Something we’ve talked about on the World Race is spiritual gifts. What are the different gifts? Which ones do you possess? It was easy for me to think black and white on this subject: I either have these gifts or I don’t. During my month in Rwanda, God showed me that He can use us in any way he wants, we only must be willing to answer His call. One day, God decided to challenge me on this.
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”” Hebrews 3:7-8
Part of our time in Rwanda was spent volunteering with an organization called Jessie’s Place. The organization works with people of all ages who have mental and/or physical disabilities. It is located in Gisenyi, Rwanda and it is the only place that provides this type of care for this people group in the whole country.
One day, my team and I went with the founder (whom the organization was named after) to a nearby village to see a vegetable coop that they work with. We got to meet the men and women who farm and harvest the crops, and we also met a boy young boy, whom we later found out would touch our hearts significantly. This boy has epilepsy and he had suffered a few really terrible burns on his arms and hands. He desperately needed healing and to be taken to the hospital, but his family couldn’t afford to take him.
Even though this boy was probably in a lot of pain, you did not see it one bit on his face. He greeted each of us with a smile, handshake and – the best part – after shaking our hands he got down on one knee, closed his eyes and prayed for us. He blessed each of us individually! I was stunned (and practically in tears).
While we were visiting with the boy and the women, God was telling me to pray healing over the boy. At first, I was hesitant and a little confused why God was asking me to pray because, as far as I was aware, I did not possess the gift of healing and, honestly, I didn’t believe that God would ever use me in that way. I knew that one of my teammates did have the gift of healing, so I asked God why he wasn’t asking her to pray for the boy. God told me that he can use me anyway he wants; just because I may or may not be aware of a certain gift, He wants to work through me, and it is up to me to be obedient to His call.
So, I (admittedly) timidly brought it to the group and I prayed healing over the sweet boy. His burns were not immediately healed, nor did his epilepsy vanish instantly (although that would’ve been incredible!), but I no doubt witnessed a miracle. I kept my eyes on the boy the entire time I prayed, and as I was praying for joy and peace and for God to take his pain away, he was already wearing a smile on his face. Jesus was present in the boy and he had been working in him long before we met him and I am confident that he is continuing to work in him. That is a miracle.
Earlier that day, as we were on our way to Jessie’s place I started thinking about boldness. Many people have been speaking that over me on the race and have told me that is something they see within me. I started wondering what does boldness really mean, what does it look like and how does it play out? After I finished praying for the boy, I felt God say, “That is what boldness looks like. Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
