We’ve been in Ecuador for more than a week now. It is so odd to think that I’m actually doing what has been on my mind every day since last April. Though we haven’t been here that long, it feels like so much has happened. So far we’ve trekked through jungle; visited homes in the community; encouraged and prayed for believers and unbelievers; had four or five sessions of ministering to and loving on kids; played hours of soccer; gone to church twice; macheted jungle grass; harvested cacao seeds; killed, plucked, and gutted fifteen chickens; moved dirt and rocks; cooked for our ministry hosts; and last but not least, joined in the story that God is writing in Huaticocha, Ecuador.
This is the beginning of a great journey….an adventure, even.
And we all know that great adventures are not without their struggles. No story worth reading is worry-free. There is tension, conflict, doubt….hard things.
But this is where the beauty lies as well.
It is in these times that God reveals Himself the most.
Since we’ve been in Huaticocha, we’ve visited about five different homes. Each time we’ve made small talk, encouraged, and prayed for the people. But two of these visits were a little different.
One of our first was to the home of an elderly lady who could hardly walk because of her swollen feet and legs. We prayed for healing. She wasn’t healed.
Another visit took us to the bedside of a man that had lost the use of most of his right side and couldn’t walk. We prayed for healing. He wasn’t healed.
……Well that doesn’t sound like a very good story, does it?
See, I kind of felt that way too, at first. And I’m not going to act like there wasn’t some disappointment. But God, as usual, was working on something bigger.
Through that situation God has shown me that He is shaping my heart. He is trying to cultivate something in me that is bigger than a display of His power. He wants me trust Him. He wants me to actually believe that He knows what He’s doing.
And He wants me to understand that, yes the Kingdom comes with power, but first it comes with hope. Hope that recognizes He is absolutely powerful and absolutely loves us. This hope changes atmospheres and brings light where there is only darkness.
When we have that kind of hope, it doesn’t really matter if someone rises up and walks. They will be changed because they’ve come in contact with the God that is bigger than any of that.
I mean in the end we all get sick and die anyways. I’d rather see someone hope in Love than enjoy momentary health.
P. S. I’ve seen a lot of healings in the past couple years. And I know it’s just a matter of time before they break out again. I’m not worried. I know I will see the power that comes with His love. It’s just a matter of time. I mean, that’s what hope is anyway, right? Living in the expectation of what awesome thing He’s gonna do next?
Oh and if I never saw God do anything else for the rest of my life, He is still worthy of every bit of glory I can give Him.
