Chain Reaction of Miracles

Some more s’mores please! 

This picture is at first glance looks like a regular bonfire. But it is actually documentation of how the Holy Spirit is blazing bright in our lives and spreading miracles like wildfire.
Next to me is a sister in Christ name Shelby. She is on J squad and she crossed paths with my squad in the Costa Rica jungle. She used to have allergies, but in Colombia on one particular day they went to a farm in the mountains and the only food available for her to eat were full of her allergies so was not going to eat. But the host family said no God will take care of this so the family and her team came around her and prayer. After she ate the food with no consequences. And every day after that she ate the food pain free. Within 3 minutes of meeting her, I heard the miracle God had done in her life and I wanted it. I asked her to pray for me and she said of course when you’re ready we will pray.

When you are ready? That question hit me differently. I am usually always ready for prayer, but what that question really meant was, was I ready to take that step of faith? Myself and others have prayed for my intolerance in the past and I still somehow ended up running to the bathroom. I was scared and was not sure if I was ready to trust God and give him the burden I had been carrying.

Those who don’t know my full story, in college I took an antibiotic that ruined my stomach. For years I got constant stomach aches and the bathroom became a best friend I didn’t particularly enjoy the company of. I was in so much physical pain it was sometimes hard to be emotionally present with friends and family. I went to doctor after doctor and tried different procedures and meds and finally accepted my fate of ongoing pain. When I went to Iceland I met someone who previously had similar issues who had done a blood test with a functional doctor and discovered her intolerances. Eager to find relief I did the same and one blood test later I discovered I had 9 intolerances: gluten, dairy, almond, eggs, pinnacle, bananas, avocado, buffalo, and brewers yeast. I cut those foods out of my diet and for the first time in years pain subsided and I had more time for other best friends.

Well while I could cook for myself at home the race made things a little more complicated. I was determined just to buy my own snack and live off peanut butter if I had to, but God has been good to me and the cooks have been extremely accommodating. Even so I was sick of being a burden. I was sick of people making exceptions for me. I was tired of seeing the sad face of someone who made something with love and I couldn’t enjoy it with them. Embarrassed and ashamed I prefer to not eat than have people make exceptions for me.

What I didn’t realize at first was the power I was giving the food until someone shared with me their story about alcohol and how they completely refrained from it entirely thinking that it would control them or send them back to drinking excessive amounts. They talked about how they decided to no longer give alcohol that power and they were able to have just one drink and not crave more. I realized I had done the same thing with the food. I had given food the power over not just my physical state but my emotional state as well. I reminded myself that God made us authors and gives us the authority over our own lives. Was I allowing food to speak death or life into me? It was time I spoke life into myself and stopped giving power to things that didn’t deserve it. I was ready to give God space to heal me. I was ready to accept the miracle he had in store for me and stop carrying the burden of inconvenience.

April 17 Shelby, Rob ( her squad leader who had been healed of his apple intolerance) and both teams came around me and prayed a beautiful prayer of healing and in that moment my stomach was made new.

I wasn’t the only miracle that month. Kristin my teammate was also healed of her gluten and dairy intolerances. She has not had a rash ( her reaction to food) since and we are both, dare I say, thriving in Colombia. And it couldn’t have been more perfect timing because fun fact our meal spot and kitchen in Colombia is actually a bakery, so gluten, eggs and dairy galore. What is even crazier is my leaders sent our host a list of my intolerances before we were healed and she only remembered the vegetarians. Kristin and I’s intolerances weren’t even on her radar. Holy Spirit must have told her. In fact there hasn’t been one meal here where I haven’t eaten at least one of my intolerances. But I’m enjoying every bite and thanking God every day for getting to be apart of his story. I’m excited to pray with declaration, healing and continue the chain reaction.

Also update yesterday at lunch we prayed for my squad leader’s carrot intolerance and 24 hours later she is still consequence free!! Before yesterday she has not tasted carrots in 12 years!! Amen!