Francis Tilley
GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME
The approaching winter holds no fear for Francis Tilley who was miraculously healed of a circulatory condition at an AoG church
HAVING A PROBLEM WITH YOUR circulation is usually something you associate with older people. But from the age of eight, Frances Tilley suffered.
Frances‘ hands would turn purple when cold and her fingers and toes turned white and numb. And the only answer was to dip her numb hands into a bowl of warm water to bring them back to life.
‘A school friend with the same problem and I used to commiserate, as we put our hands in warm water after the outdoor games lesson,’ remembers Frances.
‘Recently the problem was masked and because my centrally heated flat in Bournemouth was very warm, not everybody knew of my problem – not even my husband, who I married in 2005.’
She continues, ‘When we visit the family in Nottingham we like to attend Aspley Pentecostal Church, now pastured by Cohn Tilley, but where my husband, Allan Tilley, was formerly the pastor.
On one occasion when Frances visited in 2006, the church was hosting a speaker from India, called Pastor Stephen George.
‘I warmed to him, having been to India myself, and after the sermon people were coming out to the front to be saved and healed. He was telling people things about themselves that turned out to be true. I was prepared to go to the front if anything was mentioned that applied to me. Hearing problems were mentioned, so I went out and was prayed for, but nothing happened My hearing problem was only slight anyway,’ says Frances.
It was at this point that Pastor George asked Frances to show him her hands.
She says, ‘As he wasn’t a fortune teller but a Christian pastor, I showed him my hands. He gave me a word from God: “Your hands will never go numb again!” I was astounded, as no one there knew about it, and the preacher had never met me before. He also said something about me being an artist. That was true as I painted a lot when I was young.’
The following week Frances and husband Allan went bird-watching. It was April and while Bournemouth is used to April showers, there were snow showers in the cooler city of Nottingham. Frances was using binoculars as she watched the local birdlife, and because she’d forgotten her gloves, her fingers were exposed.
‘The freezing wind was whipping across the fields. When we reached the car, I looked at my hands. Instead of being white and purple, they were red to the fingertips! I could feel my fingers!’ remembers Frances excitedly.
‘I have had many times like that since, but my hands no longer go numb, and I feel very well. I no longer screw up inside if someone opens a door and I don’t need A to hug a radiator, or put extra clothes on.’
Earlier this year, Frances was at the National Parrot Sanctuary, in Lincolnshire, and despite being out in the snow, Frances realised that instead of that familiar numbness, her hands were fine.
‘Snow settled on my coat, but my fingertips were still pink. We walked round the park in the freezing cold for about half an hour looking at the parrots in various cages.
‘Another half an hour was spent inside a cage which was open to the wind where we were allowed to walk through.
‘We held out our hands to feed the birds who flew to us. My gloveless hands were burning with the cold, but they wouldn’t go numb! In the old days they would have been numb within five minutes of getting out of the car,’ says Frances.
‘I understand there is no known medical cure for Raynaud’s disease, and no way to stop it getting worse with age. But God did it so easily! Nothing is impossible to him. Don’t worry if you have had any problem for years that won’t seem to shift. God is able!
‘As every sufferer from Raynaud’s disease will realise, my fingers would sometimes go numb even in summer. Now they don’t go numb in the depth of winter! I no longer dread winter, in fact it’s a great opportunity to go bird-watching, which I enjoy. God has been very good to me.’
FACTS ABOUT RAYNAUD’S
RAYNAUD’S SYNDROME IS A disorder that affects the blood vessels in the fingers, toes, ears and nose.
This disorder is characterised by episodes, called vasospastic attacks, that cause the blood vessels in the fingers and toes to constrict.
Raynaud’s syndrome can occur on its own, or it can be secondary to another condition such as scleroderma or lupus.
Although estimates vary, recent surveys show that Raynaud’s syndrome may affect five to ten per cent of the population. Women are more likely than men to have the disorder.
Raynaud’s syndrome appears to be more common in people who live in colder climates. However, people with the disorder who live in milder climates may have more attacks during periods of colder weather. An attack is usually triggered by exposure to cold or emotional stress. In general, attacks affect fingers or toes but may affect the nose, lips, or earlobes.
