Sunday, January 31, 2010

Fool for Jesus?

For the past 3 months or so our church has been praying for a friend of ours that was in an automobile accident.  He was thrown by some accounts hundreds of feet from his vehicle.  He was in a coma for over 60 days and has come out of it although his movement is still significantly impaired.  A friend a church suggested several weeks back that he felt the Lord was leading him and others to "lay hands" on this individual.  I believe God can heal.  I've never been a part of the "laying on of hands" as described in the book of James (5:16).  I didn't feel particularly called to pray for this young man, but I did think it was worth asking the family if they were interested since my church friend didn't know the family personally.  I figured I would "tee it up" for the men.  To make a long story short, it was just he and I.  Introduced them, my friend connected the dots and I was available to go.  We chatted on the way there about how to approach this since we don't know if the family, while "churched" understand what it is to have a relationship with Christ.  We debated gospel verses or just pray.  I suggested a few verses from the gospel, testimony, which I was apprehensive but willing to share if it were what the Lord wanted.  I also told my friend that if he was hesitant about that I was more than willing to forgo that and just pray.  He borrowed a colloquialism from his wife and said, "sometimes shorter, is better.  Let's just pray."  I breathed a sigh of relief, but wondered why I had felt the Lord was leading me toward gospel.  So, we dropped in chatted a bit and then prayed and "layed hands" on the young man.  He received it, shuttered a bit upon conclusion, and then we left.

The thing is this:  God can heal that kid.  100%.  He didn't.  I know, that it isn't very often that God heals in that way anymore.  But I walked away feeling foolish.  Deep down I really hoped for something miraculous, something real that would show that God is who he says he is-even today.  That two schmucks from a little church down the road could come along, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and provide a conduit to the healing power of Jesus. 

So in the end, I don't know what we offered that young man.  A view that people come, pray to the God of the Universe and ending with a shutter - they move on with their lives?  What value did we bring?  Ultimately, I don't know.  I hope someday to know.  But God commanded us in the bible to pray for one another...and so I do.  May God be glorified in my ignorance.

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