Two Fridays ago the Nicaraguan interns and I did a home visit a poor man in the community named Ervin. Ervin has two children that his wife had abandoned when they were young. Then, 3 years and 5 months ago (yes he is counting the months), Ervin was in a terrible car accident that broke his spine, thus paralyzing him from the chest down. Without being able to work or receiving any help from the government, it is a wonder how his family has been scraping by.
When we arrived at his home, we sat outside talking and tried to encourage Ervin. He was obviously a man of great faith, thanking God for his high school aged son, Eduardo, who could very easily be on the street getting into trouble with girls, drinking, and drugs. Instead Eduardo is always helping his family, whether doing the chores, taking care of his little sister, or helping Ervin get around. But Ervin had lost hope. Ervin had tried to go to free physical therapy at times, but couldn’t afford the transportation. His home is up a hill, thus making it nearly impossible for him to leave the house for any reason. He was even forced to where adult diapers as he didn’t have control over that either. It pained him that his wife had left his children to grow up motherless, it saddened him that he had to sit around the house day after day in loneness, and he was filled with shame that he had to ask for help to feed his family.
After listening to his story, we asked if we could pray over him. As we bowed our heads, two of the guys laid hands on Ervin vehemently praying for healing. I had never witnessed or even prayed for healing over someone before, and as we all praying along I hoped that I had enough faith. I wanted to believe that God still does miracles, and I definitely didn’t want it to not work because I didn’t believe it would.
Let me just take a pause here and let you know what was going on with me at this moment. It had been a hard day, a really really hard day. Again. Like one of those days where you feel like a failure and just want to quit. I have had a lot of those lately, and this was the worst. And when I just wanted to cancel everything that day to hide in my bed throwing myself a pity party, my friend gave me a shoulder to cry on, listened to my pain and by the grace of God helped me to continue on with my day.
So there I was watching my interns trying pray for healing over a man for what felt like forever. But nothing was happening. And they kept praying. They prayed so long I thought they just didn’t know how to stop. What do you do when it just doesn’t happen?
When they finally did finish there was a moment of silence that no one wanted to break. It felt awkward and I sheepishly didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone. Then Ervin asked for help up. The boys grasped him by his hands so that he was upright. And then he moved one leg forward, followed by the other. The boys were holding his body weight, but he had the control to move his legs. They helped him walk ten paces down and back. As he went back to sit down, the boys let go of his arms, and he stood for a second on his own, before easing back into his chair.
We visited him again last week. He was using a walker and said that the pain and trembling he had experienced for ages was gone. He sat in a chair saying how much stronger he was getting and showed us by lifted his legs up off the ground. Just like Ervin I needed prayer from a friend and help to get up. Just like Ervin, it’s not going to happen overnight and is still a trying process. God took my small hurt and Ervin’s extraneously long suffering to use for his good. I have witnessed a miracle. Glory be to God.