If you have been reading my recent blog posts, you know I have written much about my 26-year-old grandson, Charlie, who has been critically ill with COVID pneumonia.  For the past two months, he has been on ECMO life-support in the Intensive Care Unit of a Nashville hospital. So, as you can imagine, our hearts have been heavy, and our focus diverted.  Yet today, I am bursting with thanksgiving and must brag about God’s goodness to as many people as I can!

Three weeks ago, a doctor friend called and said, “I am so aggrieved that you and Judy and your family have had this stress.  I just want you to know that we are hanging in there with you.  I’ve been following Charlie’s story and looking at his numbers and realize we’re at the point where we need divine intervention.”  He added that years ago, he was in a similar situation with his son, yet God worked a miracle in his life “…so we’re praying God will do the same for Charlie.”  I was very encouraged by his phone call, yet when a doctor tells you “…we need divine intervention,” you realize the situation is ominous.

Around that same time, a Christian College President who had been traveling the country promoting his school emailed me to say that people from churches everywhere he visited were requesting prayer for Charlie Russell.  He said, “Bob, I have never seen a time when our brotherhood of churches were so united in prayer about one person.  It’s amazing how many people are praying for him!”

Charlie’s tender-hearted and loyal wife Faith has been posting regular updates on a Facebook page called “Charlie’s Road to Recovery.”  The page now has over 8,500 followers, many of them commenting that they pray daily for Charlie. In addition, my wife, Judy, has a prayer group of over 200 who have been faithfully and consistently asking the Lord to intervene.

One of Judy’s friends shared that while on vacation in Florida, she met a complete stranger and, through their discussion, discovered the woman was a fellow believer.  When they parted, they agreed they would pray for each other. Then the stranger added, “Would you please remember to pray for someone who is a priority on my prayer list?  His name is Charlie Russell, and he is in intensive care on an ECMO machine in a Nashville hospital.”  The two suddenly realized they had much more in common!  I have received scores of texts and emails from people across the country who have told me they are praying fervently for Charlie.

God’s Word promises, “…if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). However, that promise has conditions.  We are not guaranteed the Lord will answer every collaborative request regardless of how shallow.  But obviously, there is extraordinary power when God’s people unite in prayer.  And I believe that right now, we are witnessing the dramatic power of that type of prayer.

Three weeks ago, the situation seemed dire, yet slowly Charlie began to improve.  His heart settled, his infections cleared up, his kidneys began to function, and his lungs continued to heal.  Then, ten days ago, the same doctor friend who said, “We need divine intervention,” texted me to say, “We pray about Charlie every time we have a meal together, and we both pray privately.  He is in a better place than I thought he would ever get to when I looked at his medical situation.  I can only believe that God is listening.”  Me too!

Charlie’s road to recovery in the past week has been remarkable. First, doctors removed him from the ECMO machine that was providing heart and lung support.  Then he was removed from kidney dialysis. Finally, three days ago, doctors removed the ventilator, and he is now breathing entirely on his own.  He is no longer heavily sedated, and his mind is alert. He was transitioned to a tracheostomy collar and is able to speak, and doctors are planning to close his tracheostomy soon.  He is eating on his own, communicating with us, and, through physical therapy, beginning to stand and attempting to walk.

I don’t want to be premature and exclaim, “Charlie is completely healed!” because we know there remain risks during what will be a very long recovery as well as the potential for long-term residuals.  Further, while confined to a bed for the past three months, his muscles have atrophied, and even though he is a young man, it may be months for him to simply learn to walk again.

But I would be remiss if I did not stop and ask you to join me in giving God glory for answered prayer at this point.  I imagine that after Jesus healed ten lepers, it is possible one of those nine who didn’t return to express their thanks to Him rationalized that, “I better wait a few days to make sure this cure is permanent.”  Rather than make that mistake, I choose to be like the healed Samaritan who went back the same day and thanked Jesus.

I am sensitive to the fact that many have not been healed.  No one can explain why that is, yet I am confident that God will restore all things one day, and then we will understand.

The Russell family wants to thank all of you who have prayed for Charlie.  Please join with us in rejoicing and praising God today for His dramatic answers to prayer.  “Lord, from the bottom of our hearts, we pour out our praise to you!  We thank you for the incredible progress Charlie is making.  We prayed, and you answered.  We thank you for being so, so good!  And we praise your awesome and holy name!  Amen.”

Please continue to pray for Charlie, Faith, and Charity, their new daughter.  We also thank the many of you who gave generously to help relieve the potentially overwhelming financial burdens they will face in the future.  Your liberality has been incredible!  (I may make that a separate blog in the future.)  But thanks!  We deeply appreciate your outpouring of love.

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:2-6).

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