Blessing

I had someone approach me at the mall yesterday when I was shopping with Kiana, and asked me if I experienced pain (I guess he assumed that because I was disabled that I was in pain, which is not true in my case) and told me that God could heal pain through prayer.  I was so caught off guard that I  wasn't quite sure how to respond, but it would have been a perfect opportunity to see where he stood with Jesus and to share my faith.  Instead I just replied that I was not in pain and that I prayed too, and walked off.  I'm not a quick-thinker / quick-responder, or a great conversationalist, but now after thinking about it for awhile there's so much I wish I would have shared with him. 

I had a man approach me a few years ago and, referring to my disability, he said, "I'm sorry.  Jesus doesn't allow suffering in this world."  He obviously hasn't read the Bible!  And I am definitely not suffering.  I look at my disability as a Blessing.  Afterwards I came up with a million things I wish I would have said to him.  

 ^"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3

I've also had people say to me that they can help me walk better, or that God can heal me.  I don't want to walk better (except maybe to be able to walk again out in public on my own without a walker, like I was able to up until recently), and I don't need healing.  I was born disabled, God made me this way, He made me perfectly, this is who I am, I don't know any different, nor would I change myself.  

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

^" And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

I don't share much about my faith in my blog posts, but I love Jesus, and through every challenge, every victory, every joy, all praise goes to Him.   Next time a stranger approaches me, I pray to be more prepared; that God would give me the words to say.  Rather than see it as an inconvenience, to see it as an opportunity.  An opportunity for God's light to shine through me.  An opportunity for growth.

  My prayer is to glorify His name through my life.  

(See "My Faith" for more)