Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do not have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped up on his feet and began to walk. Then he went to them in the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, they were filled with wonder and amazement. – Acts 3:6-10
If he did it once, he can do it again.
It was October 17, just your average Tuesday in Swaziland. I woke up at the butt crack of dawn, thinking about my dreams from the night. All I could think about was an image of a blind woman being healed and was super excited to see how God was going to use this in our day of ministry ahead. So my team arrived at our care point as we always do, sat down and prayed with our shepherd. Our shepherd asked us if we had anything to share from scripture or if anything was on our hearts to say. I shared my dream and asked my shepherd if it would be possible to visit a blind woman, just to see if healing is what God has in store for this day. I also shared that I have never experienced healing firsthand and I know that it happens in the bible and that God is all powerful, but I have always had the smallest bit of doubt that it could even be possible.
So we traveled to a house about a mile away to an older woman named Maria. We call her Gogo Maria. Maria could see, as well as her 80 year old eyes could (keep in mind the life expectancy in Swaziland is about 40 years old so Maria is a badbutt woman), so I wasn’t expecting for my dream to essentially “come true”. We sang with her, talked about her life, her family. We then asked her if there was anything we could pray for her for. She continued that a couple months before she suffered from a stroke, giving her little motion on the right side of her body. She asked that we pray over her right knee, that it was swollen and painful and wanted to be able to live her everyday life pain free and more simply-with no cane. So, my team all placed hands on her and began to pray aloud. Liz, my friend from my team, had her hand placed on her knee and immediately noticed the swelling on Maria’s knee vanishing. She insisted that Maria try to stand and walk because she knew that something supernatural had just occurred. Hesitantly, Maria stood with her cane, took a step, and threw her cane. She turned, looked at us in astonishment stomping her leg saying “I feel no pain I feel no pain”. My team and shepherd were all speechless. Maria began to DANCE and SING, praising the Lord! She then started to jump, showing that all the pain had indeed left her knee. Me, in tears, was indeed mind blown. I know that God led my team to this house for this specific purpose. From this point on, I knew that Jesus can heal, no doubt in my mind. Like I said, if He can do it once, he can do it again.
Now for the healing of the blind. A week later I was walking with my squad to church on an average Sunday telling my friend about the healing I had experienced and how much it impacted my spiritual life. My team leader Sarah overheard me telling this story and heard me talk about how I had the dream of healing the blind woman but didn’t see a blind woman being healed so I was a little confused on what God was telling me. She turned to me and said, “Peyton, ever think you were the blind woman in your dream”. My mind had once again, been blown. I was once blind of Gods power in healing, doubting that it could happen and then my eyes were opened by His spirit through Maria and her being able to walk again. He is so so Good and will always come thru. Having a crazy time here in Swaziland.
