The fact of God's help from Anna 03.08.2024

Hello! When I was about 8 or 9 years old, my eyesight started to deteriorate. It declined gradually, and by the time I reached adulthood, my vision had dropped to -7 (myopia). I absolutely refused to wear glasses because I didn’t want to spend my whole life in them—I didn’t like how I looked in glasses. For many years, I was a "Christian" in words only, praying to God and the saints only when I needed divine help. Even before I turned 18, I had sunk into many sins, and I admit, I fell into the sin of fornication. When I became more involved in the Church around the age of 18 and began asking God to heal me of my eye condition, a miracle happened. Soon, I had a consultation with an ophthalmologist, underwent an examination, and was recommended to have laser eye surgery. I agreed to the operation, which was scheduled for a little over a month later. But before the surgery, I had to get tested for hepatitis and HIV. HIV... That’s when it hit me how easily I could have contracted it, given that I had many partners... By that time, I had already repented of my sins. The entire time I waited for the HIV test results, I prayed to God, asking Him to have mercy on me and not allow this illness, which I deserved. I also prayed to the Mother of God, Archangel Michael, my Guardian Angel, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Blessed Matrona of Moscow, Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, and the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia. For me, as a girl who deeply desires to build an Orthodox family, this was very important. The thought of testing positive for HIV could have broken me morally. When I saw that the HIV test came back negative, I was overjoyed. For me, it was a true miracle, and once again, I was convinced of how merciful the Lord is to me, a sinner—He did not repay me according to my sins. A month later, I had eye surgery. During the operation, I prayed to God and Blessed Matrona of Moscow, asking for the surgery to be successful and without complications. I want to share my joy with you—the surgery went perfectly, and it’s been two weeks since I had the laser vision correction. My vision hasn’t deteriorated. Glory to God! The Lord is generous and merciful, patient, and full of compassion!