I was honored today to be asked to speak at the 2nd Soul Spa Sisterhood Retreat, and to share God’s story of healing Paul. What is so amazing about the opportunity is that the verse chosen for Soul Spa is:
Mark 6:31 (NIV): “…Come with Me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Right after that verse, Jesus performs the miracle of multiplication – feeding 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. But the miracle doesn’t stop there. He then asks the disciples to collect the broken pieces – and those broken pieces fill 12 basketfuls!
Here is how it connects – the disciples were collecting that miracle and taking that with them as a reminder of what had just happened. And, I believe we are meant to collect the miracles in our lives – to see them, hold them, and share them with others.
God’s healing of Paul is a miracle! There are no other words to describe what God did. It is a miracle. And, I just feel so compelled to share His story – almost like walking through the time of Jesus and seeing the miracles He performed. People couldn’t keep it in. He would ask them to not tell anyone, but how could they do that? How could they keep this to themselves? They needed to share it. And, that is exactly how I feel.
I do not know why God chose us for this. I think about the Francesca Battistelli song – He Knows My Name. Here is the starting of the song:
“Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
Somebody less than perfect
I wouldn’t choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I’d understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that’s just not my story
True to who You are
You saw my heart
And made
Something out of nothing.”
The blessing is that I get to share God’s story of healing Paul. I get to share His words and His healing. I get to share His story. And, truly, I don’t feel worthy.
As I shared His story today, I am so thankful He gave me the words to say. He helped me remember the parts of the story that would be impactful to others. He helped me stay strong, even as I was sharing the most difficult times of our life so far.
Heavenly Father,
I praise Your glorious name! I come to You in thanksgiving today for providing Your words and Your strength for the discussion today at Soul Spa. I pray that the women that heard Your story of healing Paul will be able to see both that miracle, and the additional miracles You have provided in their lives.
While the outcome for Paul is nearly complete healing, that is not always Your answer to prayer. We know Your greatness is not tied to an outcome. Your greatness is ALWAYS! You provide miracles each and every day. My prayer today is that we can all see the miracles You provide and share them and Your words with others, so that we can multiply the members of Your church.
Father, I am not sure what You have in store for me next. I pray for peace in the process. I pray for my obedience to Your will and Your plan for me and for our family.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen!
