Redemption!

It's been a theme running through my mind recently...

He is a God who can redeem people.

And situations.

And I've been thinking a lot lately how He also can redeem bad days.

Here's an example.

Monday was horrible. It was the start of my third week of intensive Spanish classes, and as I sat there in the early morning listening to my teacher, I realized with horror that I could not understand one word she said. My brain felt foggy, and though I desperately tried to grasp what she was saying, it was as if all of the Spanish that I have learned in the past seven months had fallen out over the weekend.

And as luck would have it, we had a test that morning. I have never in my life scored as low on an assessment as I did that day. And as a perfectionist who has ridiculously high and unrealistic expectations for myself, I was devastated. Then I went to my conversation class, and stumbled my way through an additional forty minutes of groggy hell.

Physically drained from lack of sleep.
Emotionally exhausted from living in a culture different to the one I've known for thirty-four years.
Beyond frustrated at my failure.
I cried.
A lot.

Once home, frustrated and cried out, I lay down to take a nap before starting to study this language that seemed insurmountable.

And my phone rang.

Enter Ophelia.

This precious 85 year old lady lives here in Los Anonos, and views life from her bed or chair, because she can't walk. She has a left arm that is stuck bent at the elbow and clings tightly to her body. Her hand, nothing more than a little bird claw, constantly clenched -- all of this due to a stroke she had four years ago.

This past Sunday, a group was at her house and they prayed over that arm and hand... and witnessed a miracle, as Jesus brought healing and some range-of-motion for the first time in four years!

My phone ringing was Rodney calling to say, "Yesterday as we were at Ophelia's, I felt like God was saying your name to me. If you have time today, I'd like you to come with me to see her, and massage her arm and hand."

After hanging up, I pulled out my Bible and read stories of Jesus healing. And prayed for a long time, getting my heart and attitude right. I also began reading "Healing Unplugged" by Bill Johnson & Randy Clark, a book that I was excited about, but had put off starting because of school.

If God was going to do something big, I wanted to make sure I didn't miss it because I was too exhausted and me-focused to see Him at work.

Two hours later, I was kneeling on the hard floor of this woman's home, gently massaging her arm and praying without ceasing. "Lord, You did a miracle yesterday... but there is not full restoration. Bring life. Abundant life to this arm." She practically purred in quiet joy, as I went up and down her muscles, rubbing carefully so as not to tear her paper-thin skin.

I wiggled my fingers to show her what I couldn't express in Spanish - that I wanted her to imitate. And I'm sure her brain was asking her fingers to wiggle, but the only outward sign that came of that demand, was for the middle finger of her left hand to slowly unfurl. I giggled, feeling pure joy.

That afternoon, I knelt there with tears in my eyes - loving this precious child of God in a tangible way, bringing safe touch to a hurting body and hurting heart. I looked up at her and smiled, feeling like my heart was exploding out of my body through my eyes.  And she slowly reached out with her tiny right hand and started rubbing my arm as I worked on her left.

In that moment I knew that my day had been redeemed, for I had gone from a sobbing, frustrated mess to knowing that I was the luckiest person alive.