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by Kevin MillerWhen he was fifteen, Roger Sa
bourin of Medicine Hat, Alberta, went through one of the worst experiences imaginable for a young teen:
sexual abuse at the hands of a clergy member.
Devastated by the experience but fearing what would happen if he went public with the crime, Roger chose to remain silent, keeping his hurt and grief to himself for the next 20 years.
Finding Solace In the Bottle
Unfortunately, burying his pain took a tremendous toll on Roger, driving him to become a closet alcoholic and drug addict.
This addiction was also fuelled by Roger’s struggle with fibromyalgia, a painful, debilitating syndrome that attacks the muscles, tendons and ligaments, leaving sufferers in constant pain.
Roger had tried everything to find relief, even traveling to the Mayo Clinic for help, but nothing worked.
Although he was part of a thriving family business and was married with three children, Roger was desperately unhappy.
By age 35, Roger realized he was on the verge of losing everything if he did not stop drinking and doing drugs.
“I didn’t hit bottom, but I could see it coming,” Roger says.
Roger’s wife Lynne, a believer, remained faithful. But he could feel her slipping away.
"Lots of times she wanted to leave, but she felt God wanted her to keep praying for me and to stick with me.”
Realizing it was time to either quit drinking or accelerate quickly into oblivion, Roger got down on his knees one night and recommitted his life to Christ. As he knelt and prayed, Roger felt God giving him new purpose and direction in his life, even telling him specifically that he would be involved in ministry to alcoholics and drug addicts for two-and-a-half years.
Drying Out
Roger knew that if this prophecy were to be fulfilled, he would have to clean up his own act first. As proof of Roger’s determination, he began driving to Winnipeg (about an hour away from where he lived at the time) each night to attend two Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Following the meetings, Roger would stay overnight in the city, attend one more AA meeting in the morning and then return home in time for work. Over time, Roger began to emerge from the shell in which he had been living. He reconnected with his wife and children and even started a thriving AA group in a nearby town.
Disease Forces Early Retirement
Finally, the pain of Roger’s fibromyalgia got so bad that Roger could no longer cope with work. He sold his share in the family business and started volunteering full-time to counsel alcoholics and addicts. That lasted for two-and-a-half years, just as God promised.
At the end of this time period, a missionary from World Gospel Mission came to Roger’s church and mentioned that “the harvest was ripe,” but they were short of workers. Roger and Lynne had always talked about doing missions work when they retired. But suddenly, they both realized that now was the time. Over the next two and a half weeks, Roger and Lynne turned their lives upside down, packing up their four young children and driving down to Phoenix, where they ministered at a Christian boarding school for native Indians for the next four years.
Passage to IndiaOnce their term was up, the Sabourins moved to Medicine Hat to get a new start on life. The climate there also helped to relieve the symptoms of Roger’s fibromyalgia. Over the next eight years, Roger continued to volunteer his time to various ministries. Later on, Roger got into real estate, buying and renovating houses so he could rent them out or sell them for a profit.
Around this time, Roger was asked to help lead a mission trip to India through Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Although Roger was excited about the opportunity, he felt inadequately prepared to be the team’s spiritual leader. So he decided to attend an upcoming seminar in Lethbridge that taught about healing, breaking generational curses and dealing with the demonic. Roger reasoned that his team would be facing all three of these situations in India, so best to be prepared.
After the first session on healing, Roger stayed behind and asked the speaker, Ray McGraw of Ray of Hope Ministries, if he would pray to heal Roger’s fibromyalgia. Ray was hesitant at first, because Roger had struggled with the illness for 38 years, and he wasn’t sure if total healing was possible. However, he promised to put Roger in touch with a ministry team who could help him. Roger was both puzzled and disappointed as he drove home that night.
“I was crying out to God, asking ‘Why not?’ If prayer worked for every other disease, then why not mine?”
At this stage, Roger was in so much pain that he was wearing a patch of synthetic opium 24 hours a day. He was also on antidepressants, Tylenol 3s and sleeping pills. “Luckily I wasn’t touching alcohol or any other drugs at the time,” Roger says jokingly.
As Roger made preparations to return the following evening, it was as if some unseen force was trying to prevent him from going. When Roger ate a quick bite of supper, he got violently ill. Despite having a migraine and stomach cramps, Roger decided to make the nearly two-hour trip anyway. As soon as he got in the door, someone stopped him and asked if he was the fellow who had asked for healing prayer the previous evening. After acknowledging that he was, Roger was taken to Ray, who informed Roger that God had impressed upon him to pray for healing for Roger before he left for India.
Healed At Last!
The next day, Roger returned to Lethbridge, taking Lynne with him. Ray’s ministry team started by praying against generational curses, harassing spirits and so forth. Then he had Roger go through a time of repentance and forgiveness. When this was over, Ray’s team laid hands on Roger and prayed. Suddenly, Roger felt intense heat emanating from their hands. The heat slowly penetrated Roger’s body, starting in his neck, working its way down into his shoulders, his back, his hips and his legs. Roger’s body relaxed completely, tension melted away, and for the first time in decades, he didn’t feel any pain.
“I knew right away that I was healed,” Roger says.
But the healing didn’t stop there. Roger also had a history of ulcers, which had scarred his stomach lining. In fact, Roger had an active ulcer at the time of his healing and had previously booked a doctor’s appointment to get some tests done. Even though Roger knew he was healed, he kept that appointment. To his doctor’s astonishment, when the tests came back, they showed Roger’s stomach to be completely healthy. No active ulcer and no scar tissue!
“It was just an amazing confirmation,” Roger says. “I felt like a completely different person.”
Looking back to his dark days as an alcoholic, Roger can hardly believe the path his life has taken.
“I never had any idea this would happen. When I became a Christian, I knew God was preparing me for something, but I just didn’t know how it would look. I’m still floored that I would be asked to get involved in projects like this.”
Have you come to the end of yourself like Roger did? Do you want to know God and have him heal your life? God wants to meet you right where you are; He loves you, and wants to be in your life. He wants to heal you and to give you and abundant life. Why don't you pray the prayer below and ask Jesus to be Lord over your life?
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.
Kevin Miller is a freelance writer, editor and educator from Abbotsford, BC, Canada. Over the past several years, he has written, co-written and contributed to 26 books, both fiction and non-fiction. He has also written dozens of articles for web sites, magazines and newspapers, including Faith Today, BC Christian News and Maranatha News. Learn more about Kevin by clicking here to visit his website.