Healing

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:2‭-‬6 NKJV

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
John 5:7 NKJV

He didn’t understand Who he was speaking to.

He couldn’t see past his need.

He wasn’t expecting to be healed because he had no one to help him into the water.

What came next must have been outside his ability to guess.

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
John 5:8 NKJV

And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
John 5:9 NKJV

Can one picture the depth of surprise and elation of this man who had been sick for 38 years?

He didn’t even know Who healed him. (John 5:13)

In Mark we find another man who was seeking healing, but didn’t find it, not a first.

Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
Mark 9:17‭-‬18 NKJV

It doesn’t take much imagination to feel the disappointment and sorrow of this man.

But the story doesn’t end there.

So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:21‭-‬24 NKJV

The honesty and humility of this man, this father, is answered.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”  Then the  spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
Mark 9:25‭-‬27 NKJV

Two men, both received healing from Jesus, but neither of them were expecting what occurred.

Healing often does not come the way one would like nor in the time frame which is desired.

Healing is often not seen as the hand of God, but instead as the working of proper medical treatment or change in lifestyle.

And sometimes healing is something which occurs in the heart instead of the body.

But healing is an everyday occurance.

From the small cut on one’s knee to the restoration of healthy mental attitude, God is in the business of healing.

Where He wants healing to occur for all of mankind is in the relationship between Himself and every single one of us.

Sin leads to death of all sorts, including physical death, and Jesus came to save us from that.

Healing may not always happen when and how and where we would like, but as long as we accept His healing, His payment for our sin, then our souls will be healed.

Truly, healing of the soul is the best place to be made whole.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for both of these stories which remind us that You are in the business of healing. Lord, please help us to realize the importance of allowing You to restore our soul, how much more valuable that is to any other healing. Lord, often we over look the times You have healed and focus on the times we couldn’t see Your healing. Lord, please help us to realize You alone see what is best and we can not. Help us to have faith that You are doing a work of healing even if we do not perceive it. Thank You for Your faithfulness in all things. Thank You for Your salvation which brings us life eternal. Thank You for the way You are continually working to restore our hearts and minds to a right relationship with You. Lord, thank You for loving us so completely. It is in Your name I pray, Jesus. Amen.

Unexpected

Sometimes the unexpected is good,

like flowers blooming between two rocks.

Sometimes they are funny,

like when the toddler at the next table decides to feed his ice cream to his Daddy.

Ever seen a grown man with ice cream in one ear?

The funniest things in other people’s lives are not normally so funny in our own.
As a child I remember my mother telling me,
“You’re too uptight! You need to learn to laugh at yourself more!”
Sometimes I still need to laugh at myself more.
Last week I had what felt like a melt-down and looking back, there was more humor in it than I could see.
We had a lovely Baccalaureate for our graduates and those from the Charter School and I had nothing but compliments on how well it all went, how much everyone enjoyed it and I smiled.
Why?
Because from my perspective I was just happy it was over.
I had been stretched to the max that day.
I had purchased tulle to go down the main aisle in two colors, fresh potted plants to go in front of the podium, and plastic table clothes in two colors for the cake and punch tables. I had arranged with a friend to go by her house and cut her yellow roses for a bouquet for the cake table.
It began with me not being on time.
I got to my friend’s house harried because my rose clippers had gone missing and all I had was a pair of scissors.
The rain from the night before had really beat-up the poor plants but I was able to find several and with the help of my friend’s hubby (and his clippers) to gather enough to make a lovely bouquet.
I get there and find that my potted plants are dripping water, so I leave them outside in the hope that they will dry out before I need to set them on the carpet.
I move the tables and open the table clothes to find that the black ones are nothing like the nice shinny kind I bought last year, instead they resemble large garage bags, only with enough wrinkles in them to make me wonder if they had been balled up and then placed in the plastic.
Then it occurs to me that I asked my sweet nine year old to help with the table clothes, in his effort to unfold them he had wrinkled them.
So I smooth them out and over lay the yellow table cloth which is the nice shinny kind! (without wrinkles)
Deep breath—
I start to put the tulle down the aisle only to find I bought half as much as needed.
So I put one color down one side and one down the other.
As I am trying to make bows for the front of the aisle I asked my sweet hubby (who had turned up minutes before to help) to get me my roll of wire out of the art drawer in my classroom.
He went and came back with string.
“No wire”
So I look for myself and guess what!
No wire
Okay, deep breath—
The flowers had relinquished their piddling, so I wrap their pots in the tiny scraps of tulle left  and place them before the podium.
Things are going better so I decide it is time to tackle the flowers.
I have a glass vase but no wire means no way of putting together the roses in bunches so they would look full and do not flop around.
I realize I don’t even have any florist tape or stakes and these flowers are climbing roses where lots of little blooms shoot out of every side of the stem.
However, God is gracious.
I was able to make something like a bouquet.
My mother didn’t know it but saved me by sending a small batch of cuttings from an old English rose that day. It had wonderfully scented blooms. Even if the bouquet didn’t look as nice as I wanted it to, it smelled wonderful!
At this juncture my husband wanders over to inform me that the program for the Baccalaureate still won’t print.
Early that morning I had been printing them and suddenly the printer had stopped working. Thinking I had gotten it too hot or something I shut it down and asked my husband to get them printed later.
So, I looked at the time and noticed that I had only minutes to change and about five to try to get the printer to work.
I started with the printer, which refused.
Okay, no problem—
Smiling I changed into my dress and heels and went to tell the principle about the programs.
He said we would just have to go with the ones we had as the second printer wouldn’t print either.
No idea why, just won’t work at all.
Okay, breathe—
We head back to where our graduates and families are strolling in and I realize I forgot to section off the seats for the grads. So I stand there instead, smiling and saying, “please don’t sit here, it is reserved for the graduates”.
Thankfully one of my kids was able to bring me the ribbon for the purpose and I was able to go about other tasks.
Things began to feel like they were coming together smoothly, (finally) and I had a chance to stretch yet again. We needed to make a last minute change to the schedule of the evening. I had left out a place in the program for our pastor. He was not the one giving the sermon but he did want to speak with the graduates.
Thankfully no one seemed to mind that his name did not appear on the schedule. Nor would I have had him skip what he had to say.
Instead of speaking from the platform he went to each student, shook their hand and spoke words of encouragement into their lives individually. There was hardly a dry eye in the entire building.
So upon looking backward I can say it is still tough not to feel embarrassed.
How? How could I make sooo many mistakes with one single event? Where was my brain that I forgot so many things that I needed?
But then I take a step back.
Yes, I made many mistakes.
Is there any use in me looking backward and feeling angry or frustrated with myself?
Not really.
I can look back and point to how God stepped in despite all my errors. I can rejoice that people were blessed and encouraged.
I can even laugh a bit at myself.
Maybe next year I’ll ask the principle to assign the Baccalaureate to someone else!!!

Unexpected

 

Change happens in the blink of an eye

life takes a sudden turn

You walk around a bend

And experience something

Unexpected

How are we to take these things?

How are we to walk without knowing what might yet befall us?

The natural is to fear

“What if…?!”

I have had many times when the “what if” would sneak up on me

and attack

Stifling me with the thoughts of worry, fear, even terror

of what might be around the next bend

Often causing great emotional distress

And in these moments I forget

the very real things in worrying about the may-happens

But it is in these real things that I find peace from the “what if”

First is that I am not alone:

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deu. 31:6

my Heavenly Father was always there

Second I have the assurance that this world is not all there is:

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

One day I will be ushered into heaven and the cares and worries of this life shall fall away like

d-r-y leaves

Third is fear of this nature is not from God:

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

He tells me over and over in His word not to fear but to trust in Him.

Lastly there are bends in the road and things unexpected

But not all of them are bad

“Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation!” Ps. 68:19

Very often the unexpected are blessings hidden throughout my day

If

I am willing to look

and I’m not distracted

by the “what if…?!”