The room smelled of chemical dyes and shampoo. I sat in the beautician\’s chair as she flittered about the tiny room, chattering as she cleaned up various bottles and styling tools. I felt weak and sick, discouraged from another day of sickness and nausea and pain. But, I knew that God wanted me to reach out of myself today despite my weakness.
The nerves in my belly rattled and my spirit cried out for God to help me in this conversation. I love talking about Jesus, sharing the good news with strangers, however, has never been easy for me. But of late God has been burning it on my heart as something he desires for me to grow in. I began sharing my testimony in bits and pieces, just testing the waters to see where she stood spiritually. As I shared, an intense love for this stranger welled up in my heart, and I longed with all my heart for her to know Jesus.
The stylist listened intently, but was quick to inform me she had been raised Jehovah\’s Witness and went to a Catholic school. She wanted nothing to do with religion. After hearing her out, I clarified, \”I am not talking about religion. I am talking about a personal relationship with Jesus. It is Jesus, the hope of glory, who has changed my life.\” Unfamiliar with this, she started asking questions, seeking to understand exactly what I believed. I silently pleaded with the Spirit to give me wisdom and the right words to reach her heart.
As I was sharing about how God had sustained me through years of health problems, she stopped me. \”Your story sounds like a movie or a book. I had no idea that God can work like that.\” I was dumbfounded. Although I boasted of God\’s power and strength to do all things, I had not yet experienced the healing I had been praying for. But what she heard was God\’s sustaining presence and faithfulness through it all.
I felt the Spirit leading me to share more about my children. I told her how the doctors had told me I wouldn\’t be able to get pregnant. One day as I was reading Joel, the Lord spoke to me through a verse that referred to him sending a blessing, but for me, this blessing was going to be a baby. A month later, I was pregnant. The beautician gaped, \”God can really speak to you?\” I shared with her that Jesus is the Living Word who still speaks today. We talked for the full length of my hair appointment.
I had it in my heart to pray for her before I left, but another beautician had just come over to talk. \”Excuse me?\” I interrupted. \”Can I pray for you?\” A few minutes earlier I had felt an inclination to pray for her back but had nudged it aside, uncertain if this was from Lord. The impression returned with greater force. “Can I pray for your back also?\” She looked at me stunned, \”How did you know? I hurt my back three days ago and I\’ve been in a lot of pain.\” \”God cares about you and knows everything about you,\” was all I could think to say.
So, trembling I placed my hand on her back and began praying for her, that God would speak to her, reveal himself to her, and heal her back. Even as I am writing this I received a text from the beautician saying, \”Good morning Karis I just want to thank you so very much for your heartfelt prayers, it\’s hard to believe but my pain is gone. I really was feeling it, but in the morning when I wake up it wasn\’t there today and it\’s amazing the power of prayer. I always say I\’m the only one that can pray for me. I learned something new, thank you.\”
I am honestly stunned and thrilled. Stunned that God would use me and thrilled that his Name is being glorified. It\’s always hard for me to pray for healing for others when I have not been healed myself. I somehow feel unqualified, not to mention discouraged. But, it is God\’s power that works through us, it is nothing of our own strength. Sometimes in our weakness, we feel we have nothing to offer, but this is precisely where Christ\’s power rests on us. There is a world out there in need of good news. In need of healing and hope. In need of Jesus. We must not believe the lie that we are too weak or somehow unqualified to be the light of Jesus to those around us. In our weakness he truly is powerful. Be glorified through us Lord Jesus!
This is so uplifting!! It amazes me how powerful God is and how he works through people. Your writing is fantastic, by the way. :))
This brought tears to my eyes. I know your longing for healing, as I have ached for the same thing. But to hear how God is using you and growing you is truly an inspiration and a reminder of the goodness of the God we serve. Thank you for sharing your heart, Karis, and for your bravery and courage in the name of Jesus.
Thanks Beth. Yes longing, such longing for healing, but also to see God’s kingdom advancing as we wait. Crying out that things would be here on earth as they are in heaven, may it be Lord Jesus! Hang in there friend, he isn’t finished yet!
Wow! So amazing! I didn’t know that about your son either! Thank you for sharing this! It really struck me that you said you didn’t know if you could pray for healing for someone else when you haven’t been healed yourself…. Thank you for taking the leap of faith and encouraging me to do the same!