A Broken Puzzle

Jesse Birkey's picture

I’ve been a Firefighter/Paramedic for 13 years and sometimes the emergencies never seem to end.  This was one of those days.

 

I rolled over and squinted at the clock as the station tones faded into my subconscious ready to startle me even on my days off.  2 AM.  I yanked on my boots and stumbled to the ambulance where my partner was waiting.  He’d been a step ahead of me all day.  Credit to him being 15 years older than me – a fact he wouldn’t let me forget every time he beat me to the punch.

We sped off in a blur of lights to help whoever was in need.  This time it was for abnormal lab results or something like that.  I can’t exactly remember.  It was 2 AM.  Perfect time to call 911 for lab results, I guess.  Health care professionals like to joke about the reasons people call 911 but the truth is an emergency for one isn’t for another and that’s okay.  Doesn’t make it less of an emergency.  At least that’s what I keep trying to convince myself of.

Anyway, we arrived on scene with find an older gentleman needing to be seen at the hospital for a persistent problem with his back.  And the abnormal lab results of course.  There were no life threats but the man was in a good amount of pain.  I’d like to say my compassion kicked in but I think it was still trying to wake up.  I got a little information from the nursing home staff and we made our way to the ambulance. 

Communication with the man was difficult because he had a stoma.  Stomas are from a last resort effort to control the breathing of a patient.  They are holes in the neck that are cut directly into the person’s trachea or wind pipe.  The patient breathes from the stoma instead of their mouth or nose.  It’s very hard to speak with a stoma. 

My partner and I got the man ready for a quick transport to the hospital and headed out.  I wasn’t really interested in small talk and my patient really wasn’t either.  But the frequent grimace told me that he was very uncomfortable from the issue he was having in his back. 

During one of the grimaces I noticed a thought moving through my brain about ministering to him in some way.  I knew it was the soft voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to me because there wasn’t anything I wanted to do other than keep mostly to myself, complete the transport, and find my bed.

But as I watched the man I felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit in my stomach and I leaned over my knees.  “I’d like to pray for you if that’s okay.”

The man glanced my way once and then again.  He looked like he might try and speak but then focused his eyes straight ahead. 

“Would that be okay?” I asked him. 

I almost missed it but I was pretty sure I saw his head flicker in a nod and that was good enough for me.  So I asked the Lord how he wanted me to move forward and I felt led to just start blessing the man.  I blessed him with health and restoration.  While I was blessing him I saw a vision.

The picture God showed me was a puzzle.  There were many pieces scattered around and they all had jagged edges.  It didn’t matter how the pieces lined up they wouldn’t fit together.  The Lord was showing me that the man viewed himself as scattered and incomplete.  He didn’t feel whole – he felt broken.  Hope was gone and despair had set in.  He didn’t think there was any way he could be put back together. 

But then the Lord showed me that he created the man complete.  He showed me that he can make the rough edges smooth.  He said that he is able to put the man back together and make him whole once again. 

As I explained all of this to the man thick tears tumbled down his cheeks.  He didn’t speak but he didn’t have to.  It was obvious what was happening – how God was touching his heart.  He smiled at me from the renewed life deep inside and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

It’s much easier for us to close our eyes to the world than to get involved in the needs of people.  Maybe it always will be.  Being the hands and feet of Jesus means making a choice to notice the people around us and being willing to respond as led by the Holy Spirit.  Those are choices most of us don’t naturally make.  It takes effort, like pushing against a wall that pushes back.

I don’t always notice and I’m not always willing.  But as I head into a new year I hope to be made even more into the image of Jesus.  I know that’s going to require me to make the choices that get me uncomfortable.  But the reward is worth the risk no matter what I stand to lose. 

So I look forward to the opportunities to make those choices because I know God is building something in front of me that’s far greater than anything behind.  And I want to press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  And I know you do too.  So let’s make the tough choices together and be a part of the abundant LIFE God is releasing onto the earth.

Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now's the time to get the devotional people are reading after Jesus Calling.  The Come Alive With Jesus Daily Devotional is now available in the CWG store!  Buy your copy for 2016 now!

 

 

 

 

Add new comment

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 1 - 10 of 479

Pages

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Twelve Weeks to Spiritual Mastery - Group Coaching

A group coaching experience with Mark Virkler

Because I could not find a Spirit-anointed teacher/coach, I spent ten extremely frustrating years seeking to hear God’s voice!!! Suggestions offered did not help me, things like: “You just know that you know. It is a still small voice. He speaks from your heart.” No one could give me the answer I needed which was: Hearing God’s voice is as simple as quieting yourself down, fixing your eyes on Jesus, recognizing His voice as spontaneous, flowing thoughts and writing down His flow as it is coming. Test what you have written after the flow is done, NOT while it is occurring.

Price: $1,200.00

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99

Pages