Reflections

There are so many things I could be reflecting on, yet few keep my attention like the topic I am about to throw out into this space. I’ve recently been made keenly aware of the fear other people have when speaking of their faith in public places or with strangers.

I have been a believer for the majority of my life. I was baptized at the age of 12 after multiple years in a charismatic youth group and many weeks of church camp. My parents made sure we went to church every Sunday and it was never an option- it’s what our family did.

I am grateful for that example. The truth is we all have choices in the way we spend our time and sometimes being a member of a church is a way of releasing some control over parts of our life we don’t want to let go of. We maybe don’t want to share our trauma, heartache, or failures. We are not afraid to share our successes, but we don’t always want to celebrate in a way that is deemed appropriate for the company of others.

When our faith intersects with our fear, we choose to be ruled by fear far too often. It discourages and disappoints me. Not because I am not guilty of doing the same thing, but at how quickly some believers are at determining and intentionally deciding not to be brave in their faith.

I have been nursing a knee injury for weeks. I have a brace on my knee and I hobble around a bit when it gets stiff. I met my husband at a store after work one day and as we approached the door, a couple was walking past us, and out of courtesy, we exchanged hellos. What happened next I will never forget- it is engrained in my spirit and I will never fully be able to explain how it has impacted me.

The man turned around and asked me “ma’am, does your knee hurt? Is it injured?”

I responded to him “Yes, I have an undiagnosed issue which is quite painful, with a brace and a limp.”

The next moment was everything.

He asked if he could pray for my injury, and when I gave him a stunned “yes” he asked to place his hand on my knee and started the most faithful, intentional, and descriptive prayer of healing I have ever heard in my life.

It didn’t take long for me to realize I was crying hard, tears rolling down my cheeks as he prayed over my healing, tendons, muscles, bones, and pain. He prayed for my anxiety, my worry, and my faith for healing.

My husband stood beside me silent and stunned, holding my hand not able to believe what he was seeing.

When he finished he asked me to walk around a bit because he was fully confident God would heal me.

When I thanked him he only said, “No, don’t thank me! Thank only Jesus.”

I was simply stunned. I quietly walked away, overcome with emotion and completely broken on the inside. I spent several hours wondering how impactful my decision to stop at a store was. I almost didn’t stop at all, but something inside me nudged me, so I pulled in.

My husband was decently quiet the entire evening and when we processed about this event, he and I were on the same page. It was quite indescribable. The entire thing was so surreal like I couldn’t believe the obedience of a stranger. He followed the still small voice to pray for me and it was not lost on me.

When recalling this even later with some friends, I heard people say some funny things. One person said it was dangerous to “simply approach strangers’ in that way. ” Another said, ” Oh I could never do that.” Yet another questioned the validity of it all. Others were as stunned as we are.

Rest assured, I have not questioned one single second. I am not completely healed. However- the lasting impact of a stranger’s kindness and obedience is not lost on me. I am still reveling in his ability to just stop in a moment and do what is laid upon him.

It is also not lost on me the unwillingness of believers to even contemplate being so intentionally obedient and faithful. I wanted in that moment of realizing their doubt to scream “If you only knew! If you only understood! If you only experienced what I had at that moment!” But my voice was frozen and my still small inner voice said “just be still because it won’t matter- they weren’t there.”

The truth it, it’s my story to tell. It was my experience. Others couldn’t possibly understand without taking the risk of opening themselves up to something deep, spiritual and maybe unknown.

My knee is on the mend. My heart is full. My faith and clarity strengthened due to the kindness and obedience of a stranger.

XOXO