09/08/2025
Back around 2013, an unusual challenge attacked my body. My work in healthcare has always mounted many hours each week, but now our department rapidly watched over 70% of its staff resign. Our heart procedure load didn’t slow and more on-call coverages would be necessary for the remaining few in the department. Exhaustion took a heavy toll on us, but I knew I was a durable-healthy man and would persevere during this season of a limited staff force.
Until one day when my body received in an attack with excruciating pain beyond my tolerance, I ended up in the emergency department as a patient for the first time in my life. The pain led me to believe I had developed a blood clot in my upper leg. All x-rays, ultrasound and additional test proved negative. The pain eventually resolved spontaneously, but would randomly reappear in various areas of my body. Usually a hand, foot, or shoulder would rapidly begin to swell and reduce my mobility to zero. The pain felt like metal spikes being driven into my body, and it was as though these “spike like things” were being je**ed around to intensify the pain. No medicines touched the symptoms, and usually the pain extended at least 12 to 20 hours at a time. Exhaustion worsened with each unpredictable episode and it randomly would appear to incapacitate me for hours, then suddenly subside and fade away. The primary, secondary and differential diagnosis continue to prove negative and no new information. It did appear to be the worst at night time, and I tried to muffle my screaming in this agony. My best friend, my wife couldn’t help. My prayers seemed ineffective and no medical revelations were successful at all.
After about six months of these attacks hitting my body between 2 to 5 times a week, I prayed that God would take me home, to heaven. As much as I love life, my wife and family, my Christian brothers and sisters, and my career, I had lost hope, almost! My wife, Tina had heard of Annie being back home from Bethel and how she received training in her spiritual gifts. Her mother, Bebe, and her father, Lon had invested in our Christian education and taught us in Sunday school on the attacks of the Demons and how terribly they could take hold of a person. Having received this fundamental knowledge I believe it was time to connect with a higher power. After making contact with Annie, she gladly welcome the opportunity to spend time with Tina and myself. Her loving demeanor was such a blessing when we first met. She listened to the info related to my infirmity. She said that Holy Spirit led in her to read Psalms 143, and read it over my situation. She asked to anoint me (we only found Wesson oil-but it works)and as we held hands, she prayed. After the Prayer time, in one to two minutes an incredible tingling took over my left hand and my whole body warmed rapidly to a pleasant-comfort level. Annie asked me if something was changing and I said YES!! The next thing I knew she and I began to laugh hysterically, like two little children, but this time we were touched by the Holy Spirit. Tina observed our laughter and said she had never seen me laugh like that in her life.It was Holy Spirit filled and radical laughter
I don’t know the attacker’s name and I don’t care because that day it left and has never had a chance of returning. Thanks be to God. I returned to work without hesitation in the next week and was fully capable of doing my duties and performing in my procedures. I am truly grateful for the Lord God sending Annie to me, his mercy and grace, and his Holy Spirit to work his healing powers through Annie.
I’ll always be eternally grateful and may God bless you, your gifts and ministry.
-Keith Ackerman
