So if you haven’t read my blog “A Blog Says 2000 words” you need to read that now. I mean, you don’t neeeeddddd to, but if you want THIS blog to make sense, you should go back and read that one 🙂
So earlier this month, Christina came to us and said she thought she had a vision from God that involved a community wide 5k. After quite a few stumbling blocks, she was ready to give up on making the vision come to life. In short, even if a 5k was going to happen, it was impossible (for safety, timing, and other reasons) to have it be how she envisioned it. As a team, we encouraged her to keep going anyway. We felt strongly that this was from God, and that it should happen. Because maybe, it would touch just one person. And if that happened, it would be worth it.
What Christina wanted to be a community wide 5k with several locals running with us, turned out to be a 3 mile prayer jog around the perimeter of Los Guido. A few local church members ran with the squad, and even fewer locals showed. If I’m not mistaken, we had three people show up who hadn’t been previously connected to the church here. No matter, Christina was determined. Or should I say, God was giving Christina the determination to pursue it no matter what.
That afternoon, about half of the squad joined in on the run, while the other half (including myself and B. Neal) stayed back to intercede and make finish line posters. I had a list of what the runners would be praying over Los Guido as they circled the community, so I was praying for the same things. When we figured the runners would be returning soon, we went to set up the finish line at the gate to the finca. We were all standing around the gate, trying to decide which way we thought the runners would come from. I happen to look over at B. Neal, and she looks frantic. She’s searching for something, and I didn’t realize that something was me until she made eye contact with me, and walked straight towards me and says my name with urgency. When she gets next to me, she says, “Was the guy with a limp from Brad’s vision in an orange shirt?” I said, “Yes, why?” “He’s right there,” she says as she looks down the street. I follow her gaze, and sure enough, A man in an orange shirt is walking towards us with a crippled right leg.
Back up two and a half hours earlier when Brad and I were cleaning dishes together after lunch. I told him I was praying that we’d have another encounter with the tattooed man this week. I was saying how I felt like God left us on a cliffhanger, and there are only a few days left for that to be wrapped up. We talked about how I was aware that maybe it wasn’t our job to see the harvest from that encounter, but to only do the sowing. Brad told me about how he was trying to not be disappointed that we hadn’t found the man from his vision. He expressed that he honestly felt like it was from God, but that maybe he had been mistaken. He said things such as, “I don’t know, I’m knew at this. Maybe it was something I came up with on my own.” I told him how I remembered seeing a man with a limp on his right side walking on the street that day, but that his shirt wasn’t orange, so I didn’t stop him. I expressed concern that maybe we had missed out on an opportunity because I was paying too much attention to one detail. Brad responded, “But if the color of his shirt wasn’t important, why would God reveal that particular detail to me?”
Fast forward back to present time. As I watched this man walk towards us, I thought, “This cannot be happening. Brad isn’t here. More than half of my team isn’t here! I can’t even pray over this guy because I can’t speak Spanish.” I looked around, and thankfully saw one of the other fluent Spanish speakers on our squad. I quickly explained the situation, and asked if she would translate as Brittany and I prayed for her. She immediately agreed, and we waited for him to get closer. Once he got in front of us, I approached him. I greeted him, introduced ourselves, asked if we could pray for him, and if there was anything in particular he’d like prayer for. He said his health, and I started praying. It was definitely not that great of a prayer, because I was just so excited that God had revealed this man to us. But I don’t think God judges our prayers either, so that’s okay. While I’m praying, I hear people behind me saying, “They’re coming!” (Referring to our racers) and I thought, “Perfect! Please let Brad be at the front on the group so he can see this.” Once I finished praying, I asked the man about his family, if he lived in Los Guido, how he was doing, etc. I’m not even gonna lie, I was simply trying to make conversation so that he’d stick around a little longer. Why were the runners not at the finish line yet???
I couldn’t make the conversation last, so we said goodbye and the man continued walking. He was walking towards the direction the runners should be coming from though. Maybe they’d see him? Soon after some of the local church kids crossed the finish line, Brad was right behind them. “Brad! Brad! The man in the orange shirt!” I yelled to him, probably before he actually crossed the line. He responded, “I know, I’ve gotta go back!” I’m trying to explain that we prayed for him, and as I’m explaining, Christina is running across the finish line shouting, “You guys! The man in the orange shirt!!” We’re all giddy, laughing at the majesty of it all. Brad takes off, back towards the race, to find Craig and the man in the orange shirt again.
They did find him again. And we got to pray over him again. We will probably never know the impact we had on this man, and he will probably never know the impact he had on us. Because of what came from that prayer walk earlier this month, and the visions God has given me and my teammates this month, and seeing all of it come to fruition, has just been incredible. I see God as being more powerful, and mighty than I have ever seen him before. They Holy Spirit seems more real to me than it ever has before. I mean think about it. If God hadn’t given Christina the vision of that run (which was impactful on the community in multiple ways. Again, ways we’ll never know) B. Neal and I wouldn’t have been standing where we were when the man in the orange shirt walked down the street that day. How sovereign is our God, guys?
When we got back to the finca, my team and I took a picture together. (I would upload it, but it honestly didn’t turn out so good. haha.) But huddling up, arms around each other, taking that picture together – we felt powerful as a team for the first time. In that moment, we all realized that the power of the Holy Spirit is in us, and that we have the opportunity to use this power for the kingdom this year.
The Holy Spirit is literally Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, living in us. Residing in our bodies. Using us as a dwelling to do the work of Christ. We have the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry, and clothe the poor because we have the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t take that for granted. How will you use the power of the Holy Spirit this year for the kingdom?
Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
