Count it all Joy – Carolyn Hamby Shares Lessons Learned in the Fire
As a bookkeeper at Tennessee Media Associates and Joy 620 WRJZ in Knoxville, TN, Carolyn Hamby’s life is not just about balancing numbers; it’s about balancing life’s burdens with unshakeable faith.
Refined by fire, Carolyn Hamby has emerged with stronger faith and a story to tell.
After a series of seemingly endless medical problems including blood clots that could have killed her and a death-defying experience in a traffic crash, Carolyn has weathered more than her share of storms. But that’s okay. She reminds us that faith isn’t passive; it’s an active force that transforms lives.
“I’ve seen people over the years who toss the word ‘faith’ around, but it’s only when you appropriate it and give it its action and power that it takes root in your heart so that when storms do come, you’re grounded in His Word,” she says.
Carolyn goes on to explain that God’s word is like a prescription for the soul that has to be acted upon for it to make a difference in the believer’s life. As she puts it, a doctor’s prescription doesn’t help if it sits on the kitchen table and you only pick it up and look at it once in a while.
”You have to take His word in, and only when you take the ‘prescription’ in does it start to do what it’s supposed to do,” she explains. Carolyn also finds strength in adversity by personalizing Bible verses (“For God so loved Carolyn that he gave his only begotten son…”) and by declaring God’s promises over her life.
A Burning Sensation
Her faith was refined by fire during her recent series of trials. A turning point came when she suffered a massive headache and then “electrical episodes” as a result of nerve damage.
Carolyn was experiencing what is known as postherpetic neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve.
“The episodes were of the severity of feeling like somebody’s drilling in my skull an inch or two and then pouring hot lava down my face, then bringing it back up and tumbling it in my eye,” Carolyn shares.
The electrical episodes happened every day for about a week, sometimes twice a day. They lasted three to five minutes at full strength and then took as long as 30 minutes to completely subside.
The painful sensation was so intense that Carolyn wondered if she was experiencing the kind of burning associated with the fires of hell.
There was no treatment that could lessen the effects or make them go away. Carolyn’s only relief was an ice pack as she rocked back and forth releasing audible moans and groans, waiting for each episode to pass.
“After the first five or six I realized if I could hold an ice pack to my head with that severe, horrible pain and moan and groan, I could hold that ice pack and praise the Lord.”
When the next episode of excruciating pain launched, Carolyn began to call on her Savior.
“I praise you Jesus, you are Jehovah Rapha, you’re my Healer, you’re my Creator, your strength is my shield. Please Lord, if it be your will, let this be the last one.”
Standing strong, Carolyn Hamby is back on her feet and continues to fight the good fight.
A Holy Presence and a Healing Peace
On the ninth episode, she praised the Lord for the duration. Then something strange and wonderful took place.
“As it began to subside, I felt an undeniable covering or shield of peace over me,” Carolyn says. She pauses a moment to recover from the emotion that still overwhelms her sometimes.
For just a moment, the accounting-bookkeeper side of her wanted to analyze what was happening. But Carolyn realized the electrical episode was being replaced with an episode of the peace that passes understanding.
“It’s something I’ll never forget,” Carolyn says, “and as it turned out, that was the last electrical episode I had.”
Faith Going Forward
Today, Carolyn is back at work at Joy 620. She continues to experience some residual effects of her illnesses but she is filled with praise because of the Lord’s presence and because she has come so far. She also has a renewed sense of purpose having had close calls and defining moments.
Carolyn is now among the many believers who have walked through spiritual fire and can offer comfort and hope to those coming behind.
“I know it’s hard to understand, but this is a season in your life,” Carolyn says to those who are suffering all kinds of trials today, “and with God’s help, you will get through it. He’s been my strength and my shield and my joy.”
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
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