A Touch from Me, a Touch from Him
Two weeks ago I went by to visit my friend Shahaz, and found her in bed with severe back pain. Normally cheerful and animated, her face was pale and wore an exhausted expression. She slowly sat up and I began massaging her lower back, which seemed to give her some relief. Then I told her I was going to pray for her in Jesus’ name, and she gave me a small nod. My language isn’t good enough for a long prayer, but with my hand still on her back, I asked God to heal her and take away the pain, and to give her and her family peace. And I ended with, “in the name of Jesus” in the local language. She smiled, and after rubbing her back a little more, I left.
A few days later, my husband and I were passing by the grocery shop, and stopped to ask her husband how Shahaz was doing. He told us, “She’s fine. Her back is healed, thanks to your prayers.” We replied with the local phrase, “Thanks be to God,” and he responded, “Thanks to YOUR prayers.”
Last weekend was the end-of-Ramadan holiday, and we went by to visit again and found Shahaz busily passing out sweets and pouring tea, with her normal good humor and no trace of pain. As we drank our tea, she turned to a relative sitting next to her and began relating the story of how she had been in bed, and I had come to see her, massaged her back, and prayed for her, and how her pain had gone. “It was Jesus’ name,” she said, and repeated, “She prayed in Jesus’ name!”
Shahaz ended the story by saying, “She is a good friend to me. A really good friend!” Hearing that warmed my heart; knowing how to be a good friend in this culture is one of my most important goals. That, and learning how to connect my friends with Jesus, how to bring His touch of healing and love into their lives.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged healing, touch by Lisa