Have you ever seen a miracle ? Really, visibly, physically seen something with your eyes that you could not reason, logic or science away ?
I came on the World Race eager to see God show up in a way I couldn’t talk myself out of, believing He is always ready to show up when we call on Him in faith. I needed Him to still be the God that uses ordinary, unqualified people like me to do wonders in the name of Jesus.
And here I find myself, less than a month from the end of this journey and I’ve yet to see a miracle. I have lived them – from free housing and perfect timing to endless, perfect provision, my life has been nothing short of miraculous these past ten months, these past 26 years. And still I try to explain away my personal experiences and discount the very miracles I’ve been praying for.
The thing is, I hear all of these stories and believe them with my heart – tales of people I know personally who have seen limbs physically grow, seen the dead raised, the lame walk, the blind see – people who have seen and touched gold dust as it fell from the skies.
And for a moment, my eyes are filled with wonder and I’m in awe of His Glory. But it never fails that soon after, I’m wondering why I haven’t seen such things and eventually blaming myself for a lack of faith.
But God gently reminds me of the miracles I am so quick to forget. Unexplainable happenings, reasoned away by my need to believe life happens in a controlled environment.
Just before training camp in June, I had a fracture in a thumb-bone after a run-in with my high schoolers and roller skates. My awesome doctor gave me a brace to stabilize my bone and wrist for two weeks and we prayed a cast wouldn’t be necessary. Two weeks quickly passed and my hand and wrist remained swollen and extremely tender. Another week passed and I began to plan what launch in August would look like with a cast – inconvenient, sweaty and a hindrance.
I made the trip to training camp with my brace, praying for a miracle. And it was in Gainesville, Georgia that I was healed. Destiny, one of our squad leaders, and a few of my squad-mates asked about my brace as we were walking to our campsite one day. After explaining the situation, they asked if they could lay hands on it without the brace and pray for healing. They prayed and as their hearts were poured out, I felt my wrist strengthen. For the first time in over a month, I could move my wrist and thumb and use it for normal activity – I didn’t have to wear that brace another moment after.
Yet, I want more. Is it because I’m greedy and want to see more to believe in the more He has ? Or is it because I’m fully confident He can do more than I can ask or imagine ?
In the Bible, there are many stories of the Twelve getting rebuked for having little faith. One of my favorite examples is when the disciples see Jesus walking on the water and think it’s a ghost.
“When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them : ‘take courage ! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me !’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt ?’” Matthew 14:26-31
When I read this passage, it gives me hope. To see the doubt of the disciples who lived and walked with Jesus reminds me of their humanity. They weren’t super-humans or super-heroes ; these twelve literally saw Jesus raise people from the dead, cast out demons, multiply food, heal in every way – and still their flesh deceived them into doubting what they knew to be true.
Instead of beating myself up for having little faith, I instead choose to pray more fervently for MORE faith, stronger faith to push through in the doubt. And I remember the miracles I’ve lived through – every intricately woven situation I’ve managed to make it out of, simply because of God’s grace.
And in my renewed hope, I eagerly await His next move.
“…if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men ; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39
Our new team name is AO1 | valientes ; we are courageous and we are strong and we live only for the audience of the One King. We live expectantly and trust the Lord will show up.
We’re in Uruguay now, in the last month of our World Race and we’re praying for that gold dust to fall. And I’ve seen the gold dust – it’s the twinkle in the eyes around us when you see the Holy Spirit fire catch hold of someone deep inside. This time I’m going to hold it. I believe with my head and my heart that my Almighty Lord will sprinkle our last nights in gold.
But the thing is, it isn’t about the gold dust anymore. This life, it’s about trusting God to show up in ways we can’t ask for or imagine. It’s about believing without seeing, because at the end of the day, you can’t physically SEE love – yet I know it’s real, I know He is real because I feel His Presence in my every breath and, as such, I will use each one to praise and glorify Him.
My God is the Deliverer and even if He doesn’t deliver me from the fire, He is with me in the fire.
#praise #goforthegold #11n11 #wrexpedition #wanderwithwonder #Godofmiracles #prayboldly #graceabounds #southamerica #uruguay
