Tears At The Pool

SOME TIME AGO, Ken and I had the chance to visit the Holy Land. Ken sketched out an itinerary for us, but since I didn’t really look at it ahead of time, I didn’t know what he had planned. But I was happy he had arranged for us to visit the Old City of Jerusalem. He bumpety-bumped me in my wheelchair down the steps of the Via Dolorosa, through the Arab Bazaar, past the Sheep Gate, made a left-hand turn by Saint Anne’s Church, and then turned us down a cobblestone path.

Suddenly we came into an open area, and I knew right where we were. “Oh, my goodness, look at this! Oh, Ken—it’s the pool of Bethesda! Oh, sweetheart, you wouldn’t believe how many times I used to imagine myself here.”

It was a dry, dusty afternoon, and the place was empty and quiet. Ken hopped the railing, running down into the cistern to see if there might be any water left in the pool. I leaned against the guardrail, imagining once again the many sick and disabled people lying there, waiting to get healed. Huge tears came pouring out of my eyes, because God was so precious to give me this moment with Himself in the place I had seen so often in my mind’s eye.

“Thank You,” I whispered. “Thank You for the healing You gave me. The deeper healing. Oh, God, You were so wise in not giving me a physical healing. Because that ‘no’ has meant ‘yes’ to a stronger faith in You, a deeper prayer life, and a greater understanding of Your Word. It has purged sin from my life, forced me to depend on Your grace, and increased my compassion for others who hurt. It has stretched my hope, given me a lively, buoyant trust in You, stirred an excitement about heaven, and pushed me to give thanks in times of sorrow. It has increased my faith and helped me to love You more. Jesus, I love You more.”

He didn’t give me the physical healing I had wanted, but the deeper healing I needed so much more.

Maybe your prayer has been, “God, why won’t You remove my problem? Why won’t You change my situation? Why won’t You heal me—from this pain, this sickness, this struggle, this disability?”

The fact is, He might! He might remove that “thorn in your flesh,” and sooner than you think. But in the meantime, He might also use that suffering to draw you closer to His heart, shaping and forming you for purposes beyond your imagination.

So let Him have His way in your life.

GOING DEEPER . . .

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

1 Peter 4:19

For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve his purpose.

Philippians 2:13, PH

The One who has the power to heal and make changes in your life has long-term—even eternal—purposes in mind. He will transform you, His deeply loved child, from glory to glory. That is the deeper healing, and you don’t have to break your neck to receive it!