Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1493897
THIS IS MY STORY Don Wiseman, Los Angeles BSHDFC I am Don El-Don Wiseman aka Pale Rider; a road name given by the owner of Motorcycle Michael's, a cycle repair shop in Gardena, Ca, because of me looking ashen white walking into his store after a long severe medical treatment that put me in the dirt. This is my story of God's mercy and grace. I was 53 years old in 2008 and had just received a full physical. My doctor gave me a clean bill of health. All the numbers looked good; everything was great! She said to me, "See you next year!" ...then asked, "How long have you had tattoos? I said, "30+ years." To which she replied she was going to order a Hep-C blood test for me. She also ordered an ultra-sound of my liver. During the procedure, the tech asked me "How long have you had Hep-C?" I replied, "I don't have Hep-C!" A couple of weeks later, on a Friday, I received a letter from my doctor, The tests were positive, and I was in shock! I had no symptoms. Back then, this was basically a death sentence. Subsequently, we had lost a couple different members to the disease. My wife and I were planning to spend that weekend in Camarillo for a Saturday SoCal Regional BSHDFC breakfast, a date that we did keep. That Sunday, we attended Calvary Chapel Camarillo, where I heard Aaron Shust's "My God, My Savior" for the first time. The line that caught my attention was "I am not skilled to understand what God has willed and what God has planned." The pastor's sermon was based on 2 Kings 19 when King Hezekiah of Judah, received a threatening letter from the king of Assyria. Hezekiah spread the letter before the Lord and prayed. I thought; therefore, I would do the same! I also called for the elders of my church to anoint me with oil in the name of the Lord in accordance with James 5:14-17 which they did. The doctor I was referred to, offered an upcoming treatment to me that would be available sometime in the future that had a 75% effective rate and was less severe with a shorter treatment time. I would, however, have to wait until the new treatment was available. A thought occurred to me, God had brought this condition to light now and not later, so I opted for the current treatment which was for 48 weeks and had a 50% chance of putting the virus in remission ...but not completely gone. The side effects were like having a severe case of the flu, insomnia, depression, body rash, and basically being physically and mentally wiped out for almost a year. There are statements made by those who chose to quit the treatment, some even committing suicide and married couples getting a divorce. We were warned by a fellow biker about this. He advised my wife that both of us would be going through this, and she would feel isolated, but not to take offense. She needed to know that I still loved her even though it didn't feel like it. My treatment began on a Friday night before we were to spend the weekend in Ventura for the David Mann Chopper Fest. I got the chills, began to shake violently and even threw up. Even so, we left for Ventura the next day. I was physically and mentally out of it all weekend which became a typical for me. I ended up laying on the living room couch during the day, followed by a sleepless night. Even so, I managed to go to work each week. Most people on this treatment would go on long term disability. I had a desk job, so I managed to muster myself up every Monday, but it was not easy. All I wanted was to be left alone to deal with this the best way I could. Where was God in all this? I was so focused on the physical I no longer had the energy to sit and spend time with the Lord in His Word. I knew I had to be in the Word somehow to maintain my relationship with the Lord as I was no longer hearing His voice. I found Chuck Smith's Wisdom for Today daily devotional very helpful. It was perfect, short, to the point, with a prayer at the end. It took less than a minute each day and off to work I'd go. Invariably, the Holy Spirit would bring to my remem- brance something from that day's devotional to help me get through. Another aspect of my workday was listening to Christian music on the radio. One song in particular helped me get through those grueling 48 weeks. It was by the Sidewalk Prophets and has a line that says, "Be strong in the Lord, never give up hope, you're gonna do great things I already know." I took it to heart! In the end, it was like a miracle when I came off the treatment. My doctor said that the virus was not in remission, it was gone! I was cured! My doctor submitted my case to the American Medical journal because it was so unusual. Best of all, I was hearing the Lord's voice again. I felt like I had been born again...AGAIN! It was wonderful! The Lord brought this verse to mind which I have taken to heart because it is so true: "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." (Psalm 40:1-3) That Rock is Jesus Christ! Thank-you Lord for your mercy and grace to us, Amen! a