A Hobbled Hoof

Jesse Birkey's picture

Sometimes there’s just nothing better to do than pry into beeswax that’s not yours.  “So, what happened to your foot?”

 

The young lady glanced up, and I caught a flash of annoyance in her expression. Not at me (I don’t think), but at whatever was going on with her foot.  She’d been limping, and an ace wrap was wound around her ankle. 

 

“I hurt it the other day in practice,” she muttered.  “I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s sprained pretty bad.”

 

“Sorry,” I offered.  The young woman was my daughters dance instructor and a great dancer herself.  The advanced girls always push the limits and what not, so it’s not hard to imagine how they could experience significant injury.  But I wasn’t really focusing on any of that.  I was already asking God how to respond to the stirring he’d begun in my spirit.  “Would it be okay if I prayed for you?”

 

“Yeah, that’d be great,” she answered.  “People have been praying for it, and it hasn’t gotten any better.  I’m just so frustrated…”

 

She went on to explain how she was supposed to dance in the big end of the year program a few nights away.  She told me that if nothing changed she wasn’t going to be able to preform. 

 

Despair rolled off of her in waves.  Maybe saying it like that is a bit dramatic, but we know how it is when we’re extremely passionate about something and circumstances unfold to prevent us from doing what we love.  It feels a bit like running into a brick wall.  All we can do is stand and stare at the immovable obstacle in our path. 

 

But nothing is impossible with God.  At least, that’s what the bible says.  However, words on a page often fade in the setting sun of reality.  Sometimes it’s hard to grip hope.  But that’s why the church is supposed to a body instead of independent parts.  When we’re down, others can lift us up.

 

I motioned at a few people still in the building.  “Hey, can you guys come help me pray?”  One of my best friends, my daughter, and her friend stepped over.  I lowered myself down enough to reach the ankle.  Like I said, it was wrapped, but I could see the swelling and bruising.  It was a bad injury.  “So, we’re just gonna pray and see what God does,” I told the hurt dancer. 

 

And we did.  We all prayed and commanded healing to her ankle.  We prayed as we felt led and that was that.  “Any change?” I asked.

 

She moved her foot and winced.  “No, it feels the same.”

 

“Ok,” I responded.  And then something floated across my heart.  “Don’t be surprised if you wake up tomorrow, and it’s completely healed.  There are times that it just takes a while to manifest.  Sometimes prayers are like liquid filling a bowl.  The more prayers that go in the bowel, the closer the bowl is to tipping over.  Don’t be discouraged that people have been praying without any benefit that you can see.  The bowl might be about to tip over.” 

 

She smiled through her disappointment and we went home.

 

A couple of days later, and one day before the end of year program, the dance studio hosted an awards banquet.  The hurt dancers mother caught me at the door and asked me if I’d seen her daughter.  She was grinning like she knew a secret I didn’t. 

 

I told her I hadn’t.  My wife and I got our food, sat down, looked for the dancer, and saw her walking without a limp, wearing high heels!

 

When we caught up with her she explained that the morning after we prayed she woke up totally healed.  She let us know that God revealed some other things to her that same night that really helped.

 

We rejoiced with her, and she went on to dance the next night without any issues.

 

With God all things are possible.  Don’t ever forget it.  He is constantly working to bring an abundance of his life in us and through us.  He will never quit.  Yes, he is that good.  Yes, he loves you that much.

 

Blessings,

 

Jesse and Kara Birkey

www.jessebirkey.com

 

 

 

 

 

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