Yesterday I was working away in the kitchen when all of a sudden I heard a loud thud, and simultaneously a gut wrenching scream of anguish!!!
I TURNED
…..and racing to the front room arrived a split second before our grandson Ajay, who had also immediately TURNED from what he had been doing, to run upstairs from the basement. We found ‘Nana’ lying on the floor in agony.
While doing her exercises using resistance bands, at the peak of the Deadlift stretch, the heavy steel bar had slipped out of both her hands and catapulted downward releasing the tension onto her unprotected feet and bringing the full force of what must have been nearly 100 lbs crashing down on her toes.
“The Storm is Upon Us.”
…….our present day world in a battered, broken and painful condition.
…….and yet the title scripture expresses God’s desire to heal us, and ‘fix’ this crazy mixed up creation!
In Jim Caviezel’s powerful testimony, he describes how he yielded to a godly prompting, saying ‘Yes’ to the role of Jesus in ‘The Passion of the Christ’,
He says, “I made the choice to trust Jesus and take the part……. But I didn’t play Him. He played me!”
….for as the actor subsequently experienced, the “unquenchable fire” of searing pain in his body and soul, he tasted to an infinitesimally small degree what it was that Christ suffered in order to heal this world.
The purpose of humanity’s current pain, is the same transformation that I see in this one man, who was destined to act the part of ‘Jesus’, and was through brokenness and pain made all the more Christlike…. as he was ‘played’.
The above words in the title are part of Paul’s exhortation to the Jews in Rome where he arrives at the end of his life’s journey. He quotes Isaiah,
‘”You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed hear see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; least they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart.’
This is the ‘stupidity’ that Deitrich Bonhoeffer described so well in the brief video I posted last week.
But as C.S. Lewis said, “Pain is God’s megaphone to awaken a sleeping world.” and we know that God has also committed, in the end, through whatever means, to open every person’s ear, eye and heart to the truth, the whole horrific truth about evil as depicted in the soon to be released movie about child trafficking,”Sound of Freedom” and the whole glorious truth about the utterly amazing goodness and grace of God to rescue and heal.
….that in being jolted by pain to TURN
….they might then be healed
This is beautifully illustrated in the following confession of a Greek Orthodox priest whose agony in sensing his spiritual separation from God after yielding to human pressure rather than a godly prompting, propels him to TURN…. and so, to be healed.
This priest, like Jim Caviezel, has been drawn closer to Jesus – through suffering.
His particular experience maps onto a profound encounter with God Hilary and I had one night a few weeks ago. I recorded it in the piece I wrote, “Consider then the Kindness and Severity of God.” In the essay I subsequently applied the biblical principles we teach at the FREEDOM! retreat to this same situation in order that those who, like this priest, regret this specific action, might access the grace of God… to find healing and PEACE.
“Now may the God of PEACE marry you through and through.”
When I found my injured bride, I took the same action we have taken in similar situations for 25 years. It is recorded in James 5:14, “Is any one of you sick? ….pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
I immediately applied from God’s medicine cabinet the essential plant oils we have learned are both “safe and effective” to the affected area, and laying hands (ever so gently!) on the injured toes, released God’s healing power.
She also asked for something to distract her from the pain. I had watched Jim Caviezel’s speech inspire Ajay his brother and cousin the day before. Hilary began to watch, and tears started rolling down her cheeks. This was beyond physical.
I sensed she like Jim was experiencing like Paul a deeper intercession…..
“Now I rejoice in what was suffered……and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s suffering for the sake of his body.” (Col.1:24)
We were not surprised when this morning we looked down and instead of ‘bruised and broken’ we saw ‘healed and (for the most part) “Happy Feet”‘ : – )
It was an amazing improvement, and Hilary’s residual limp reminded me of Jacob who having been “Played by God” was transformed and freed from fear as he beheld at ‘Peniel’ (= face of God) – His Father’s true – ‘smiling’ face, yet forever carrying the sobering reminder of that humbling and life changing encounter.
“By faith Jacob…….worshiped God as he leaned on his staff.” (Heb.11:21)
