David Dizon, writer/editor of a leading News Network in the Philippines, Choir Member and host of ROOTS RADIO HOUR on DZBR 531 Bible Radio, recounts his amazing wife, Maita Dizon’s healing testimony.
“You’ve been down this road before. And you know what happened then.”
Here’s what happened – Earlier this year, our doctor urged Maita to have surgery to remove a small submandibular mass on her neck. She already had a biopsy before, which showed that the mass was benign. Except that it had grown in size over the course of 4 years.
So the doctor said it should be excised. “For your peace of mind,” he said.
We set a schedule for the surgery and had the HMO approve it. We prepped and prayed for her healing. I wasn’t worried even though the doctor explained it was a major operation.
And then I did a foolish thing. I checked the Internet.
You can scare yourself to death when you go on the web. Google “submandibular mass” and there you go. Cancers and malignancies. You plant yourself your own niblet of worry, a niggle of fear, add water, fear grows fast.
And I checked myself. “Why am I reading the Web when I should be reading my Bible?” So I read healing verses. I prayed. I did a playlist for Roots that was all songs about healing and encouragement. I concentrated on the good things that God did in the past. I did what Pastor Sumrall taught in church, to talk to your soul and ask: “Why so downcast, o my soul? Put your hope in God.” I reminded myself there was no illness that was too big for God.
I told Maita: “We’ve been down this road before. I had my own health scare, and I was healed. The same healer that walked with us on that road is the same healer that will walk with us now.”
On the day we went to the hospital, all we did was pray and sing worship songs particularly that song “Great Is Your Mercy.” When they wheeled her in for the operation and I was left behind in the hospital room, all I did was worship and pray for a good report from the doctor.
“For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 30:17
After the operation, the doctor came in and said the surgery was successful and the mass was most likely benign. I rejoiced then, told the kids about it, told everyone that needed to know and told Maita that there was nothing to worry about – God had answered our prayers yet again. The biopsy result would not come out until a week later and when it did come, it was just further rejoicing for us.
“The good news is that it’s benign,” the doctor said. “There was a remote possibility of malignancy but you already had it removed. You never have to worry about it.”
And that’s our testimony. Sometimes I look at my wife and think: ‘Ang sarap ng feeling knowing you’ve gone through a trial together and got through it not because of your own effort but because God was in it. He walked you through it.” We describe hope as a confident expectation of future good. And when that hope is realized, when the healing or blessing comes, when faith is fulfilled, you just throw up your hands and cry out in awe. Because He’s a wonderful God.
Benign can be a beautiful word. But Jesus is even more beautiful. You can put your hope on that name and expect everything that is good. Because He is the healer.
“Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
– Isaiah 53:4-5
“You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.”
– Psalm 92:4
We’d love to hear and feature your testimony! Send it to gsnealega@cathedralofpraise.com.ph