years progressed and as I got older, my faith became comfortable, but I slowly became independent of God.
Through junior high years my health and faith dwindled hand in hand. I was going through the motions of being a Christian outwardly, but never communicating or setting time aside for God, I guess you could say I became spiritually idle.
Summer of gr. 11 at plunge (a bible camp for teens) one of the last nights the speaker had an alter call. 
 So that night I gave up walking on my own knelt and prayed, and just explained to God exactly what I felt, I felt numb, joyless and I couldn’t deal without him any longer and I wanted him back.
Since then I have started a closer walk with God, even though my faith was renewed it wasn’t near perfect or easy. Near the end of Gr. 12, I became very sick and during this time God had a plan to test my faith. While I was in the hospital I began to cough up blood. I quickly made my way to the sink and spat it out hoping it was a small amount, but quickly I could feel my lungs fill and begin to rattle with blood again. 
 Collecting my thoughts, I began to slow my breathing and praying to God, “please God slow this down” After praying I felt this big sense of peace and comfort. Soon after notifying the nursing staff, I was transferred to Saskatoon Hospital, and although the bleeding episodes continued for 4 days, I was never worried or afraid and I just felt at peace knowing God had his hand on me. If I felt any fear or worry I would close my eyes and start praying.
I am going to be starting a new journey in my life as I begin the stages of preparing for a lung transplant. I know that it will get very tough and there will be a lot of uncertainties but as it says in Gods word, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. This is a promise that has kept me going when I feel overwhelmed or like giving up. I stand here before you not knowing what my future holds but I can tell you that I am ready to obey the Lord and be baptized. Although I am not sure of what lays ahead, I know I am ready to accomplish whatever God has planned for me.

Okay. . I basically told God, I am ready, take everything, I am ready to move forward. I now believe not only did he answer that prayer, but hey he threw in lungs with that answer. It may not have been in the fashion that we would want or expect. But I was in his hands the whole time.

The past few years of my life have been on hold. Mainly because of my CF. Frequent illnesses, hospital stays and 24hr fatigue prevented me from moving on with my life. I was unable to go to school, although accepted because frequent illness would not allowed me to complete classes, frequent illnesses didn't allow me to go out and live. But like I said before God has answered my call, gave me a miracle and has allowed me to begin to move forward.

Here is something else I recall, another answer to prayer. Another miracle. The night that I began to fail quickly was the night I started to cough up blood at RUH. It was another sleepless night, with a low fever, I started to cough....and like in my testimony I knew right away this is blood. I spat it out , called out to the nurses and they quickly came...but I knew something was wrong right away,... there was lots ... and frequently I was quickly filling up the cup I had in my hand, so they got me a kidney basin. I began to cough more violently filling up that basin and moving on the next one...I spare you the more graphic details...
Once I realized how much I was coughing up and how frequently I asked for my parents to come... and the staff was able to get them... This was the point that I was wondering if this was going to be it. Am I going to do right now? This is a lot of blood and its not stopping... God are you going to take me now? I made no deals with God, nothing like " if you let me live i will do this and that" I didn't do any of that, I did look back on what I did for him decided that I was happy with that, and Told God if this is it it's okay, if I'm not done your work let me continue.
Well contemplating all this my parents showed up, at this point I was shaking, they started 4 IV lines, were giving me tons of fluids and taking my BP and sats continuously ... I remember taking my dads hands asking him to pray with me, he prayed asking for peace and for the bleeding to stop... I prayed with and him ... and it stopped. almost instantly. a few extra coughs with no real amount to them... after that I was wheeled downstairs for an emergency bronch.

Looking back, I can't believe that I was at peace with what was going on, sure it was scary to be thinking this is it, but I was o.k with it, I was ready to go if that was his will.

So i guess the reason for this post is to say, God is real, he is with you and me. He can answer your prayers and give you peace. Just ask. He listening.