Jehovah Rophe, The Lord Our Healer

Ok, raise your hand if you're in the south and are wondering when they moved your state to the SURFACE OF THE SUN. I mean, it wasn't this hot in Brazil! And the equator runs THROUGH IT! My word!

So here's a story from my trip.

On about day 4, I started getting sick. SO. MUCH. FUN. Started out as just a cold and cough. I thought, "I can handle this, ok." Then came the fever, aches, and chills. In Brazil. People. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. OUTSIDE. Did I mention I was in Brazil? Near the equator? (and no I did not take a hooded sweatshirt to Brazil. One of the kids who went with us who has NO meat on her bones and is cold all the time took it and let me borrow it.)

Anyway, fever finally broke, aches went away, but the cold part stayed. Days go by and we're at the resort where we spent our last 2 days. (I know, suffering for Jesus). So then I get the sinus pain. You know the kind? Where your BONES in your face from your eyes to your jaws hurt constantly? And I'm getting on an airplane the next day. Where the air pressure in the plane is bound to make my head explode. I had been on medicine for 5 days and nothing was working. To say I was getting nervous is an understatement.

And my encouraging friends. What with all the "oh girl, I'm really worried about you flying. You're just going to be miserable. I'll be praying for you." Oh I kid. Not one person called me "girl."

Man, I'm really making this a long story. ha! It's good, I promise. SOOOO, we're sitting on the plane on Friday, 2 days of sinus pain, no relief. Everybody is praying, probably waiting for the screaming to start. I'm holding Daniel's hand, waiting for take-off. You know how they pull the plane to the end of the runway and rev the engines before you take off down the runway?

Well, they did that.

And all the pain in my face? IT WENT AWAY! And I don't mean it faded away like my Tylenol had finally, after 6 days, kicked in. I mean it WENT AWAY!

And I actually gasped. I put my hand over my mouth and gasped. And Daniel said "What? You don't have anymore pain, do you?" And of course, I cried and laughed all the way through take-off. Sweatshirt girl was on the other side of Daniel and she thought the pain had gotten a lot worse. I finally composed myself and we told her what happened and got word around to our team members.

God is so good. I mean, what an understatement, right? He kept that pain away for 3 flights!

Right before it happened I had been praying. And I don't think I have ever prayed so expectantly. I actually prayed "Lord, I know you're going to do something amazing through this." And I had such peace and I KNEW He was going to do something. I was nervous, yes. Because I did still have the pain. And I'm human. But something in me just KNEW. And yet I was surprised when it happened. What's up with that? I know I'm not the only one. We pray and pray, ask the Lord to move, say we believe that He will and then have the nerve to be surprised when He does! Like the man in the Bible who said "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!"

O Lord. Forgive me for putting You in a box. For putting human limitations on You. For not REALLY believing, but saying I do. Thank You for the awesome way You showed Yourself to me on that plane. For the amazing ways You showed Yourself to us in Brazil. Thank You for giving me the courage to go where You called me to go and do what You called me to do. Here am I, Lord. Send me again.