“I got you!”
Have you ever heard someone say this to you? Or maybe you’ve said it to someone you care about, to ease their mind and let them know you’ll take care of what matters most to them. These are the exact reassuring words that I heard from God a couple of months ago when my Tatay was suddenly rushed to the hospital while I was away on a pilgrimage abroad.
Months ago, I decided to embark on a pilgrimage. I was so excited to visit the historic churches and was really looking forward to have this personal journey with God. On the day I arrived in Berlin, the first destination of my pilgrimage, I got a call from home about my Tatay’s worsening health condition and that he needed to be rushed to the emergency room.
Nothing prepares you for the heartbreak of being far from home when bad news arrives, news that someone you love is suffering, and you can’t be there. I was told about my father’s urgent need to be brought to the emergency room, then to the ICU, and finally being diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4. He was ordered to undergo dialysis three times a week, all within the span of 10 days, while I was away. It felt like a stab in the heart to learn all this about my Tatay’s condition through video calls only, and was capable of doing absolutely nothing to help him. I was so powerless. Everything was so out of my control. I couldn’t do anything but surrender it all to God. Just when I felt so lost, the Lord whispered to me the most loving words… “I got you, I got this”. While my father was in the hospital, my fellow pilgrims lifted him up in constant prayer. Our chaplain, Fr. Faller, a healing priest, prayed for his recovery every day during Holy Mass. My SOJ community and my friends also assured me that they are praying for my Tatay.
After 10 days, my father was released from the hospital, but he needed to continue dialysis three times a week. But here’s the amazing part: my nurse cousin, who was already caring for him, happened to be a hemodialysis specialist! It was as if my father had his own private expert nurse, serving him lovingly and at no cost. To this day, Nurse RJ still visits my dad at least once a week to do routine checks.
A month into the dialysis, we consulted his original doctor from a different hospital, someone more familiar with his medical history. After additional tests, the doctor advised us to discontinue the dialysis. His condition has improved enough that it’s no longer necessary. He said that in most cases, once a patient starts dialysis, it becomes permanent. We were bracing ourselves to get accustomed to our new normal of thrice-weekly dialysis sessions for my Tatay. Thankfully, we didn’t have to. His doctor came to a conclusion that he didn’t have a CKD 4, but rather an acute renal failure, which means his condition is not as serious, and the kidney failure is reversible. Oh, the Lord got me indeed! I can’t thank God enough for hearing my cries. I have a long record of how my God has had my back. I want to give all the glory, honor, and praise to the Lord for these miracles and everything in between.
Truly, what’s written in Isaiah 40:31 is real and alive: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
So if you’re in a place of fear or uncertainty right now, I want to remind you: God’s got this. He’s got you.
You may not see the full picture yet. You may not understand why it’s happening or how it will all work out. But trust that He is already moving in ways you can’t imagine, opening doors, sending help, healing, and writing miracles into your story.
Because when God says, “I got you,” He means it!
Written by Gerlie R. Aman
sojcfoundationph.com 