Good things happen when you are obedient

This is such a lame excuse but I haven't been writing because Athaliah has torn 4 keys off of my keyboard and they are irreplaceable at the moment. Three of them are keys I use often: The letters, A, U, and I. I have to constantly press the letter "I" just to get it to work once and so typing takes a while. This is why I haven't written, I need to have something to say and the time to write it. Tonight is a good time. I have an exciting story of obedience to tell. And some ways I have grown in such a little time. This is going to be long one guys.
So in 2005 I went to Lethbridge with my mother-in-law for a conference at that "Miracle Channel" studio. I don't remember anything that went on except that the first night, I saw someone healed right in front of my eyes for the very first time in my life. I was so amazed and excited. The next day after the conference was over, there was a BBQ outside. Brenda (my mother-in-law) wanted to say hi to her former pastor who was there whom she hadn't seen in 15 or 14 years. I went with her because she was too afraid to go alone. As she was talking I kinda stood in the background because I didn't know the guy, I didn't feel the need to stand there with her. All of a sudden he interrupts her and walks up to me and tells me he needs to talk to me. I didn't really understand why but, all right! So he just starts telling me all these things that he sees in me and starts to prophesy into my life! He started saying that he sees I am a nurse, and that I have this loving heart etc. Then all of a sudden his wife shows up beside me and starts repeating that God says I am a "treasure" and a "Jewel". I found this impact full because I had read a book called, "Laugh at the days to come." and it had said to not forget how much of a jewel I am. THEN! (this is the crazy part) another guy comes out of nowhere saying he feels this huge anointing on me that I am to have a healing ministry. I was like, "A WHAT? Do they realize I have never seen anyone healed until the night before?" Obviously not because the man praying for me, I found out, is a retired doctor who works in Africa doing his own healing ministry. I'm not an overly zealous person, but when this man put his hands on me and declared he was passing this ministry onto me, I felt a bolt of electricity go through my body and I almost fell over. I was so in shock from this unexpected event, I kind of took it in stride. Although I didn't have the heart to tell the poor doctor that he was mistaken and I was sorry in advance for letting him down. Let's just say, 3 years later it was ME who was very wrong. Nothing happened for about two years. Then in August of 2007 Damien and I were in Montreal, Quebec visiting friends and family. His friend's wife Lynn has been suffering from migraine headaches since her son was born about 24 years ago and lately it had been getting worse. She had heard the night before as we were talking about this prophesy that God has given me the gift of healing. So when we were alone the next afternoon she broke down in tears and asked me to pray for her. I was so nervous. People have jokingly asked before but I had never actually been faced with going ahead with it. Another thing is that I have NO CLUE how to pray for healing. I've heard Damien praying for people before but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Damien walked in with his friend at that moment and took over for me. As much as I was relieved, I felt that I should have taken care of it. Another clue that this encounter was for me, was that I had literally gotten a headache of the left side of my head. I never get headaches. Never. I didn't mention it because I thought it was just because I was thinking about it. I mentioned it to Damien on the drive back into the city and he told me that maybe God was showing me where the pain was. Either way this was the beginning of my journey and definitely a learning experience.
Basically since then, God has been developing this "gift" and taking me to the edge of my faith until I am looking over the cliff. Many more experiences have happened like this where I feel actual pain and when I address it to a crowd, there is always someone who stands up and says that it's them.
And so the cherry on top is this fantastic story that is unravelling as we speak. A few weeks ago Damien and I, along with Athaliah and our baby-to-be went to our church retreat in Canmore. The night we arrived was terrible. I was queasy as usual but...so was Damien. And when Damien is sick, that is it. I know what is coming. So as Damien spent the WHOLE night in the bathroom, I slept next door with some friends and the next day I spent most of it nursing Damien back to health. I'm going to make a long story short and tell you that a particular friend was there who suffers with severe Epilepsy. I have been feeling for TWO YEARS to spend a whole night praying for him with him there and other people and digging out roots and casting things out. Our friend Jason does not have medical epilepsy, where your brain is injured and has spasms leading to seizures. We know this because a couple years ago he had a seizure on a C-Train platform and fell onto the tracks breaking his jaw and a lot of his face. When I talked to him about this, he said it felt like something had pushed him. I was reminded immediately of the story of the boy with Epilepsy and was brought to Jesus whereupon the spirit in him threw him down trying to kill him. Other friends I have talked to feel the same way. SO, the second night in Canmore, God was telling me the next morning I was to stand up and confront the church and challenge them to pray for Jason. Every time our church gathers to pray for him, it is the routine "We have faith that you will be healed one day." I had had enough of it and so had God. He told me specific things to say and showed me a picture of Jason being healed. By the morning I was so stoked I could barely sit in my chair. I let my pastor know I had something to say and he told me he's let me know when I could come up and talk. SATAN TRIED SO HARD TO GET ME OUT OF THERE IT WAS PATHETIC! He tried twice. Once, Athaliah started screaming out of the blue like she was in the worst pain ever, I had to miss most of the message that was firing me up even more. When the enemy realised I wasn't leaving to take Athaliah to the hospital, she just stopped as abruptly as she started and was happy for the rest of the day. At the end of the service I still had not been called up and people were starting to get ready to leave! NOOO! I went to my pastor and said, "Have you forgotten about me? I really need to say this to Epic." He told me he didn't forget me but that maybe it was a better idea to just send out an e-mail or something. My jaw dropped and I fought back demanding to speak to the church. (I was quite surprised in myself but the spirit was on me and I wasn't going to stop) I got my chance. I let the church know that their in-action was unacceptable and that God was calling each and every one of them to that edge of their faith. I told them that because God had shown me a picture of Jason being healed, I had enough faith for all of them. And while I COULD pray by myself and maybe something could happen, He was calling the CHURCH to pray for him. I told them all they had to do was show up at a time and place that was set up and just pray for Jason for as long as it took. I also told them that if they didn't show up and Jason WAS healed (which he will be) they were going to feel rather stupid for missing out on an amazing miracle. I couldn't see much at this point because I was in tears, but when I had managed to look at everyone, I noticed there was not a dry eye in the house. NOT ONE. Our pastor suggested we pray for Jason then and there and then continue when the time and space was set up. Our church gathered around him and prayed for Jason for almost two hours! I was so proud of them. We all wept. Men and women, weeping for our friend and weeping from conviction. It was an amazing day.
It's also not over. In three weeks, our church is going to hold an all night prayer vigil for our friend Jason, and it's happening in the exact way God showed me. The picture I see is our sanctuary (which no longer has pews but folding chairs) and sleeping bags scattered about. I even see the colour blue as in random blue sleeping bags. And it's dark but there is a light on, and all of us are in the middle with Jason in the center of that. We are all sitting around him listening and praying and listening to Jason speak. And then I see something happen that is almost physical but not quite...Jason is healed and no one has to speak a word, we just all know somehow. That's all I see. Over and over. And it's going to happen in three weeks.
I was obedient to God's calling, I have listened to him as he shows me other people's pain, and now the biggest test of my faith is taking place right now. I have come to accept that I know nothing about healing and God has told me that is perfect for him...because I can never say it is me and I know it!
God showed me one other thing through this experience that I want to share. Stay with me because this is ERIN. This is the Erin God has made me to be and not the Erin other people have made me.
I was complaining before we went to Canmore because I felt that my church wasn't able to help me with the gifts God has given to me, and he hasn't provided me with a mentor to teach me about healing etc. Then on the drive home from Canmore God showed me that I don't actually need a mentor because HE has been mentoring and teaching me just fine. And also that there IS no one at Epic who can help me because I am the one being called to help THEM. In other words, God is telling me I am like Moses. Quiet, sorta shy, not a speaker at all, but then all of a sudden finds himself in the position of "leader" knowing nothing. That's me. God is calling me to be a leader in my church. I am the last person who thought it would be me. Surely Damien, the out spoken, carefree social person that he is, is the one who is called to that. Maybe, but as it stands, he is calling ME. I am going to mentor other people in the church and I am going to help other people see that they have gifts.

I am not the same Erin people used to know. Even since August I have dramatically changed and people who have only met me recently know me as really passionate and driven. That definitely wasn't me a year ago.
I like me. Not the new me, the me that was hidden behind everyone else's expectations. Jesus is so good. SO GOOD.

P.S If you would like to participate in praying for our friend Jason on March 8th and 9th, let me know and I will give you the details. It doesn't matter if you don't know him, the whole church of Christ is called to the same thing.