Marco is bedridden. We are asked to go visit him to encourage and pray over him, and as we enter his house, our hearts break. He is lying in bed, a few sheets covering him, the room has a stinch of staleness and urine, and a trail of ants is leading to an open sore on his neck. We ask Deloris, his wife, how he is doing today… she says fine. We ask how she is… her only response- "I am good with Christ."
Already this woman is a testimony to us.
The first time we visited him, we read some verses and prayed for him. We prayed healing over his body. We wanted to see him get up and walk. We wanted to see a big miraculous answer to our prayers.
Nothing.
We leave, all a little shaken up, wondering what the next step is for Marco. Will God take him home?
Is healing what we should be praying for?
And the questions in my mind… Why is this man of God lying in bed unable to move, barely able to eat, unable to communicate with his wife except through moans when he is in pain? Is this really what the Lord has for him right now? Why?
We went back to him a few days later and this time took the guitar and sang for him. We spoke more truth into him and prayed for him and I still longed to see this man rise up and be healed. Nothing.
first because we figured we would leave bummed and thought the following ones could cheer us up.
We were wrong. This time he was so alert. During the second or third song, we noticed that he was tapping along to the beat. I thought "nahhh…" but he continued on through the rest of the songs.
The only movement we had seen previously was swatting flies away from
his face. But right then he was moving his leg and tapping his hand to the beat.
He was worshipping with us.
It was in that moment that I realized this is what God has for him right now. He didn't get up and walk, he wasn't healed before our eyes, but God's hand isn't always seen that way.
God reigned down his joy and life through our songs and prayer,
and it was nothing short of miraculous.
