A little over a month ago we were in a fast food place after church on Sunday. We were still in our church clothes, and as we normally do we prayed before starting. After a bite or two, this young man comes up to our table, pulls up a chair, and nervously begins talking. He said he felt strange doing this and had never done it before, but he felt that it was not God's will for Bobby to be in a wheelchair and wanted to know if he could pray for him. We just looked at each other. He's told me about this happening to him on numerous occasions, and I've heard from many people in a support group I belong to that this is a common occurrence, but it was the first time it's ever happened in front of me.
I'm thankful the guy was polite and asked if it was okay to pray with us (I've heard stories of people just doing it...you know, because they're on a mission from God), that he was humble in spirit (though telling someone they're out of God's will for simply existing in a chair is a bit arrogant, even if it's not meant that way), and he seem truly concerned. But after the prayer, he was clearly disappointed, and the outcome was not what he expected. The guy didn't stick around, and I'm thankful that he only held Bobby's hand during prayer time and didn't slap him on the head or rub his hands up and down his legs or arms, as if he were a prophet of old.
I know the Bible talks a lot about healing. And contrary to what Baptists teach and believe, I'm not totally convinced that the gift of healing ended with the New Testament/Early church era. And yet...
I know what it means for God to say no. There are numerous examples in Scripture of where God chose not to heal. And I've witnessed those same situations again and again in my lifetime. But I'm still uncertain how to deal with Christians who treat the gift of healing as proof of faith. And, I must confess, I was a bit angry. Did this guy honestly think we've never prayed for healing?!?
After Bobby's accident, he lost quite a few friends. Some of that happens with any life-altering event, but a few of them actually told him they were disappointed in him or that they knew he had hidden sins or God would have healed him. I'm sure they thought they were trying to help a "wayward" brother, but that's cruel.
So I guess this was all still playing over and over in the back of my mind as I read Laura Story's "When God Doesn't Fix It" last month. And it was a hard read, but also a refreshing one. It was good to hear another believer address all the myths about healing and restoration that continue to abound in the Christian church.
We talked on the way home about if we had invited that young man to join us and discuss Scripture and what it means to have a relationship with God and what the Bible says about healing, what we have said? Would that have changed his viewpoint? Probably not. And the reality is, we were all too shaken, shocked, and hurt by the encounter to have a rational discussion about anything.
If it ever happens again, I'm not sure how I will respond. I'm not sure there's a right or wrong way to handle such a scenario, but it's truly one I hope we never experience again.
I'm thankful the guy was polite and asked if it was okay to pray with us (I've heard stories of people just doing it...you know, because they're on a mission from God), that he was humble in spirit (though telling someone they're out of God's will for simply existing in a chair is a bit arrogant, even if it's not meant that way), and he seem truly concerned. But after the prayer, he was clearly disappointed, and the outcome was not what he expected. The guy didn't stick around, and I'm thankful that he only held Bobby's hand during prayer time and didn't slap him on the head or rub his hands up and down his legs or arms, as if he were a prophet of old.
I know the Bible talks a lot about healing. And contrary to what Baptists teach and believe, I'm not totally convinced that the gift of healing ended with the New Testament/Early church era. And yet...
I know what it means for God to say no. There are numerous examples in Scripture of where God chose not to heal. And I've witnessed those same situations again and again in my lifetime. But I'm still uncertain how to deal with Christians who treat the gift of healing as proof of faith. And, I must confess, I was a bit angry. Did this guy honestly think we've never prayed for healing?!?
After Bobby's accident, he lost quite a few friends. Some of that happens with any life-altering event, but a few of them actually told him they were disappointed in him or that they knew he had hidden sins or God would have healed him. I'm sure they thought they were trying to help a "wayward" brother, but that's cruel.
So I guess this was all still playing over and over in the back of my mind as I read Laura Story's "When God Doesn't Fix It" last month. And it was a hard read, but also a refreshing one. It was good to hear another believer address all the myths about healing and restoration that continue to abound in the Christian church.
We talked on the way home about if we had invited that young man to join us and discuss Scripture and what it means to have a relationship with God and what the Bible says about healing, what we have said? Would that have changed his viewpoint? Probably not. And the reality is, we were all too shaken, shocked, and hurt by the encounter to have a rational discussion about anything.
If it ever happens again, I'm not sure how I will respond. I'm not sure there's a right or wrong way to handle such a scenario, but it's truly one I hope we never experience again.
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