The North American Conference of the Order of St. Luke was truly an experience of Freedom in Christ. Indeed, there was a personal experience of another new Freedom in Christ in my life. I had gone to the conference to build relationships, learn more about the ministry of healing, and further understand why I was walking this path of faith as a legally blind person. Life is not easy when your vision is severely compromised; it is a hard fight as well as frustrating just to live life, and to maintain trust and hope in those around you.
Ultimately the various messages from our speakers and workshops came to life within me as God was preparing me, opening me for healing. I did find freedom in forgiveness, was released from captivity, was launched into joy with the freedom of an unveiled face, was filled beyond overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and did return home a different person than the person who came to the conference. What I returned home with was a testimony of healing that others might find the reality of miracles today, know of Christ’s healing power, and see the depths of and physical manifestations of God’s unbounded love for us. Standing on that stage Friday seeing the faces of the conference attendees was so wonderful, it was very uplifting to take with me knowledge of what everyone looked like and how everyone sounded. Wow! It was and is so wondrous and joyful for me to look out and see!!!
On Thursday night when the ministry time began (this was a time of offering healing prayers and the laying-on-of-hands) I was drawn to stay. A favorite passage (John 1:1-5) about Jesus being the Word, the light that shines in the darkness and overcomes the darkness began running through my mind as I was just being there “watching” as it were, and urging people to go ahead for healing.
Then, when I was turning to leave Rev. Dr. Jack Sheffield called to me saying that he and Rev. Ruth Urban would pray for me. Earlier on Thursday I had attended Ruth Urban’s “Freedom in Forgiveness” workshop and worked through some forgiveness issues. I responded to Jack and Ruth’s inquiry on what to pray for with a request for thanksgiving for being involved in the healing ministry, for the joy and depths of faith that I find in it; for relief from pain from an old shoulder injury; and finally my eyes. They (Jack and Ruth) exclaimed- “honey, we are praying for your eyes!” Now Jack and Ruth were looking at my uncovered eyes ready to pray for me. Jack asked about any anger or frustration with the doctors. Without realizing it I was living in a broken state; some issues around forgiveness, and anger and frustration with the doctors and trying to live life had been stuffed away. I turned over the whole bundle of anger and frustration in prayer with Jack and Ruth. Then they began to pray, and then I was opening my eyes and looking up at Jack and Ruth from the floor, having been slain in the spirit. I realized that I was looking up and was SEEING them- SEEING jack, Ruth, and the room clearly!!! I was uttering “Thank you-Thank you God. Praise God I can see!” Thrilled Jack smiled at me and turned loudly proclaiming to the room “We have a miracle here, someone has been healed!”
This is the third time that God has Graced my life with His healing powers. Miracles happen every day, we need to acclaim our miracles to bring them to life for those around us to know that miracles are alive and well today. As I process this, I realize that God’s healing occurred deep within in a healing of forgiveness and release of anger and frustration- and that healing was physically manifest in the restoration of sight –the healing of my eyes. In continuing to process this all I realize that verse 24 from the I Peter 2:21-25 passage really shows us the true healing power of Jesus by tying His healing and restoration of us to the Cross: Jesus bore our sins on the Cross to free us from sin, and by His wounds we are healed.