Last night, I had the chance to listen to a conversation between Pr. Tim and Dr. Jeff VanBendegom on faith and physical healing. The whole conversation was so meaningful, as all of the mid-week Lenten conversations have been for me, I have been learning so much through these. But, there was something that really caught me. They made a distinction between cure and healing.
This immediately made me think of my cousin through marriage, Melissa Stockwell. Here is a quick synopsis of her journey, “One month after being deployed to Iraq, in April 2004, she became the first female American soldier in history to lose a limb in active combat after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. She was later honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for her service. Four years later, she became the first Iraq War veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, competing in swimming at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics. She was selected to be the flag bearer for Team USA at the Beijing closing ceremonies.”
Since then she has become a multi-time world champion triathlete and has competed and placed in two Paralympics in the triathlon. Her story is inspiring in so many ways. There is one way in particular that inspires me. She has proven to so many that we can heal, but not be cured in the way that we sometimes think we “should”. During her recovery, she had thousands of people caring for her and praying for her, and yes, she still had to have a leg amputated, but she healed and went on to inspire so many who may think that they are not healed or cured enough to inspire and encourage others.
Where in our own life can we see the perspective of our healing and how we can bring that encouragement and inspiration in to the world?
In the healing love of Christ,
Jay Kiel
