Shannon’s Story

When I was 14, I found out that I needed to have back surgery. I was born with scoliosis, and the curve in my spine just kept getting worse over the years, even while wearing a brace. Leading up to the surgery, I was so scared and confused. I even prayed that God would miraculously heal my back in my sleep one night. But as the surgery date got closer, I changed my prayers. I just wanted to have a reason for the surgery. I wanted to know why God would put me through this. I know that sometimes we don't see the reasons for our trials, but God was so gracious to answer my prayer not long after my surgery.

At my 6 month post-op appointment, after we were finished talking with the doctor, he said "I don't really know why I'm doing this, and it's technically against the rules, but I really feel like I need to tell you this. (ummm ok, God, I'm listening!) There's a girl across the hall who just found out that she needs to have the exact same surgery. Would you and your mom want to go talk to her and her parents?" I was able to encourage her in a way that no one else could since I had just gone through that surgery. Isn’t God just so amazing?!

Even through one of the hardest trials of my life, God revealed His love for me in countless ways. 

First and foremost, God drew me closer to Him. At that point in my life, I was a Christian, but I wasn’t truly in a relationship with God. I had grown up in church, been saved at a young age, and did everything that I knew I was supposed to do. But my back surgery was the first thing in my life that really rocked my world. I had to fully trust in God’s plan and not my own. After that, I took my relationship with God personally. I prioritized time in the Word and started seeking after God.

During that time, I also saw God’s love through His people. My extended family and friends surrounded me and my family during this time and showed me what the body of Christ looks like. Since I was in the hospital for a few days, my parents’ friends and my aunts and uncles took shifts with me at the hospital so that my parents could go home and rest. My aunt and uncle took care of my little sister so that she didn’t have to stay at the hospital. Friends stopped by with books and movies so that I wouldn’t be bored in my hospital room. People from church cooked meals so that my mom wouldn’t have to. And so many people prayed for me and visited me while I was in the hospital. One of my last days in the hospital was on a Sunday, and my aunt, uncle, and cousins came to visit and we had our own little church service. My cousin brought his guitar and led us in worship as everyone sat around my hospital bed. I think that’s my favorite memory from my time in the hospital.

But God’s love and faithfulness didn’t stop when I left the hospital.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to share my story with others and encourage them during their trials. For example, I was able to share my testimony at my high school graduation. My friend’s mom came up to me afterwards in tears saying that she was so encouraged by my story. She was about to have surgery the next week and was terrified because she had never had surgery before. I had no idea that she was going through that, but God used my story to encourage her. I’ve also been able to encourage others in a way that my mom encouraged me during my surgery. My mom burned me a CD of some encouraging Christian songs (this was back before the days of all the streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple music). Music has always been a huge part of my life because my mom loves it so much! Whether we were driving somewhere or my mom was just fixing dinner, there was always music playing in the background.

Anyway, we brought our CD player to the hospital and played that CD that she made (and some other Christian CDs) throughout the night each night that I was in the hospital. It was so peaceful to have that familiar music in the hospital full of unfamiliar beeping sounds and constant interruptions. Several nurses also commented on how peaceful my room was because of the music. So once we got connected with that other girl across the hall who needed the same surgery, we ended up visiting her in the hospital and giving her a copy of that CD. I also gave it to a friend who had brain surgery a couple years after my back surgery. Recently, I made a Spotify playlist with some of the songs from that “Surgery CD” and added a few more current songs that have been an encouragement to me. I’ve been able to share that playlist with other friends who have gone through various trials. If you’re interested, here’s a link…

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4V3KFkL5MGK1G6EDR4meTB 

When I think about my back surgery, I don't think about how scared I was or about how painful the recovery was. I think about all the people who came to visit me in the hospital, all the people that I've been able to encourage with my story, and most of all, God's faithfulness through it all.

This is just a small glimpse of my story and God's faithfulness in my life, but I hope it encourages whoever reads this. And please reach out to me if you or someone you know needs scoliosis surgery. I would love to talk to you!

Instagram: @7shannon14