When God Shows Up: Real Stories of Faithಮಾದರಿ

Barbara*

“...Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” Luke 5:18-19, NLT

God created the church to be the people who carry people in need to Jesus; through intercessory prayer, through evangelism, through miraculous healing, and through interpersonal relationships like the one we see in this Gospel story.

Although she isn’t a widow herself, Barbara could see that the widows in her church were hurting and isolated in their grief. She partnered with Stand in the Gap for Widows as a volunteer leader of her church’s ministry to widows. Since that time, she’s involved the entire church in practical and emotional care for widows.

Because Barbara started talking about the needs of widows and shared her ministry with her community, one church member was able to identify a widow through her work that needed extra support. She invited the woman to Barbara’s small group. Initially, Barbara says, the new widow hardly spoke except to relive her grief, regret, and the trauma of her husband’s sudden passing.

After months with women who truly understood the experience of widowhood, this woman began to laugh again. She began to find purpose and her own place in ministry.

This is what happens when people identify a person in need and do whatever it takes to bring that person to Jesus. Like the friends in this Gospel story, Barbara could identify a group of hurting people who weren’t getting to the healing power of Jesus on their own. Barbara put hurting and isolated women at the feet of Jesus and in front of her entire church. By doing so, widows experienced healing.

Grief, loss, life – none of this is meant to be experienced alone. For so many people, these experiences make them feel emotionally and spiritually “paralyzed.” But the Body of Christ knows where paralytics can be healed! It’s our job to take them there.

Do you think the paralyzed man asked his friends to carry him to Jesus? Or do you think his friends got the idea on their own? So often, hurting people (especially widows) don’t want to ask for help. Do you think there’s someone in your life who needs your help to get to the feet of Jesus?

*Name changed to protect privacy