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Doug and Becky Neel serve on the Global Resource Team of The Mission Society. Doug serves as the director for Agrimissions, a ministry that uses agriculture to empower indigenous people. Becky serves as the administrative assistant for Agrimissions. Additionally, she employs her gifts and talents in children’s ministries and wellness, nutrition, and fitness.

Here, Becky shares the story of a miraculous physical healing she experienced and what she has learned.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a mild form of lupus in 1998. The disease came on me almost overnight, and it came with a vengeance. It took the doctors a while to figure out exactly what was wrong, and I imagined all sorts of diagnoses. Even with so many praying for me, I feared that I was going to be diagnosed with a terminal disease; I did not want my children and grandchildren to grow up without my being able to see all that they would become.

On the day I was to go to the doctor to get the final diagnosis, my son called and I shared my anxiety and fear. He actually laughed and said, “Oh my goodness, my mom is human.” He told me that I was and had been a wonderful mom and grandmother, but that that was not my first job. He reminded me that my first and foremost task was to continue telling people about the Jesus I had introduced him to and that he did not feel that God had finished with me. Immediately, the fear that had consumed me for weeks vanished, and I was filled with that wonderful peace that passes understanding.

During the next 10 years, I was prayed for by some of the most incredible prayer warriors I have ever known—and nothing seemed to happen. There was not even a little relief from the pain. However, during this time I believe I received one of the greatest gifts God could have given me—peace.

I never asked God, “Why me?” or got frustrated. I knew how much He loved me, and I was truly okay with the disease. This was, I thought, just how my life would be.

In July of 2008, Doug and I went to visit some friends who work at the International House of Prayer (IHOP), a 24/7 prayer and worship ministry in Kansas City, Missouri. I did not know it at the time, but my friend had made an appointment for me in IHOP’s healing room.

In the healing room, I was anointed with oil and prayed for by my friend and another gentleman, Richard. They prayed for me for a few minutes. I thanked them and started to leave. At this point, I felt no relief. I still had terrible pain in my neck, back, and hands. Richard shook my hand and then said, “Oh wait! The Lord has something to say to you.” He proceeded to ask where my major pain was and, when I told him, he said, “Well that makes sense because the Lord said to tell you that you can stop trying to carry everyone’s burdens and being everybody’s ‘fixer.’ You are trying to carry a burden that is not yours to carry.’’

The Lord said that it was time to let Him not only fix me, but also all those problems and hurts of those I loved so much and was concerned about. All He wanted from me was to crawl into His arms and enjoy Him enjoying and delighting in me. I walked out of that room completely pain free and healed from RA, and also healed from thinking that I was the great “fixer.”

I enjoyed ministering all over the world and traveling with Doug for two years completely pain free. Then, in July of 2010, I stepped out of a car and my back completely went out. I could not walk or move and was in a great deal of pain.

This time, my healing came about through a very invasive surgery with a very slow recuperation. The doctors had to break my back to heal it. I wore a large brace that prevented me from being able to bend, twist, or pick up anything heavier than a book. I went from traveling 20-25 days each month to sitting and resting all day, every day.

In both of these circumstances—having RA for 10 years and a broken back for eight months—God spoke to me in the waiting. He was healing me in His time and His way.

So whether you are in the waiting (waiting for God to do His work); or if you are in the telling (telling your story of that work and how it has changed your life and hopefully the lives of all who hear), fall into God’s arms and rest in that grace.