After a busy working morning, I could hardly wait to get out into the beautiful Spring sunshine and walk around freely without being lashed by wind and rain. I felt drawn to go into Slough and see what was going on there.
It was quiet! Especially for a Friday. Partly down to the general closure of shops in the town but I think the Coronavirus was beginning to impact things too. Having done an initial walkabout around town and through the shopping centres, I realised that I was flagging - my energy reserves were obviously lower than I thought! Though I hadn’t yet encountered anyone today, I felt ready to go back home and rest.
On the way back to the car park, I popped into a shop for a birthday card. There were two young sales assistants at the till, a young guy and alongside him a petite, young Muslim girl, wearing a veil. Just before the girl served me, I noticed her moving her upper body in a way that looked like she was in pain. I asked if she had back ache and she told me she had woken up in pain that morning. There were other customers in the shop, one nearing the till, so I didn’t have opportunity to offer prayer – to be honest I just wanted to leave and go home anyway!
Inside the area just before the car park, I had this thought that “Jesus in me” means I have something that can help that girl with back pain. Even if my own physical body feels tired, I can press into something beyond the physical – into the realm of His Spirit, the energy of Heaven. It felt like Jesus was inviting me to go beyond my own borders and offer that girl the opportunity to be prayed for. Even if she didn’t accept the invitation, I would be learning more of the reality of laying down my life for the sake of another. Jesus wanted to stretch my faith AND my heart. That felt important. It was time to go back to the card shop.
I had to wait for an opportune time when the shop had no customers (praying current ones out and new ones to stay away!) Eventually I went in and cheerily greeted the two assistants - again! I explained how I’d been on my way back to the car but then stopped, thinking that I have something that could help with the back pain troubling the poor assistant. I explained I was a Christian who prays for people in pain and regularly see that pain taken away by Jesus. I mentioned that I had previously prayed for two colleagues of theirs in that same shop (see “Touching her toes for the first time” post). They even knew which colleagues I was talking about! (Thank you, Holy Spirit. for reminding me of that encounter in such a timely way.!)
Honestly, though, I expected the girl to turn down my offer of prayer. She seemed a very shy, conservative kind of young lady and obviously a Muslim, now faced with some random stranger talking about Jesus. But she agreed to let me pray for her back! Her pain was in her upper back and she scaled it at 7/10 on a pain scale. She must have been in a lot of discomfort. I explained I would pray very briefly and that I didn’t want her to be nice to me afterwards but to tell me honestly how she was after testing it out. After the first prayer (during which she didn’t feel any sensations) she said that the pain had gone down to about 4. Great! But not good enough!
I prayed a second time, commanding all residual pain to obey the name of Jesus and leave. Afterwards – no more pain! Zero! She felt completely fine and was smiling and thankful. She was nervous, however, about doing a recorded interview testimony, which I totally respect. Before leaving, I emphasised again that it was Jesus who had done that for her because of His great love for her. Some customers were coming to the till, so it was time to go.
On reflecting afterwards, I realise that Jesus would have been quite okay with it if I hadn’t gone back and prayed for that girl. And there are some days where His prompting might be for me to go home and rest. But He had something He wanted to do in me as well as in her that day. He gave me an opportunity to see that I can “push through” when I let Jesus lead things, rather than be led by my feelings or perceived weakness. He loves people so much that He can move through any amount of frailty or limitation on our part in order to minister to them! But He still needs my “yes”! When I lose my life, others who don’t yet have His life can find it – and I find it too!
It is such a joyous thing to be weak so that He can show Himself strong – and to be part of seeing His miracles signpost others to Him.