Though Saddam Hussein had been hanged and President Ford had died, I could not watch the evening news on TV with my husband in the living room that night. All I could do was lie in bed due to the severe pain and exhaustion of my baffling illness. Tears of frustration streamed down my face onto my pillow.

For two years I had been suffering from a debilitating illness caused by toxic mold and bacteria at my former workplace, a water-damaged building. I had spent a fortune on doctors, prescriptions, and supplements, but I wasn’t getting any better. The lung pain, breathing difficulties, extreme fatigue, and immunological and neurological problems left me barely able to function. I felt that I was a burden to my husband, and I questioned God. Why was He allowing this?

As I lay in bed rehashing my sad circumstances and having a full-blown pity party, suddenly the radio beside the bed came on—all by itself! It sounded kind of gravelly like it was between stations. I was in no mood to listen to the radio! Due to the overwhelming fatigue, I debated the amount of effort needed to reach over and turn the radio off. It was becoming very annoying! After a few minutes, I agonizingly forced myself to sit up. I turned on the light and tried all the buttons on the radio—on/off/ snooze—but nothing would turn the radio off!

So I set the radio back on the nightstand and lay down again. With half an ear, through the static, I heard an elderly gentleman talking about his wife who had been an invalid for 23 years of their 47-year marriage. That caught my attention! I strained to hear his voice. He said they had had a wonderful marriage even though she had been extremely ill. Doctors had given her two years to live—yet she had lived for 23 years! She was his soul mate and life partner. He adored her!

He had prayed that his wife would be healed but stated, “It didn’t please the Lord to heal her.” When I heard those words, I was suddenly free from my worry and self-pity! (“Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Matthew 8:26) A light went on in my heart, and I knew that God had sent me the answer I needed to hear. If my illness was the Lord’s will for me, then I could be content and accept it. Why had I not even considered this possibility before? My heart was totally at peace—finally! I had worried so much about being a burden to my husband, although he had never given me a reason to believe that. I was so excited by this “miracle” (coincidence??) that I got up and asked my husband to come look at the radio that wouldn’t turn off! He tried all the buttons too and couldn’t get it to turn off—so we just unplugged it!

I later searched the internet for the man who was speaking and discovered that he had already died and gone on to Glory! So I just thanked and praised God for the encouragement He gave me through the soft-spoken man who was not bitter at God for the illness of his wife. Hopefully, in heaven, I will get to meet them both and tell them how much their marriage story helped me when I was so desperately ill and discouraged.

My weak faith was strengthened the night the radio came on all by itself.

(Dominie Soo Bush lives in Green Cove Springs, Florida with her husband, Donnie. Dominie is a piano teacher and church pianist. Her health has improved greatly since 2006, although she still struggles with lingering neurological difficulties. Her website is www.FMS-help.com.)