It’s October 7th. One month ago today, I stepped off of the plane in fear, faith, and expectation. Fear of what the world would look like when I opened my eyes, faith that God would help me to see, and expectation for Him to do big things. These four weeks have passed by like a glance in God’s everlasting timeline. I can hardly believe we’re already leaving in three days – just when I was getting used to the idea that the Philippines would be my new home, the Lord has called us to leave. I wonder if at the end of this race, I will have left eleven pieces of my heart around the world?
Yesterday night was a huge leap into freedom and healing, and such a testament to How far God wants to take us this year. I’m inexplicably excited. Megan, my sister, dear friend, and teammate, had been struggling these past weeks with not only healing from a broken past, but a slew of physical ailments: neck pain, back pain, serious food allergies, migraines, and the list goes on. . . and our team has been jointly in spirit praying for her every night for two weeks. Last night, God decided to show up. We were having an extended worship night, and as people started to trickle out, Christin began to sing, “Holy Spirit Come,” and as she did, I felt the spirit move – soon, I was singing out words that God had given me to say and shouting at the top of my lungs. The seven of us that were left all began to sing out prayers. I looked across the room as people began to gather around Megan, who was rocking back and forth with her hands on her neck. I felt the spirit tell me to “stand and go,” so I went. As I sang and danced, I placed my hands onto hers and prayed, “Thank you Jesus, you are good. You are healer. You are good.” Pure joy rushed like a well upon me. The prayers escalated into, “Megan, when you lift up your head, you will no longer feel pain.” Then I heard a voice, not from anyone in the room:
“I’ve come.”
As the singing and prayer continued, we lifted off our hands and all was quiet. Christin asked Megan if she would pray over herself. With her head lifted, eyes red with tears, gasping for air, she said, “I’m freaking out. When everyone lifted their hands off of me, I didn’t feel any more pain. I tried to rub my neck to induce any sort of pain, but there’s nothing! I’m scared. I’m scared this will only be for one night, yet so thankful that if it is only temporary, God has still given me that gift.” Then she prayed the most beautiful prayer of praise, “Father, all my life I’ve been holding my head down in pain, but now I can look up towards You and see Your face. Thank you, Lord.”
For eight years, Megan carried the physical burden of pain on her shoulders, and God lifted that last night. She confessed to us this morning that she had never been able to move her arms past her shoulders or lift her neck back, and now she can – just like that.
And I thought miracles only happened in stories. . .
