A few hours ago I arrived home from a week in Toccoa, Georgia, where a group of over 300 future Racers and I attended training camp. Let me just say – this week rocked me – physically, emotionally and most of all spiritually. While there are SO many things I could tell you about training camp, like ..
the different foods
squad wars (go green!)
the living conditions & 7am hikes
..and as awesome as all of that was, what I really want to share in this first post about camp is something a little closer to my heart.
Healing.
It's not something I've ever given a ton of thought. Of course, when someone I care about is sick I pray "God, please be with and heal them", but it's almost empty lip service because in my heart I rarely expect Him to actually do it. This week has pushed my complacent boundaries in that area. There were several claims of healing during camp, but one was special to me and that's the one I want to share with you.
When I first met Bekah, we were at the Atlanta airport meeting our squad for the first time. When she rolled up behind me in a wheel chair pushed by her husband and fellow racer, Josh, I have to admit that was about the last thing I expected to see!
After a few minutes of talking to her, I found out that she was a professional dancer from L.A. who was injured while dancing just before training camp. She had broken her ankle and also torn two ligaments that weren't healing properly, so after camp she and her doctor were going to discuss surgical options to repair the damage. Even though she was in a considerable amount of pain, she decided to tough it out through camp and I thought "Man, what a trooper!"
As the week began, she understandably couldn't fully participate in most of the activities and was confined to her crutches. Then night #3 arrived and our topic for the evening was healing. We talked about the Holy Spirit, learned about healing prayer and then were asked to practice it.
Now, you have to understand how new this was to me. I suspected this would be one of the isues addressed during the week but I was very skeptical and was doing my best to have as open a heart as possible. After the sermon, the speaker asked if there was anyone who had need of healing and would be brave enough to come to the front – Bekah's hand shot up. She hobbled up front and shared with all 300+ of us what she had gone through and that before camp even started she felt that she should ask for healing that week. So we were asked, as one, to join the speaker in calling down healing power and requesting the Holy Spirit to do a work in Bekah's body.
What followed was one of the most intense experiences with the Holy Spirit that I have ever had. The Lord's presence was palpable in that room in a way that I have rarely witnessed. After about an hour of prayer and ministering to one another we finished for the evening.
The next day we asked Bekah how her foot was feeling and she replied, "It really is feeling so much better! I have no pain, but I'm afraid to take the cast off just in case.." Then the following night, a new speaker was with us who had just flown in from the mission field that evening, and after apologizing for his jet lag, he immediately pointed to the aisle where Bekah was sitting and said, "As I walked down this aisle, I saw a chain tethered to someone's foot…and that chain is broken!" At which point we all looked at Bekah, who was sitting there with two tennis shoes on and as she rose, took her place on the stage and danced her heart out to her Savior on as strong an ankle as I've ever seen, there wasn't a dry eye among our squad. As we sang and cheered, we thanked God for confirming His power in all of our hearts and before our very eyes.
Now – I do not believe that everyone receives healing upon request like God is a magical genie in the sky. Sometimes God uses hurt and sickness in our lives to bring about His will. But what I do believe is that divine healing happens more often than I ever knew or thought possible. That we, as His children, have been given the power and authority to ask with expectancy for the Lord's healing. That when done in the right spirit and for the right reasons, God can and will show His power and mercy.
I think Bekah herself put it best when she said, "After I was first injured I wondered why this had to happen right before camp – dance is how I worship and praise God. But I realize now that it wasn't about me. It was never about me and my foot, it was about increasing your faith. The faith of everyone who experienced His healing presence that night."
God – the same yesterday, today and forever. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is my God too. And He is mighty.
