Can't you just see and feel the love between these two? What an amazing connection we have with our little ones. Even at this young age, she knows how to get her mom's attention and make her happy. What a sweet, sweet intimate moment I was blessed to witness!
On Sunday night at the HUB meeting, Dana Morey continued with his amazing message helping us all to change our thinking, which transform our minds. I love how the Passion Translation of Romans 12:2 reads....
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think.
There was simply so many good, powerful concrete ideas contained in Dana's message. But on the way home, I was thinking about one "bullet point" thing that Dana said and I can not get it out of my head! It brought me back to an amazing miracle that Jesus has done in my life. Here is that
bullet point.......IF YOU DON'T WANT IT, DON'T SAY IT!
Way, way back in 1999 (Doesn't that seem like a very long time ago?), I had been under a doctors care, pretty much constantly, for severe asthma. As a matter of fact, in April of 1999, I noticed that the new Cardiopulmonary doctor that I was seeing, had slapped a large, red sticker over the front of my chart that said "COPD Patient".(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) I had been referred to this doctor because Ken and I had planned a vacation to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary, and it involved flying and a week away from home. This doctor had tested me and prescribed several new inhalers and oral drugs that would allow me to make this trip. But as time passed, these new drugs were not helping much. There is a very odd thing that happens to people with breathing problems. You get so "used to" having low oxygen levels that you don't realize how bad it really is. By the time I would realize that I needed to hit the emergency room, it was usually an emergency!
Now my church, my pastors and my friends had been praying for me often over the last year. I would frequently go to the prayer teams, or to the altar for prayer. I would leave the church and feel better for a few hours, but it never seemed to really STICK! Sometime in the early fall of 1999, I heard a sermon around "owning" our illness' or infirmities. I realized that I had been doing that! I would say "My asthma is really bad." Or I would say, "I have really serious asthma," So I became aware of how many times I used my words to own this horrible and damaging illness. The last week of October of 1999, our church held a week of prayer meetings in the evenings. During one of these meetings I realized that I had hit that point of needing to see the doctor as my breathing was very bad. Before I could leave the church, my pastors and all the elders gathered around me and began to pray to break this illness off of me. It was a powerful, powerful prayer time that cleared my breathing immediately. I was able to stay for the rest of that service. On the way home, I realized the connection between stopping my WORDS claiming this illness and the prayers that night. However, I expected that, as usual, my symptoms would quickly return. In the morning I woke up and realized that I was breathing well. My peak flow meter showed 650.... an unbelievable number since my usual morning numbers were under 200. I took all my medicine that morning. As the day went on, it became more and more clear to me that I had experienced a true miracle! I could feel the difference in my lungs, in my breathing and just in general. A friend of mine who is a nurse, listened to my breathing that day. With a stunned look on her face, she asked what had happened! She said she had never heard air flow in all parts of my lungs before that day. I made a faith decision to stop all of my medicines. And I have never been treated for asthma since that time. My doctors have confirmed over the years, that this is truly a miracle. The disease that was documented in my charts doesn't just go away. After about 5 years, they removed the sticker from my chart. Anytime I hear someone "owning" their illness, I remember this miracle. Our words have power. Great power. So my message tonight is really simple. Whatever it is..... don't say it if you don't want it!
The miracle of my breathing with ease, is born out of my relationship with Jesus. It is because of Him, because of the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, that healing was released. Looking at the picture of Susie and sweet little Grace, seeing the intense love and joy between the two of them, helps me to visualize the connection that I have with God. We are so blessed to be able to sit on the lap of our God, look into His eyes and see His smile. What a beautiful reminder of the great love of Jesus.
Yes, it is good to remember and recount testimonies of miracles. But it is also a wonderful privilege to proclaim the great love that Jesus has for all people.
Jesus, thank you for loving us and calling us to come sit on your lap. Holy Spirit, help us all to be aware of our words and the power that we have in our tongue. Remind us that we have a daddy in heaven that loves us. Jesus, thank you for the breath of life. Amen
I remember when I asked for prayers at church for Tracy and it led me to the library after the doc talked about schoolaphobia and there is such a thing. Miracles
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