Coming on the race I would have never guessed that one of my biggest challenges this year would be my feet! Essentially, I had a planters wart on my foot that spread and got infected. The infection caused an intense amount of pain that came to a climax the first week here in Swaziland. I could barely walk at all. In all my life I have never had any pain or sickness be as emotional as this. Because of the constant pain, it was a constant thought in my mind and a huge subject in my prayer life. I have cried about my foot more than I have cried about anything else on the race this far. That may sound terrible I realize; but it is the truth. All the emotion about my foot has caused me to press into God and what He wants to teach me through this. He has taught me many things, but the lessons all hinged on the fact that He is in control.
As I sat down for my consultation the first question He asked me was, “What do you do?” I responded, “I am a missionary.” At that his eyes lit up. His next question was, “How much do you love the Lord?” “Very much,” I said. “Me too!” Then he proceeded to encourage me and speak truth into my life right there. As he was talking I was smiling uncontrollably and tearing up. I knew that this was a divine appointment that God had set up for me and for this doctor. Then, in the middle of the consultation, he prayed for my foot and me. Then I prayed for him. (I mean, how many times do you get a chance to pray with your doctor in the middle of your appointment?) The second time I visited Dr. D he encouraged me again and told me more about his family and how he came to Swaziland.
The third time I visited him it was clearer than ever that God had a plan all along. I didn’t have an appointment, but I was worried that the infection might be coming back so I wanted to take every precaution and have him take one last look. When I walked in his office he was on the phone in the reception area. I was curious who he was talking to because I he wasn’t speaking English and it didn’t sound like he was speaking SiSwati. When he got off the phone he motioned for me to come into his office. There he spent all of five minutes looking at my foot only to tell me that it was not infected and would just take time to fully heal. Then he said to me, “I don’t think you come here today about your foot. I think God send you to encourage me.” He spent the next 40 minutes talking to me about how he had been discouraged. He said that when I came in the office he had been talking to his good friend in Ethiopia (that explains my not understanding the language). In his conversation he was getting discouraged and was praying that God would give him courage. Then when I walked in he knew that God had sent me to encourage him. He asked me to pray for him and I did. I was honored to be used by God to encourage His servant and son.
Today I am able to walk on my foot fine and I am hopeful that God is healing it completely. But if He doesn’t, I know that it is for a reason and He will continue to use it for my growth and His glory.
Many blessings,
Kim
