The Gift of Healing

     Were you aware that prior to the mid 1800's it was a common belief and understanding that spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues, miracles, healing and prophecy no longer existed?  That our Heavenly Father did not directly communicate with and bless His people as He had in old times?  Check any church history prior to 1830, the concept of an active and participatory God who spoke to and through His children was nonexistent during the 18th and into the 19th century.  Oh, don't get me wrong there were many good and God fearing people with great faith.  They just didn't believe the gifts of the spirit were in existence.  And, barring some isolated incidents, I believe they weren't.

     Then in 1830 Christ re-established the fullness of His gospel on the earth.  And now, 183 years later, it is common in those of all christian faiths to believe in the active gifts of the spirit.  Prophecy, miracles, healings and speaking in tongues are all known and recognized gifts of the Holy Spirit that are understood to be active in the earth.  It is an amazing contrast that I cannot ignore.  What is my point?  Well, really that is just a tangent to my main purpose today.  I want to share with you a gift of healing I was given last night.

     So, about 5yrs ago I obliterated my ACL while skiing.  The injury required surgery and several months of rehab before I was moving normal again and unfortunately you can't sustain that much damage to a joint without weakening the entire thing which means that knee is forever my 'weak' knee.  People ask me which is my 'bad' knee...folks I don't have a 'bad' knee, just one that is weaker than the other.  It functions as it should, I just have to be more careful with the amount of stress and strain I put on it.  If a knee holds me up and functions it is not 'bad'.

     Anyway, awhile ago I learned the hard way that if my foot is planted solid and my upper body turns quickly to the right it sets off a painful chain reaction in my left knee.  I forget what the physical therapist said it's called, but essentially my MCL becomes inflamed and angry and refuses to fully extend or bend without severe pain.  apparently the pain is similar to actually tearing the MCL so it takes a week or two for them to be able to tell if it is just inflammation or something more severe.  (basically if it gets better with therapy its minor, if it doesn't get better...to the surgeon you go.)

     Last night after doing my workout I sat on the floor playing with my dog for awhile.  As I began to get up from the floor I felt a familiar stab of pain in my left knee.  Yep, it was that simple.  I was sitting and moved to a squatting position and instantly my outlook on the day darkened.  I attempted to put my full weight on my left leg and was met with such blinding pain that I literally cried out.  I knew immediately what part of my knee was angry, what I didn't know is how bad it was.  I stumbled into the kitchen grabbing chairs and counter tops for support as I went.  Each step brought forth a new cry and by the time I made it the twelve feet to the kitchen sink I was sobbing.  A combination of nauseating pain and paralyzing fear that something was horribly wrong dominated my being.  I took some ibuprofen and got my ice pack out of the freezer then moved with the speed of a half paralyzed zombie into the bathroom to get a wrap.

     Once set up on the couch with my leg up and on ice I began praying and begging God.  Please help this to calm down, please don't let it be bad.  I sent a message to my three best friends asking for prayers that somehow it would be okay.  About ten minutes into my misery one of my roommates came home.  She asked what happened and I could barely answer through my deluge of tears.  I told her I didn't know what was making me cry more, the pain or the fear that I had sustained a severe injury.  She made the decision that I needed administration and called for two ministers to come. Buckle up, this is where it gets really good.

     My neighbor (who is a minister in my church), his wife, a friend and another minister from a block over all showed up at my front door within ten minutes.  My neighbor's wife had just had surgery the day before and felt the need for administration as well.  We had a season of prayer after which both of us were administered to.  As the ministry laid their hands on my head and began to pray I immediately felt an overwhelming peace fill my body.  My muscles, tense from fighting the pain, fully relaxed.  My breathing became deep and even and my heart became calm.  As I spoke in my heart to my Heavenly Father, He answered through the prayers of his servants.  No joke, no exaggeration here.  EVERYTHING I asked Him for in my mind was immediately spoken of or referenced by the ministry in their prayers.  Before they even finished praying, I knew my knee was fine.  When they said amen they moved to my sister and began administering to her, and I took my leg down and bowed in prayer.  No pain when I moved, NONE!

     When my sister's administration was over I stood up and walked into the kitchen.  There was some pain as I fully extended my leg and placed my full weight on it, but I was walking around the house with only minor pain!  Not even a half hour before It took me ten minutes and significant pain/tears just to get ibuprofen and an ice pack.  The miracle of healing folks.  There are no two ways about it.

     Perhaps you chose to see my testimony as only a coincidence.  After all....the pain isn't entirely gone and I will have to baby my knee for a few days until I am 100% again.  Shouldn't I be perfectly fine and able to run a marathon if I was healed?  Well, I can't tell you what to believe only you can do that.  I can only tell you what I know.  I know that at 9:30pm last night I wasn't sure If I would be walking normally again without surgery.  After being administered to I was walking around my house with only minimal pain and this morning I was able to take my niece to school and take a trip to the grocery store.  That my friends is absolutely nothing short of a miracle.  That my friends is the power and gift of healing.  Take a look through your scriptures, where are we promised perfection?  We are promised to be given what we need, nothing more.  I am going about my day because He has healed me, the little pain that remains is only there to remind me of His gift.