I’ve had allergies my whole life. Between certain foods, the great outdoors, and metals, I’m always cautious of what I eat, what jewelry I buy, and I usually have some Benadryl pills on me at all times. Let’s just say that my team knows who to go to for their pharmaceutical needs. Since we’ve been in Romania,
So, a few days ago, I was praying and God said, “Let’s go for a walk.” I was chillaxin’ on my bedtop quite comfortable at the moment, so I was somewhat hesitant to declare if that’s really what He said. Then He whispered, “what if I chose today to heal you from your allergies?”
Ya, that got my attention, too. I’d been praying for healing for my allergies, but not really ever hearing back from God about it until that moment. So, I jumped up, got kind of excited, and scurried out the door. I put my mp3 on some worship music, and strolled along the back dirt road from our team’s rented house out into some of the crop fields that are laced with wildflowers. It’s really a beautiful place to meet with the Lord. My mp3’s battery died about five minutes into the walk, but I decided it was probably for the best, being as God and I had a pretty serious conversation coming. As I began praying into some things, I began to sneeze. It wasn’t so bad at first. Then I heard God say, “Come, sit with me in the wildflowers!” The princess in me couldn’t possibly turn down the offer from my heavenly Bridegroom. What, sit in a gorgeous field of wildflowers with the King of Kings?? Um, YES!
I’m not gonna lie, it was a little awkward at first. It sounds all Disney and everything; but figuring out how to cozy down into a stack of sticky weeds wasn’t exactly the image it initially painted in my head. Still, I got there. It was sweet. I began praising Him, and then prayed over my family, my team, over the city and the village, and as good as it seemed to be going, one sneeze turned into a symphony of sneezes and I couldn’t even think straight. Before long I was in a full out allergy attack, complete with snot, tears, the works. It is quite humorous when you think about it. I came out there
simply because God said He might choose to heal me of my allergies… and about 20 minutes later He put me right in the middle of my kryptonite.
Praying over people was simply not the reason I was out there. So, I just stopped, laughed at myself between sneezes, wiped my runny eyes on my shirt and the snot on my pants (sorry for the not-so-pretty picture) and waited for Him to speak. I could hear the humor in His Spirit rise in me, the Rascal. J He said, “Okay, baby girl, you won’t sneeze anymore while we’re out here.” I could feel Him Smile. And, I didn’t! I mean, I wasn’t miraculously cleaned up from the mess, but didn’t sneeze any more while I was out there.
God revealed so much to me in that moment. First of all, He is in complete control at all times. He is Sovereign. He could heal me at any moment, but He loves me too much to just give me hand outs. He’s showing me that when I don’t have control, when I can’t do things in my own strength, He gets ALL the glory. He’s teaching more about what giving Him ALL the glory is all about, and giving me opportunities and situations to walk in faith and watch Him do His thing. 😉 I thought I knew… but there’s just more to it. This has been a season of drawing truth, wisdom, and discernment while building my faith. I’m so blessed to have a Heavenly Father who wants to use situations in my life to teach me more about who He is; to let my theoretical faith become experienced faith. Most trials usually come in the form of struggles when I’m crying out before His throne; but it hasn’t been that way with things this month. I’ve been at complete peace, just hungry to learn whatever He has in store for me through it all. God gives me a promise; and the moment He speaks it into existence, I just have to wait for His perfect timing to see the fruit of the end result. I wasn’t completely healed of all my allergies in that physical moment, but God gave me the promise that it was coming. So, I eagerly wait.
Later that evening, Allison asked me on our way into town, “Hey Nicole, have you ever asked God to heal you of your allergies?” *grin*
“Yes.” I simply stated. She smiled and replied, “Oh, okay; because I really feel like God wants to heal you of them.” It was the confirmation I needed to know that yes, God has promised to heal me of my allergies. I really don’t deserve it, but He delights to give good gifts to His children.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
I know that each day that I live by His promises is like each day that Noah went to work building the ark. Noah had no control of the flood; there was no way Noah could make it rain even if God decided to change His mind with the whole ‘flooding the earth’ deal. What if? What if God changed His mind about the flood? What if God chose to use your humiliation for His Glory? Do I REALLY trust that He is a good God, and that He has good things for me, that He really does work all things together for the good of those who love Him?
This is what complete surrender looks like: a DAILY abiding in God’s will. It’s living from a place of knowing the end of the story, and living out your part in it. It’s praising God in the fire and in the times of waiting.
It’s choosing to get up every day, pick up your tools, and build what God’s asked you to build even if no one else has ever built such a thing. It’s letting His stillness wash over you in the storm.
It’s getting so lost in Jesus’ eyes that you don’t even realize you’re walking on water.
It’s letting God lead you into your own kryptonite, the one thing that you know you have no control over, and trusting that God’s sovereign plan is way bigger than your own.
These are my own opinions, but I bet Noah struggled with what people thought of him. I bet Noah was probably scared to death of what his family, neighbors, and friends would think if he did this. God sometimes puts us in positions to have to face our fears, even fears we didn’t know we had. The cool thing about God is He knows us inside and out, and He uses our weaknesses to shine forth His perfection.
God found Noah as a righteous man, and had a divine plan to not only to bring redemption to the world, but to bring Noah through the refiner’s fire and draw him even closer to His heart. Can you imagine: the flood was about bringing Noah into MORE of the likeness of God! That’s the Love of God in action. That’s how God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, for those who are called according to His purpose.
I know I’m a lot like Noah. Even when I think I’m completely free of caring what people think of me, God asks me to do or believe something else that reveals there’s still a little bit more to be tested; to be refined. He’s so patient, so kind, so good to know how much fire we can handle at a time.
Healing from allergies is just one aspect of my life that I’m having to walk out in faith right now; almost a physical reflection of my spiritual journey. I have no control whatsoever of the timing or what He might allow the kryptonite to do in the meantime, but I have the promise that His completion is coming, and I get to praise Him for it even now! I’m standing on the promises of God!
I know that the Holy Spirit is building an ark with me. It’s a crazy journey. Some days are harder than others, but most days are the most exhilarating, exciting ride of my life!
