She had always been this way. It was the only life she had ever known. She was born prematurely. A compressed umbilical cord deprived her brain of oxygen and determined her fate: cerebral palsy (CP). It was a milder case, leaving her unable to control the muscles in her left leg and causing abnormal stiffness, impaired movement, and coordination problems that impacted her gait. While she could walk unassisted, she often used a cane or walker for balance and safety. She took it all in stride. It is what it is, she reasoned. She never let her disability stop her from leading a fully productive, normal life. She played, attended school, worked, married, and raised a family. From the time she was a little girl, she could never understand why her devout Catholic grandma kept praying for her to be healed. Can’t she accept the way I am? God made me this way.
Over the years, Trisha gradually drifted away from the church and the God who made her. The refusal of a priest to baptize her first child because she and her husband weren’t members of his church increased the distance. But eventually, through a series of events including a divorce, God drew her back home. She felt loved and accepted in this new church. She was eager to engage in the community, learn more about God, and grow in her faith. Her first step was the Alpha course where participants learned the basics of Christianity: topics such as who Jesus is, why He died, how to pray, how to read the Bible, how to be filled with the Spirit, how to resist evil, and God’s healing power today. On the night they studied healing, her table leader offered to pray for her to be healed. She refused the prayer. CP was part of her identity. God made me this way.
But God kept pursuing her and revealing more of Himself to her and who He created her to be. She took a spiritual gifts inventory and learned she had the gift of faith. She longed to know how He wanted to use her gifting, so her next stop was a women’s retreat where she would learn to hear the voice of God. It was perfect timing. On the first day, the leaders had participants pray silently in pairs, instructing them to listen for God’s voice to tell them what He wanted their prayer partner to know. When it was time to share what they had heard, Trisha’s partner stated boldly, “God is going to heal you.” She was stunned. But God made me this way. It wasn’t what she was expecting to hear. Later on, another word from God confirmed her gifting and her reason for attending the retreat: “God wants you to share your faith.” She was elated. This was the word she was hoping and expecting to hear. Now, the question was how?
That evening, she went to the front for prayer ministry to ask the question, and she fully expected the Lord to answer. How do You want me to share my faith, Lord? As the prayer ministers began to pray, she immediately relaxed. The presence of the Holy Spirit came over her powerfully. Speak to me, Lord. Speak to me. Before she knew what was happening, she was flat on her back on the floor overwhelmed by His peace and held captive by His love. Several women knelt around her, praying gently in the Spirit. I love You, Lord. I could lie in Your presence forever.
Suddenly heat and tingling spread through all the muscles that had locked her knee in a bent position her entire life. She felt the muscles releasing and extending until her leg was flat on the floor. Oh Lord, You are so good! She never asked, but the Lord healed her anyway. He showed her His mighty power to heal and restore. While she was born with CP, and He loved every single thing about her, her identity was not in her disability. Her identity is in Christ alone. His heart’s desire for her and for all His children is freedom—forgiveness for the spirit, healing for the body, and deliverance for the soul.
Trisha’s faith catapulted to new heights that day. She knows God is real. She knows He is good. She knows He is a personal God. And she knows He heals. Even though her healing isn’t fully complete, she is certain that God, who began this good work in her, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). She is confident it will be completed on this side of heaven. She is certain He will continue to answer the prayers of her praying grandma. He even gave her a vision to treasure in her heart where she was dancing with Jesus in a field of flowers. But best of all, she now knows what the Lord wants her to do with her gift of faith. She ministers on several prayer teams at her church and prays for people who need a touch from God. She has a special calling to minister to those who want prayer for physical healing. She loves to share her faith and tell them about Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals.