One thing I’ve learned already from the start of training camp to when we landed in Guatemala, is that you cannot put God in your little box. I’ve always known and said, “You are the God of the impossible! Nothing can stand against you!” But when you’re actually in a situation where you have to really believe that, it’s not always as easy to say.
When I first arrived at training camp in Gainesville, I started feeling terribly sick, but I thought it was just my nerves, so I didn’t say anything. It got worse after the second day there, so I asked to be taken to the doctor and found out that I had the flu. I felt absolutely terrible because I had been sleeping, eating, and interacting with my team members and 50+ people for several days and I didn’t want them to get sick too. I began thinking to myself “I just feel so bad; I don’t even think I can go to Guatemala anymore. Plus, I’m missing out on all the team bonding activities, so I’m just getting left out anyways.” After a quick minute of feeling sorry for myself and wanting to quit, I immediately knew those thoughts were not of God. My team had been praying over me the whole time I was at training camp and the third night there, the preacher and other people from the congregation began praying for healing over my body from the flu. Why would God want me to quit when I’m literally with a ton of strong believers who want to see God do a work on me?
On Sunday morning, I started feeling better, but my team continued to pray for me. Now know this – I got to training camp on Thursday afternoon with a deep cough in my chest. Thursday night, Friday, Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night, and Sunday morning I had a fever, chills, night sweats, body aches, etc. After my team had prayed for me for those three days and three nights, all I had was a little cough on Sunday. Look at God! The flu usually lasts at least five days, but God healed me in less than that. I’m just now realizing this while writing this blog, but I felt like I was “in the grave” for three days and three nights (like someone else we know!) Because of the prayer and faith in my team and myself, God preformed a miracle and showed the beauty of His resurrection story before our eyes.
You could think, “Well Carrie Lynn must have a good immune system or she just got lucky and didn’t get the flu that bad.” I’ll tell you right now – I HAD the flu – it doesn’t just go away and it would’ve gotten worse and lasted a lot longer if it weren’t for all of the prayers and God’s divine healing. I think God often puts us in situations where we have to depend on Him and this was one of those situations. I wouldn’t have been able to go to Guatemala if my flu had gotten worse; that was exactly what the enemy wanted to happen. But because it is God’s plan for me to go to Guatemala, I believe He put me through the test to completely trust Him to heal me so that I could go spread His love to everyone I see in Guatemala. If I had put God in my little box and just depended on the medicine to cure me, I would have just now started to feel better. But NOTHING can stand against my God – not even the flu! He is the God of the impossible!
Psalm 41
Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
The Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land;
You do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
In his illness you restore him to full health.
As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
My enemies say for me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity;
When he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me;
They imagine the worse for me.
They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!
By this I know that you delight in me:
My enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
