Dear Friends,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many of you may know I recently experienced a very difficult period with my health going through quadruple by-pass surgery, including the “Mays procedure” to improve the beating function of the heart. The surgery was October 10, 2008, at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, by Dr. Dowling, one of the best cardiac surgeons in the region. After two more days in ICU and eight days in the Heart and Lung Center at Jewish Hospital, I went home to continue my recovery. November 17 I began Cardiac Rehab at the hospital in Scottsburg and am doing very well. I want to say a very grateful word of THANKS to each and every individual, church congregation and our state convention staff for your prayers and support.

But, as Paul Harvey would say, there is a "rest of the story.” God answered prayer that made the by-pass surgery possible. Two days before the surgery Dr. Dowling said he was not sure they would be able to do the surgery at all. One third of my heart muscle was dead, one third was dormant and not working, and I had a very bad arrhythmia problem. He ordered a viability study for the next 24 hours to see if surgery was possible. If not, the only option was a heart transplant.  I told him we would do what we do best and pray while he did the study. He told me he would be praying also. Many of you received the prayer request by phone, e-mail or other means. God heard you and answered in a very amazing way.

Almost exactly 24 hours later Dr. Dowling reported the following: four hours into the study my heart was the same as he had reported but at eight and 12 hours into the study there was no dead tissue in my heart. What was dormant was working and he was confident they could do the surgery. Please, do not miss this: dead heart tissue once dead does not come back on its own.  Something had to happen to make dormant tissue begin to beat again. Understand also the doctors did not put any medicine into the heart that would have caused this.

There is only One who can bring life where there is death; only One who can bring such healing to make surgery possible. I knew what was happening and so did the doctors. They were surprised and excited that they would be able to do the surgery. God is good and faithful and ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR goes to Him. God’s people prayed for me. I’ll never forget this and every chance I get, I’ll tell this story to His Honor.  God, help me to be worthy of what you have done and help whoever reads this to know You are able to touch their lives and bring eternal life where there has been nothing but death.

Again, thank you for praying and know that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think.

Still In His Service,
Jim Downey