When God Said “No” – part 2

Y’all, first off, thanks for coming back to see how the story ends. I wanted to separate this into two parts because this story literally took a lifetime to write, and I wanted to give you as many details as I could to really help you understand the whole picture and see just how good our God is.

I guess won’t make you wait anymore. It’s fixing to get reallllly good. I want to say one thing before I dive into the story. If you are sitting where I was in part one—tired, frustrated, and weary—please know that God hasn’t left you. HE knows exactly what He’s doing. TRUST HIM.

Okay, here we go…

So a little recap, the last time you saw me I was upset with God and convinced that He was going to leave me with this condition for the rest of my life and that everyone around me had to suffer as well.

Now here we are at the moment my heart began to change, and God started to move.

I remember it so clearly. I had just laid the baby down for a nap and had sat down to rest before I started cleaning the house, when a commercial about my condition came on. I was floored that someone was talking about this. It was a commercial for a lotion you could put on your hands and feet to stop the sweating. It said millions of people had been affected by hyperhidrosis.

Millions?!?

Growing up, no one I knew had ever heard of this condition, and now this commercial is telling me people all over the world have this? Maybe I’m not alone.

So there began my search.

Maybe this lotion thing would actually work?

Put something on my hands every 8 hours?

I can do that. It’s better than dealing with the sweat all the time.

Little did I know that God was beginning something deep in me that I wouldn’t know for months later.

The search continued, and I called every Walmart and Walgreens near me. No one had anything that would help. So here I was again, frustrated.

But in the midst of this search, I began to open up to the idea of surgery again.

Weeks later I was changing Axl’s clothes because we had gone somewhere where I had to hold him, and he was soaked. I decided right then and there something was going to change.

I began searching for the doctor I had gone to over 10 years ago. Many days and many searches later, with my mom’s help, I found him. I called, knowing that the office still having my history was a long shot. I left a message and hung up. Sitting in my living room with tears in my eyes I told God, Either You heal me, or make a way for this surgery because I can’t do this anymore.

The next day they called me. I explained who I was and my history.

The lady was so nice, but told me they didn’t have my history. Now you have to understand that her saying they didn’t have my history meant testing and going through all the steps I went through as a little kid again, which also meant more waiting until this was finally over.

So I’m on the phone telling her all my information when she suddenly asks me if my maiden name was Thompson. I said, “Yes, I used to be Whitney Thompson.” She said,”Oh my, I can’t believe it, but we have your file. It never got put in the computer, but it’s here in this drawer.” (Hello, Jesus!) This was huge because it meant that they had proof this had been a problem for a long time, and I wouldn’t have go through all those steps.

I set up a visit. I drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee, talked with the doctor, and had the surgery scheduled within two weeks. Annnnd because of the situation the insurance paid for it.

I woke up early on December 18, 2018, and went to the hospital. Thankfully my brother was there to be with me since my husband, Allen, couldn’t.

The recovery was a little more painful than I expected, but I didn’t care.

It was over.

After I got home, I remember rubbing my hands together really fast to test if this was really over. They didn’t sweat. After 21 years, this was really over.  No more sweaty piano keys. No  more wet baby clothes. No more anxiety before holding someone’s hand.

That Christmas I got over $100 in gift cards to Bath & Body Works because I could finally wear lotion without my hands getting all wet. I can’t explain to you the simple joy of putting lotion on even to this day because for 21 years, I couldn’t.

Why have I told you this long story?

Because I want you to know…YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I often wondered months after why God allowed all this to happen.

It was because I had to learn a very personal, valuable lesson.

God said no.

He didn’t heal me.

I had to take the hard road.

I had to feel the pain.

I had to deal with the recovery.

And even though it doesn’t sound that bad, it was a lot for me.

In that moment I thought God had failed me.

I thought for whatever reason He had chosen not to heal me.

What I didn’t know was how this would change my life and my relationship with Him forever.

Your story might look different than mine. In the moment it’s so hard to see God’s plan, but that’s where our trust in Him grows.

I stand here, no longer dealing with this issue. My brain still hasn’t retrained itself and sometimes I still feel that feeling, but I can promise you this:

No matter what else comes my way, I don’t doubt myself anymore. I trust that even if life crashes down around me, I will still call Him faithful.

I won’t run.

I won’t leave.

I will stand firm.

Wherever you are in your journey, I hope my story encourages you to trust God and believe that no matter the end result, God will never leave His children. He WILL take care of us.

God didn’t answer the way I thought He would, or even the way I wanted Him to.

But He taught me something much more valuable that an instant healing ever would.

He sees you.

He knows where you are.

And He will come through, even if the answer is no right now.

Much love,

Whitney Dawn <3

Editor : Rebekah Pendergast