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(Ephesians 2:8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Part 3: WE MAY LET GO... BUT GOD NEVER WILL — 4. The Gospel (Remembering God’s Grace and your new identity in Christ)
I was invited to a Catholic charismatic service by a wonderful priest friend. The place was packed, and I sat in an aisle seat and watched as a mother came in pushing her teenage daughter in a wheelchair — I later learned the girl was deaf and had recently suffered a stroke, as half her face had fallen. Something rose in me and, throughout the service, I hassled God for a miracle.
As soon as the regular Mass ended, contemporary worship began. After worship, all the priests gathered at the front and invited those needing prayer to come forward. The mother wouldn't budge; she simply held her head in her hands and wept, saying, "Why would God care about me after all I've said and done ..." I couldn't get through to her, and, realising the healing service would end soon, I persuaded the mother to let me wheel her daughter forward. Each priest individually prayed over the daughter, then all four prayed together — nothing seemed to change. Finally, I wheeled her back to her mother, feeling totally crushed.
As I sat sulking, the Lord nudged my heart and said: “… if you’d listened to me, I would have told you that it’s not the daughter but the mother that needs me today!” With the subtle tact of a hungry shark, I abruptly turned to Mother and told her what the Lord had said. The mother denied it all at first... then, tearfully, began to tell her story. “My daughter, who is the best thing that ever happened to me, is the result of my being raped as a young girl. She was perfectly normal until she suffered a stroke a few months ago and ended up in this awful wheelchair. “As for me? Well, I was abandoned on the steps of a church as a child and with a lot of effort, I recently managed to put two and two together and found my birth mother. I don't know what I was hoping for, or even why I was doing it. All I know is that I had to see her! We went to her house a few weeks ago and knocked on the door, and after I introduced myself, her face changed from interest to sheer contempt. The contempt was then translated into words, “I thought I’d **** gotten rid of you years ago – get lost and take that **** cripple with you…!” The grief in the woman was devastating.
Communion began, and I literally begged and practically dragged her to the altar. She sobbed on my shoulder so much that I thought my suit would never dry. The Lord met her there at the altar. When we finally returned, the daughter signed and wrote that her mum was “glowing.” I left to the sight of them hugging, laughing and crying.
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Let’s pray, "Heavenly Father, just remembering this fills me with joy. I am so sorry for the times I run ahead and think I know best. Thank You, Lord, for Your Amazing Grace and Patience with me." Amen!
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