Boils, Be Gone!!

We gathered at the Community House to find out what local ministry our family would be participating in each Thursday.

 "...so, each team will have a different ministry.  Some folks will facilitate the bible study at our local soup kitchen, for example, and others will visit the home-bound."  We waited eagerly to hear our names called.  As each ministry was described and assigned we felt an alternating sense of relief and disappointment.  "Our last group is the Carmodys along with Andy, Reagan and Angelica.  Ya'll are doing door-to-door evangelization."   My heart sank.  "Clearly  there's been a mistake," I thought.  "Catholics don't do door-to-door evangelization."    

A few short hours later we were walking from house to house.  Contrary to my initial assumption, we weren't trying to convert anyone.  The priest at the local Catholic church simply asked us to reach out to folks to see if there is anything they need, bring them the love of Christ and pray with them if possible.  Our first opportunity came when a woman with loud, snarling dogs answered the door.  "What did you say?" she yelled through a thoroughly scratched storm door, "Who are you?"  Moments later Chris was praying for the oil fields, although we weren't really sure why.

Next, we met Oliver, who graciously invited us in and happily talked for an hour.  As we were leaving he asked us to pray for his boils.  He'd tried everything, but nothing helped.  They were so bad that his mom insisted on taking him to the hospital, but he wouldn't go.  We prayed over Oliver and begged Jesus to heal him.  Realizing that our time was up, we headed back to church for lunch and figured we'd had a pretty good first day.  

Fast-forward to the following Thursday: "Hi ya'll.  Come in, come in." Oliver said excitedly as we approached his house.  After a short bit of conversation he told us that all of his boils were gone.  He attributed the healing to the gumbo file and egg he had rubbed on them, but we gave all praise to God and God alone!!!  In Acts chapter 3, we hear the story of the crippled beggar who was healed.  Peter says to the bystanders, "...why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?  The God of  Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified His servant Jesus...and by faith in His name, this man, whom you see and know, His name has made strong and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you."

God is good, all the time!  All the time, God is good!  Please continue to pray for us as we learn how to be instruments of His almighty love.