“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” -Matthew 10:8
I never expected to see a God work a miracle.
When I walked into her bedroom, I held back tears as my gaze landed on the frail woman huddled in the corner. She was sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her. She had morsels of food stuck to her face and held a clenched handful of rice. Her eyes and smile held a sweetness but told the story of a mind no longer able to fully comprehend.
Her daughter had accepted Jesus as Lord only moments before and eagerly brought us in to meet her mother. A believer for less than 10 minutes and already she already possessed stronger faith than mine as she requested prayer for healing. We asked for the circumstances surrounding the health of her mother and listened carefully as she explained.
“Her legs are paralyzed.
She has not walked for 10 years.
We have brought her to see the witch doctor and Prophet Joshua (a false prophet within the community) but they have been unable to heal her.”
Bek, Ellen, and I gathered around her along with our translator, Dawson. We layed our hands on her and lifted her up to the Great Physician. We prayed that she would be able to walk again, that her confusion would be lifted, and her mind made clear. And at the end of the prayer, we stared at her lifeless limbs hoping they would move.
Nothing happened.
Or so we thought
The next day, we returned for a follow up visit. This family had remained heavy on all of our hearts and we wanted to check in and see how they were doing. Upon arriving, the daughter said something in Swahili which we didn’t understand and then walked away. We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes. I turned to Ellen and whispered, “can you imagine if her mother walked around the corner towards us right now??”
And that’s exactly what happened.
I turned away from Ellen in stunned disbelief as this precious woman turned the corner and walked towards us. Walked! All by herself without any help, she was walking! We couldn’t believe it. Ellen and I turned toward Dawson, our translator and repeatedly asked him multiple questions all in one breath. “She was paralyzed right? It had been 10 years since she walked? Did we misunderstand due to the language barrier?” Dawson looked at us and answered our questions and seemed a little taken aback by our unbelief. He said, “this lady has been healed.”
This is a moment I will never forget and to God be all the glory, honor, and praise. The daughter kept saying, “God has healed my mother!”
After spending some time with their family, after praying for continued healing over this lady’s mind, and promising to return back soon for another visit, we stood up to leave.
As I was saying goodbye to the mother, she clenched my hand and wouldn’t let it go. She stared deeply in my eyes as her own filled with tears. She tried to speak but I couldn’t make out the words. She continued to hold my hand and my gaze for another long moment before motioning she wanted a hug. It was a moment I never wanted to end.
