“What happened?” I looked up from my crouched position as a steady stream of bodies moved slowly past us. Curiosity and anticipation lit their faces as if we were a display at the zoo about to do something unexpected.
I redirected my eyes back to the woman in front of me. She sat on the sidewalk with both legs straightened in front of her. She was older, her gray hair and wrinkles stating her obvious history on the earth.
She lifted a thin finger and pointed at a three-wheeled scooter off to her left. “I was just riding down the sidewalk here and hit something uneven.” She patted the sidewalk. “I just kind of fell over.”
I gently touched her bony wrist and felt the consistent bump of her pulse. “Are you having any pain?”
I continued through my assessment gathering all of the information I needed to determine that there were no life-threatening injuries. But there were a few lacerations that needed attention.
I looked into her eyes. They trembled slightly against her sockets. She was caught in a circumstance she wasn’t used too. I patted her knee gently. “Let’s go ahead and get you to the hospital so they can fix you up.”
Uncertainly clouded her expression but she relented with some encouragement from her daughter who stood by watching every detail unfold.
With assistance she was able to stand and make her way to the stretcher. A few minutes later she was inside of my rescue (ambulance) and we were on our way to the hospital. We spent the next several minutes chatting about the weather and scooters and other things.
Suddenly, a feeling I’d been having since I arrived by her side intensified and began to swirl in my stomach like a whirlpool. I knew the Lord was telling me He had something wonderful for her and that it was time to listen.
I got the feeling that the woman was a believer but didn’t know for sure. I was trying to listen to God for wisdom on how to breech the subject when she pointed to the window and said, “I think we just passed my church.”
I smiled. That was it. I leaned on my knees and looked at her. “Would you like me to pray for you?”
Comfort enveloped her like a blanket on a cold day. “That would be wonderful.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’m going to listen to God for just a moment first.” She nodded her consent. “Is it okay if I put my hand on your shoulder?” She nodded again.
I wasn’t long before I began to hear the soft voice of the Lord speak. I could feel His presence begin to fill the back of the rescue. I began to pray over her and speak the words God gave me. The words flowed from the overwhelming love of His heart. He talked about how much He loved her and what He thought of her. I watched her heart melt as the words medicated her in ways she longed for.
The Lord then began to highlight a couple of things from her past that had caused some damage to her heart. He also talked about His desire for her future. He spoke about freedom that was coming and some things she needed to let go of. She nodded as tears surrounded her big brown eyes. We sat in the atmosphere of perfect peace the rest of the way as she shared more of her heart.
When she was all transferred over to hospital care she grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Thank you so much for that.”
I squeezed back, smiled and left.
Let’s always be ready to be used by God to minister into someone’s life. Your story doesn’t have to look like mine. Each situation will be unique as we are all gifted in different ways. But the constant is love. Every gift is planted and founded in the great love of Father’s heart. There isn’t a person we will come across throughout our day that doesn’t need a piece of that love in some way.
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara Birkey
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Jesse and Kara Birkey are committed lovers of Jesus who seek to show others the extraordinary life of Jesus is available for everyone. They have authored two books, been featured in films and seek to serve the Lord in whatever ways they can. Follow their blog here.
Bring Jesse and Kara to your venue. Find more information here.
Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People has been endorsed by Sid Roth and Mark Virkler and is a collection of inspiring stories making it clear that the extraordinary life of Jesus is available to all who love Him. It’s also the testimony of Jesse’s life, the road he travelled bringing him into the arms of Jesus. Get the paperback here. Get the Kindle Version Here. View the trailer here.
Marriage What’s the Point? One couple finds meaning in a crazy mess is the story of their marriage—The tragedy and the restoration. They bear their hearts in an attempt to get others to bear theirs and finally receive the freedom they’ve longed for. Get the paperback here. Get the Kindle Version Here.
Jesse is also featured in the film DeadRaiser, a movie shining the spotlight on resurrection testimonies across the nation. Find more information here.
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