My daughter had a birthday party to attend at a ten pin bowling centre last Sunday, 16th October 2011. It was for a friend of hers, from her old school and, because she has just started at a new school, and she and I were going straight out that night, I arrived early so I could say my “hellos”, have the chats and say the “goodbyes” with plenty of time to spare … logical so I thought, but, in fact, the extra time was for a God appointment …
When I arrived, only the birthday girl’s parents were there. I had a lovely chat to the Mum but I noted that, as she walked, she limped. I asked her about it and found out that she had torn her left calf muscle …
I knew I was to pray, but I did not feel like kneeling at the bowling centre to lay hands on her calf. I felt mean, and guilty for not wanting to kneel, but I just didn’t; although I was willing to, if that was what God wanted.
I excused myself to go to the bath room, feeling a bit miffed, and, as I walked across the centre, I chatted to God about the fact that I really did not feel like getting on my knees to pray (see http://godisgoodstories.com/2011/09/21/and-he-played-footy-that-saturday-healing-of-ms-knee-winter-2009/ which is about being told to get on my knees and pray … in other words to get over myself and obey).
Well, God is funny …
God’s response to my musings was … “stop being so religious, just lay your hand on her shoulder” … which is exactly what I wanted to do in the earlier story but was told to kneel instead!
Laughing a bit to and at myself I came back from the bathroom, and told my friend that I was going to pray for her and I placed my hand on her upper arm … I invited the Holy Spirit to come, felt the anointing and as I prayed I released healing, admittedly, with some doubt, and as I did I could feel heat forming under my hand on her arm.
I asked her “can you feel that?” and she said in response, to my surprise, …”yes I can, it is all warm in my calf muscle where I hurt myself” …
Well … I did not expect that!
I laughed and told her about my chat to God and said that I knew you did not have to lay hands on the spot always, but I had not had the warmth come in another areas like this before, that I had felt it in my hand, while she felt it in her calf muscle …
Encouraged I said to her that the warmth would be the healing power of God, and I asked her to tell me when the warmth lifted. The warmth subsided just as the other mums came to collect the children and as I said my goodbyes she said she would tell me how she got on …
The following day, we exchanged a few texts, but I am ashamed to say I had completely forgotten about her calf muscle …
In any event, true to her promise, a text came back saying:
“… and leg feels better”
I saw her a few days later – she was walking limp free!
She had experienced God in a new way … and so had I …
I have been reminded that God will be God. He is not religious and seems to love to mix it up. There is no formula in what He does or how He does it …
He is not bothered in making us uncomfortable (hence having me kneel in the school playground in the earlier story), and is not impressed in us assuming that we have to do it a certain set way (hence His comment about not being religious when I thought I would have to kneel).
I believe it is rather all about us listening to Him … and conversing with Him.
In fact, I believe it is all about relationship … us knowing His voice and us learning to grow in ours … of us growing out of a place of servant hood into a place of friendship … It is about our listening and knowing His voice, our willingness to obey (to be the servant), and about our willingness to step out (to serve Him and others) … but it is also, most importantly, about our willingness to enter in and be with Him, to know Him … and for Him to know us … and it is in this place, most of all, that we will discover, together with the world that we release Him into that …
God is Good!