For months before I left on the World Race I was trying to learn about the Holy Spirit. You see, I knew the Holy Spirit was within me (Romans 5:5). I knew the Holy Spirit was powerful (Acts 1:8). I knew Jesus said that it was to our advantage for him to leave so that we could receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). But how did I live that out? Was I missing something? Was there more?
I entered the month of September walking the Camino de Santiago asking God to purge me of my doubts. I didn’t want to question the stories I heard where the Holy Spirit used his people to heal. I didn’t want to doubt that the Holy Spirit empowers people with supernatural gifts. As I trekked along the various terrains of Spain meeting new people, talking about what’s important to us, and sharing life together, I also had hours to think and pray. I asked God to show me His power.
On day two, as we hiked up the Pyrennes Mountains, I spent some time with two of the leaders on my squad. I shared my questions and they shared their truth– truth of the Bible and how God has used them to heal. I continued to ask God to show me His power.
And then on day three of hiking, God showed me.
After 20 miles of hiking we arrived at our hostel. As I walked around one of the corners, I heard the same team leader I had talked about healing with the day before asking a woman if he could pray for her. I snuck a little further and stood in the doorway. The woman was clearly hurting and could only stand on one of her legs. The leader quietly prayed for her. And then he got up and told her to put pressure on her ankle and try to walk. She did and her eyes welled with tears as she jumped for joy. She thanked my leader and he explained that it was Jesus. “Jesus did it!” she said. My jaw was on the ground.
That healing was clearly for the woman whose ankle is now as good as new, but it was also for me. God had heard my cries to know this side of him. He knew that I would be walking down the hallway at the exact right moment and He put it on my leaders heart to pray for the woman. I was the only one who saw. My own little blessing – from beginning to end. The scales fell off my eyes that day on the Camino de Santiago. My blind eyes were opened.
“Blessed are you pilgrim, if you discover that the Camino opens your eyes to what is not seen.”
-The Beatitudes of the Pilgrim
