“In the same way, let your light shine before others…” Matthew 5:15a
“I can’t wait to go to the Wound Care Center today!” —Said no one. Ever! Except possibly a beautiful soul named Cyndy Oney.
Every day, many people filed in and out of the tiny waiting room during the two-plus hour wait as my Dad took a daily hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Some were chatty, others gravely quiet. Indeed, everyone there either had a complex medical situation themselves or sat with someone who did.
I enjoyed meeting and conversing with the people as they came and went. The fellow who received treatments during the same time slot as Dad was friendly and kind. One gentleman made the nurses and everyone in the waiting room laugh out loud as he danced down the hall when the nurse called his name for treatment. I must add that he did this despite a nasty foot injury. Several people broke my heart as the gravity of their injury was oh, so evident.
Then there was Cyndy.
Cyndy Oney and her husband lit up the room when they entered. Cyndy donned a Christian-themed tee shirt and a sweet, contagious smile. Her husband was the patient, but he also beamed with joy. It was almost as if they were happy to be there.
As they settled in, Cyndy began to “let her light shine.” She shared her faith in Jesus as well as a testimony of answered prayer. Cyndy had longed for her husband to accept Jesus as his Savior. At the age of eighty-seven years, he finally recognized his need for Jesus and prayed to receive Christ!
Fifty years of prayer.
Fifty years, folks! If you have a loved one or friend you long to see accept Jesus as their Savior; please take heart as you read this blog! God still draws souls to Himself. Jesus still saves lost souls!
I love that Cyndy was not timid about sharing her faith. She boldly recounted the victory of her husband’s salvation to anyone who would listen. She was full of joy. Her heart desired to praise Jesus Christ for salvation found in Him alone.
A follow-up blessing.
A few weeks after our meeting, I received a package from Cyndy. Encouraging writings and devotions filled the large brown envelope. It turns out Cyndy wrote most of the material herself! What a precious daughter of Christ doing what she can to encourage others in their walk with Jesus.
A copy (with her permission) of the flyer Cyndy passed out to people in the waiting room that day follows. I hope it encourages you to faithfully pray for the lost and boldly share what Jesus has done for you.
HEART TRANSPLANT
On December 12, 2021, my 87-year-old husband had a heart transplant. The surgeon was Dr. Jesus. The Head Physician was God the Father. The comfort and assistance nurse was The Holy Spirit. The hospital was Eureka Baptist Church. All my church family were in the “waiting room.” After the transplant, they began to be his family too, as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now Ervine Oney has a new heart. Before the operation, he was a good man by human standards. He was honest and hard-working. He helped anyone he could in so many different ways. But, as he admitted himself, there was something missing. The maintenance and repair manual for the Human Being (the Holy Bible) states that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Then it also says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
The surgery was a HUGE success! The patient is doing remarkably well. All the church family who were gathered around rejoiced and praised the Great Physician. The recovery is ongoing as evidenced by the patient becoming a new man. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are becoming new.”
The follow-up after surgery was on January 2, 2022. It came in the form of Baptism. In command of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. There were tears of joy among all our family who witnessed his confession of faith. After fifty years of fervent prayers for his “condition,” we were all so over-the-moon-happy with joy and deep gratitude to God for His unspeakable gift of Salvation.
After the baptism, there was a wonderful taco luncheon provided by a couple who had been praying for him ever since they were teenagers. His favorite meal is Mexican food. It was a perfect ending to a successful transplant.
But that is just the beginning of the new life of Ervine Oney. He will take care of his new heart by feeding on the Word of God through Bible study, church attendance, and prayer. Praise be to THE GREAT PHYSICIAN.
Cyndy Oney
January 11, 2022
Praise be to the Great Physician indeed.
May the light of Jesus shine through us as we faithfully pray without ceasing, share our victory in Christ boldly, and recognize each day as an opportunity to praise Jesus.
Charlene Miller
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#charlenemillerblogs
