Four Mustard Seeds

By Dr. Sushma Gorrela

"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. And let those who love Your salvation stay continually. 'Let God be magnified!'"

Psalms 70:4 (New King James Version)

This book encourages everyone. You will learn how God leads you through your difficult times. Even with a lot

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jan 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890414861

Dr. Sushma Gorrela

Dr. Sushma Gorrela was born in a remote tribal village in India. Having graduated from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India, she emerged as a practicing physician at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Illinois. Dr. Gorrela worked in Harris County clinics in Texas and has been a practicing physician and business owner for more than twenty years. She's happily married for twenty- eight years with three beautiful children. She has been a board member of and supports LINC Houston. Dr. Gorrela supports and encourages families through Telugu Christian Fellowship in greater Houston and works as a missionary with a passion for church planting and empowerment of tribal communities. Dr. Gorrela believes in education and salvation for all.

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Four Mustard Seeds

Dr. Sushma Gorrela

Four Mustard Seeds

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

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Copyright © 2024 by Dr. Sushma Gorrela

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

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Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 979-8-89041-485-4

E-ISBN: 979-8-89041-486-1

Introduction

This book is about God, who does miracles in a strange way, and they happen every day. For a believer, it’s very easy to recognize and understand His love and concern over the little and big expectations. Does it mean we will not face suffering? Miracles encountered in this book will be cherished by me and spoken and shared with others, with the hope that one would understand the heart of God. God never intended us to live a life of despair but a life of expectation and journey with Him to enjoy the roller coaster life with Him. The end is beautiful, and the joy of victory is unlimited when you have God in your life. Every chapter gives a new perspective and gets you closer to God. Don’t question God why difficulties come, but do pour out your heart to Him. He reads your mind and helps you accomplish your desires, but with a few difficulties so you can have a great testimony. There is time for everything: time to cry, and time to rejoice. God shows how crying is followed by joy for those who love Him. All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. This book is dedicated to The Woodlands Church and its missionary work.

Chapter 1

Why Write This Book?

I thank the Lord for giving us the writers of the Bible who wrote the truth and never wavered in following the instructions of the Holy Spirit.

The book Four Mustard Seeds is an inspiration that I got from Chris and Kerry Shook. We came to the fellowship of the Woodlands on Christmas Eve service in 2003 as we moved from Chicago to The Woodlands, Texas. One Sunday in 2005, I was pregnant with my second son. Pastor Kerry Shook put pots of soil in the church corridors and asked us to sow the mustard seeds of faith to believe in the miracles to happen. He spoke about faith; I sowed four mustard seeds in the pot. All the wonderful wishes came true; the desire to share my miracles became stronger and stronger. I wanted to share with Chris and Kerry Shook about the miracles and decided to get it over with. But God spoke to me and said, Not so fast; you need to write a book. I said, God, this is impossible. I cannot write even a simple essay; I am not a good writer. I am a procrastinator. I don’t like publicity. Deep down, I felt guilty every time I heard about the miracles in other people’s lives. I shared my miracle with a lot of people but was afraid to write the book. But the Lord spoke through Isaiah 41:13 (KJV), For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Whenever I have instruction from God, I always ask for confirmation. One day, I told my husband’s cousin that I was planning to write a book; immediately, he said, Yes, lots of Christians write books, and they are sitting on the shelves. That’s it; this is the confirmation. When a negative comment like that comes, that is for sure Satan is trying to hinder the plan of God. Yes, all books may not be famous, but if one person who needs salvation gets to know Jesus, it’s definitely worth rejoicing in heaven. I was taught at a very young age by my grandfather to look at the negative signs as Satan’s hindrances for a positive outcome. He taught us that Satan tries very hard to destroy God’s plan in our lives, especially when the Lord instructs us to do His will. As you read this book, you will find out more about how my grandfather dealt with his disappointments.

Second Timothy 1:7 (NKJV), For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

When God says yes, who is man that he should say no? So, as we make decisions, there will be a lot of stumbling blocks. I decided to start writing. It has been seventeen years, and I’m still trying to figure out how to finish the book. Many times, I would listen to preachers on TBN and Hillsong Channel, and God would speak through them to do what God has put in my mind. Finally, I took my book and started writing the book with the title Four Mustard Seeds.

I remember my four mustard seeds:

1. My brother has to be an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer in India. Top smart official in India.

2. Our second son’s safe birth.

3. Our house is to be built on time.

4. Our medical building construction.

Not only had all of them come true in a year, but the blessings were multiplied.

1. My brother became an IAS officer and got many promotions. Now, his son is preparing for the preliminary and the main exams to become an IAS officer.

2. My son was born safely in 2005, even though I had a lot of complications. God granted my heart’s desire with another daughter in 2011.

3. Our house was built safely in spite of hurricane Katrina in 2005, and we bought another house in 2016 as our prayer group was growing big.

4. Our two-story medical building was built within six months (the foundation was laid on the same day when my second son was born on June 21, 2005), we employed many people, and my husband renovated three more old buildings and turned them into medical facilities to provide employment to many.

All four miracles were given by God in almost the very next year, 2006. I know Pastor Kerry and Chris might think, Where have you been without sharing the miracles? Well, my intention was to share my miracles and get it over with, but God would remind me of the book again and again and again. I was not at all willing because I am neither a writer nor a reader. The only book I like to read is my Bible. My memory is not that great. As I kept postponing one day, Pastor Don Piper shared his story about heaven is real in the church, and God was speaking through him. But I said, God, not now, Lord, and on and on it went. I was arguing with God and said, I am not a writer, and it’s not easy. Then came Jim Caviezel, who shared his story. I talked to God and said I would think about it. Then, I totally forgot the book as life was smooth, and I was comfortable.

One day, I was very tired, and I asked God to help me find a new church; this church was far. My kids love The Woodlands Church; we never stopped going to the church, but as we moved further away into spring, I was getting tired of the traffic and the kids fighting in the car. I was so quick to ask God that I would move from the church, and God said, No, remember the book. I am like, God, are You serious?

I asked God to show me a sign that Sunday, and I would stay in the same church. I asked God to give us parking right in the front, where the kids’ ministry building is. That day, we were so late to church. My husband dropped us near the side entrance near the kids’ ministry, and we walked towards the door, and the parking lot was full. I looked at the parking lot and thought this might be the last service here for me. As we were walking towards the entrance, a sweet couple who just finished volunteering in the church passed by; they stopped right next to my husband’s van, knocked on the window, and told him that he could park the car right in front once they pulled out. As I turned my head and looked, I was not at all surprised because I have experienced many such small and big miracles in my life. I smiled within myself and looked at my husband parking the car right in front of the children’s ministry. I said, Lord, thank You for making me stay in this church. I will write the book for sure, but I don’t know when.

This reminds me of another miracle. My husband was in a different state, and I had to travel for three hours. My children, especially my daughter, who was ten years old at that time, would not come, and my two sons were very unreliable. So I decided to see him by myself, as I was driving I felt so sleepy on the highway, I was tired after long work and asked God what I should do. I needed help. Immediately, the whole traffic came to a complete halt on the highway for one hour; the cars just stopped. I lowered my seat and literally slept for twenty minutes. After I woke up, I felt so fresh, read my Bible, and prayed for people around and sick COVID people. As the traffic started moving, I requested the truck next to me to give me space to exit, and he willingly let me go; I took a detour and reached safely. Miracles are part of my life, and the Holy Spirit is always guiding me.

Years passed by no book, more miracles, and more procrastination. We moved to a new house in October 2016 with a nice office space, and I thought to myself, This will be perfect for me to write, but soon my daughter and my son occupied it. I always had a reason to avoid writing the book. We had Bible studies every Friday, and God spoke to me through many speakers about my book, but God knows that I am a very stubborn person. It has to be my way. One day, God spoke through Pastor Billy Graham’s message on TV. When Jesus did a miracle and was done in public, the woman with the issue of blood was to acknowledge it openly so she would know her deliverance was due to her faith, and she could come out without guilt or shame. God has to be glorified through every miracle, whether it’s big or small. When people share miracles, I see the spark in their eyes, and it makes me so happy.

I decided to write but did not know how to start, then God told me to start by first thanking God and then Kerry and Chris Shook for their faithful service, and this will be my gift to them and encouragement to many. I started my book and would write on and off, and then my husband one day changed the computer and didn’t remember where he placed it. I didn’t save the content on my USB. Well, I thought, maybe God did not want me to write after all. I framed four mustard seeds that were given in the church in my office to remind myself of the miracles. As I looked at them, I was disappointed with myself. God spoke to me through Psalm 53:2 (NKJV), God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

Yes, I felt like I didn’t understand Him. In August 2017, I got Hashimoto’s disease, and I couldn’t get out of my bed. I was so weak my husband had to drag me to the emergency room. I couldn’t walk, and I had a three-centimeter thyroid nodule on the right lobe, and it was hard; my endocrinologist was very concerned. I was so scared because some of the nodules can be cancerous. I am not scared of death, but I am scared of unfinished business, especially when God assigns me to do so. As a physician, I know about different kinds of thyroid nodules, but we always look at the worst ones first. One kind of cancer is called anaplastic thyroid cancer, which is very aggressive, and patients die within a year. I had to have multiple biopsies and quite a few endocrinologist appointments. Finally, the biopsy was negative, the nodule disappeared, and my thyroid function tests were hyper initially, then became hypothyroid, and then finally, my thyroid profile became normal after two years.

Luke 9:62 (KJV), And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Yes, I did realize my purpose, and then my mother-in-law slept in the Lord in 2016. One of my friend’s three children (all teenagers) went to be with the Lord on December 24, 2018, in a fire accident, and my dad got sick, and he slept in the Lord on December 27, 2018. I had to think of these four bodies now to be shipped to India. Then, it was my responsibility to do my sister’s wedding after my father’s death. I was so stressed out, but the wedding was very grand on a small scale, with more than a hundred guests.

But as Paul said in Philippians 1:6 (NKJV), Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Why should one share the miracles? The Bible is the book of testimonies and miracles, how people reacted to different situations. Some obeyed God and were blessed abundantly; some made themselves gods (own desires), and their destruction was inevitable. The Bible talks about leading simple lives, simple families, simple faith, simple obedience to God, and a simple way to reach eternity. It’s not meant for us to figure out why the Bible has mysteries, why there are no answers to many questions, and no complete explanations for many problems. I remember once asking God why He did not put details of creation in the Bible. People would have been impressed and would have believed Him more. Then God asked me to remember a dream that I had.

One night, I had a dream. I was standing near the steps of a big stadium, in an open field (like a big football stadium), and as I was looking at the green grass and the blue sky with white clouds, all of a sudden, the birds in the air were restless flying too fast. Suddenly, the clouds turned dark and moved very fast, and there was huge thunder and lightning. I was thinking in the dream, Lord Jesus is coming back. The dream was so quick and so intense, like a nightmare, that I woke up suddenly with palpitations. I went to the restroom; I felt so sick to my stomach and felt like throwing up. God reminded me of the dream that I dreamt of a few months back, and He said, You could not tolerate this simple dream; how can you tolerate the details of the creation, which were so intense and included massive events with multiple movements of elements? Many want to see God, but how can they tolerate His glory? Paul became blind when he saw the resurrected Christ in His glory. As a human being, I cannot comprehend or interpret the simple facts of God. The eyes of people don’t match, nor do the fingerprints match. The manufacturing of DNA is mind-boggling. The features of a child are determined by the Lord, whether to look like a mom, dad, uncle, or aunt. Anything that is stagnant is dead, like the Dead Sea. The blood in the body has to flow. How does the blood flow to the heart against gravity?

A scientist can explain the actions but has no answer for how. When miracles happen, we can explain how by being based on the mercy and power of Jesus Christ. The Bible will not give clear explanations for many miracles. The fact is that the whole world’s library will not be able to hold the truth about the creation and God’s love for us.

Jeremiah 23:24 (NKJV), ‘Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord.

My book may not be famous, but it will show the right path to many. Simple books are to change lives, not meant to be analyzed and criticized. I thank God for The Woodlands Church, Pastor Kerry and Chris Shook, and Pastor Lee Stroble, who teach the true Word of God.

I asked God to show me a dream so I could hand the book to them. So I had a dream that Pastor Lee Stroble came to our house on a Friday Bible study and stood near the kitchen counter. I was desperately trying to talk to him about the book, but he was surrounded by all the ladies in the Bible study who were talking to him. I was thinking in the dream, Helloo, I am the host. Can I talk? But the ladies were asking him many questions, and Pastor Lee was answering their questions very patiently, not looking at me, let alone my book. I woke up. I asked God, So this dream, Lord, do you want me to give the book to Pastor Lee? He didn’t even talk to me in the dream. God said, Not so fast. I showed you the person, but what will you discuss with him? You did not even finish the book. Don’t blame Pastor Lee in the dream; the dream was mine, so finish your book and publish it. The dream is for you to realize the value of time, not to blame. And if the dream was good, I know you would be so proud. I know you better. It is so good to be corrected by God.

Then came COVID-19. I had plenty of time, but I still had many problems this time: more pressure due to my children’s schooling, my husband away from home, more cooking, patients on telemedicine, business not doing well, finances down, office problems, etc., but I decided to complete my unfinished book. I decided to focus on my God first, then my family, patients, and the book. There was always an interruption. COVID-19…what a chaos. My friend lost her brother, another friend lost his brother, and a doctor who works with us lost his three friends who were doctors. The list goes on and on.

I was supposed to take the COVID vaccine but missed it twice trying to take care of patients. I didn’t get the vaccine but ended up getting the virus, and my condition got worse. All my patients are alive. I treated them at home. Very few, even though hospitalized, were out of danger, but I was in the hospital multiple times. I couldn’t work. I finished a few chapters before, and all I had to do was finish a few more chapters to complete my book. During COVID-19, when I had shortness of breath, I asked God to take me