Smaller Than A Mustard Seed

We came to a dry place as a team. See, there is nothing in Nsoko, Swaziland. Downtown Nsoko is a gas station and a Spar (grocery). So everything that we do, from ministry to any sort of free time, is on a freaking schedule, therefore, giving us “something” to do which I don’t like but I understand why. Fact, Swaziland shuts down in the months of December and January. Fact, we’ve been bored. It sucks to say it dude. So we did something about it, we had been striving to see something more, I guess. This dry place I was talking about that we all had come to, was that way because we’ve all been too physical in what we do (that sounds really funny…) and not spiritual enough. So after a good time at a Care Point, we straight up ATL’d (Ask The Lord) and walked in the Spirit. Our translators have never done such a thing, so that was pretty sweet.

So we prayed and the Holy Spirit told us to walk down the red dirt road, where only Jon and I had been before and knew there were a couple of huts down there but that was about it besides a whole lot bush. We were all walking and talking not having a clue of where to walk but just to do it, and Nkosingiphile, also known as Mapile, but we call him, Innocent, my really good Swazi friend, and I were goofing around and we walked past a boy who was coming out of the fence from his hut and Innocent says, “Bryan, ask that boy his name.” There is no reason why he said that but it sounded like a good idea to me. “Uguhbani lika malakho?” The 12 year old looking kid was scared of me I guess because he ran away. So Innocent started talkin to him and then he warmed up to me and then we started goofing around and then we end up walking into his hut where his Gogo is chillin on the ground. Now, we start talking, which on house visits the “talking” is more like “ask some awkward questions to get to know each other so we won’t be sitting here in even more awkward silence.” What a good time. Ok so, the sweet ole Gogo had told us that she has a blood disease where her red blood cells don’t reproduce and there was something wrong with her legs that keep her from walking every now and then, so she couldn’t work and was really worried because she had no way to provide for her kids and grandkids. Mxgolisi (kind of humm the “m” sound and click at the same time then say the rest of his name starting at the “g”) was whispering to me how much he dreaded to get the blood disease and that it scared him. That was a big deal to me because he literally doesn’t sleep and he walks around where we sleep all night to fight off anything. I’m pretty sure he’d kill a lion with his bare hands, and then eat it raw. He’s pretty gnarly and if he was scared of this blood disease, this sweet old lady has it rough.

We prayed for her all out loud her and in that time I saw a vision of me getting up, walking over to her putting my hand on her head, praying, and telling her that God had healed her and to get up and walk. Just as straight forward and as simply as Peter and Paul did it after Jesus died, ya know? So right when that was going on in my mind or wherever, Jon asks if we could lay hands on her and pray over her (persistence in prayer). Coincidence eh? Bull crap. Jon was lead by the Spirit just as I was to put our hands on this woman and heal her with the power and authority given to us by Jesus’ death, and I just had this huge smile on my face I couldn’t get rid of, I knew that God was going to heal her.  I love miracles on my front door step…So we all prayed some more (persistence in prayer) and I felt lead to ask her if she knew and believed that God would heal her in this moment. She said yes I know and believe. And so did I. I had this complete faith that God would heal this woman and that’s why I was smiling; I just knew it was going to happen. God then put words on my heart to speak truth into this woman’s life, and then we left.

Where was the miracle in that story? How do you know she was healed? I mean, I have no physical evidence, besides the fact that when we left, Innocent stayed behind a few minutes because she was telling him that she felt all better, “like the demons had left my body” and she said this as she was moving her body around all silly and stuff, haha.. oh gogo’s… But do we really need evidence that God does his work? I’m not gonna be able to see if her red blood cells are reproducing correctly, but when you pray with 100 percent faith, just like the healing stories we read about in the freaking bible, and when you feel the Spirit inside the woman change through your hand on her back as you pray, you don’t need evidence the faith is evidence itself… Think about this: Jesus told us that mustard seed faith can move mountains. Have you ever moved a mountain? I haven’t moved a stankin’ mountain, so how strong is my faith? How strong is yours? It’s smaller than a mustard seed.  Has God used your faith to cast out demons, to heal the sick, and to raise the dead? (Mark 16:17-18) Just like he told us to do in our everyday lives. He had never done that with me, but I hadn’t had the faith, not until now and not just from this experience. Now, think of the things we can do to bring glory to our creators name when we do have mustard seed size faith. Move huge mountains! And then think about what can happen with our faith when it is bigger than a mustard seed! Maybe, part the Red Sea when you’re about to get slaughtered by an army? You think Moses had mustard seed sized faith? A big thing that I’ve learned on this experience over the past 3 months is the power that we have that Jesus left us; he left us his freaking Spirit on the cross  so we can do the things for the Father that he did. But why would God allow us to use this power if we don’t even have faith that it will work? “…But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all ways.” James 1:6-7.