Written by a guest author.
Hi, lovelies! This week, we have a submission from a guest author who has chosen to remain anonymous. She tells of her experience with God's healing power, how He did a miracle in her life, and the lessons she learned from a traumatic event. I pray her story blesses you and challenges you to trust God with the things that scare you.
AN UNLIKELY ACCIDENT
I was working retail for a store in Manhattan, New York. This was a nice, clean store with a lot of clientele. My shifts were normal; but one day, I found myself in a rush to grab a requested clothing item inside of a big closet — the type you'd see in the basement of a large department store.
In my frenzy, I slid the closet door open too quickly. Before I knew it, a sharp pain shot up my arm. I was in shock.
"What had just happened?" I thought to myself.
"I'm a strong girl," I reasoned.
"Is this really happening right now?" I believed I could open the closet door with ease, but apparently not.
I decided to go home after my shift at work... But the pain never went away.
The next week, I went to work at my second job, but my shoulder was still bothering me. I decided to go on WebMD (because who doesn’t use WebMD, right?) and I was scared by the search results.
Dislocated shoulder? Separated shoulder? These terms scared me. I clocked out and immediately ran to the nearest emergency room. The physician assistant looked at all of my x-rays and said it was a muscle sprain. She instructed me to get rest, take some ibuprofen and to ice it. So I did. She said I was clear to work after a week, and I went back to work shortly after. Unfortunately, a week was too soon. The pain had returned.
Because I'd seen no improvements, I was told to visit an orthopedist.
I was nervous.
"What could this mean?" I wondered. "Surgery? Had I permanently messed up my shoulder?"
Carrying things quickly became a burden. Combing my hair was now painful. Almost any activity became hell, as using my left shoulder caused unimaginable pain. So, I overcompensated by using only my right shoulder (which began to hurt too because it was taking on all of the responsibility).
I was fed up. The orthopedist told me I had a joint sprain and that I may need months of rest.
"Great, just great," I thought. "My summer is cancelled because I’ll be at home icing my injury." *insert eye roll here* 🙄
REST, PRAYER & FASTING
What I didn’t realize, however, is that God wanted me to take it slow and rest. I was so wrapped up in school and work that I sidelined the things I used to do like fasting, listening to sermons and just taking time to appreciate the little things in life. Being stuck at home allowed me to really appreciate God and my family.
Nonetheless, I still desired supernatural healing from God. I followed the doctor's advice, but I also chose to do a one week fast. I was reminded of a scripture: “this type only leaves with prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). Jesus spoke this to His disciples after they'd failed to cast out a demon from a young boy. Upon seeing Jesus perform the miracle with ease, they inquired as to why there were unable to do so. Jesus told them that the reason they couldn't was because their faith was lacking; however, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed. you can move mountains and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20).
Reading this challenged me to strengthen my faith. So, I accepted the challenge: I embarked on a week-long fast.
This was the first time I had fasted in years. To be honest, I felt some shame. Bible study was also something I hadn’t tackled for some time, until recently when I decided to seek God again and make him a part of my life. I desired to be close to him... like a friend — a best friend. He calls me friend, so I knew I should treat him like one. Thanks to this truth, I didn’t allow shame to swallow me.
I fasted and by the end of the week I felt different. I felt lighter, freer. My healing finally took place (in stages) and, as I mentioned earlier, I still rest but I'm able to fill this time to feed by partaking in the things it needs: listening to sermons, reading and applying the word to my life, and taking time to listen to what God says. It’s not always easy, but there is blessing in the hardship.
In this time, God opened my eyes to see that I didn't only need physical healing, but emotional healing, as well. A cleansing so to speak. I thank God for his healing, as I know that when I see my orthopedist again, I’ll hear a different story concerning my shoulder; I know that I’ll be able to do all of the things I used to love doing but with God as more of a priority. I refuse to tuck him away in my pocket and only take him out when I want or need him like I used to. I refuse to put God into a neat, little box that is convenient for me.
"I refuse to tuck him away in my pocket and only take him out when I want or need him, like I used to. I refuse to put God into a neat, little box that is convenient for me."
Instead, I choose to walk with him — side by side. God doesn’t want lukewarm Christians. He desires hearts that are serious about him. Revelation 3:15-16 states “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm —neither hot nor cold— I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
I share my story with you because this ordeal tested my faith, causing me to exercise and strengthen it all the more. So, does God perform miracles? Yes he does — but you have to bring something to the table: your faith. Hebrews 11:6 states, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
So, lean in to the pain. Seek him with all your heart... you may be surprised at what you find.
Thanks for reading!
I'd love to hear from you in the comments: is there a situation in your life that's challenging you to strengthen your faith?
Song of the week: "Prophesy Your Promise" by Bryan and Katie Torwalt
Crystal ❤️