Raising the dead?!?...

I thought I had written of this before but I guess I hadn't, maybe out of fear of being labeled a "wacko".

Most of you who know me also know that I have a conservative theology. I have rarely seen anything in the physical realm that I would quanitify as a "miracle". I usually reserve this word for the spectacular acts of grace that God does within the hearts of men, which I still feel is the most important. This disclaimer aside, I wanted to share a challenge with you that was FAR outside my theological box.

Several months ago I travelled to Tabacal to minister to minister to a family that had lost a daughter and to intoduce Carlos (the Guatemalan that is continuing the work in Tabacal with our local church). We entered the house and saw the young lady's body on the bench prepared in the traditional Mayan way, covered with a white cloth with flowers and some money. I sat right next to the body and as "holy men" we were asked to pray for the family.

As Carlos was praying I felt an odd urge as I have many other times before when God had asked me to do something scary or brave or stand up for the gospel against reason. This time the prompting was with thoughts of Elijah. It was like God was saying, "lay on this young lady's body, feet to feet, hands to hands, nose to nose, and I will bring her back to life. This will serve as a living testimony of the Gospel for these people".

WHAT!! My logic and reason fought back saying, "If I do this and nothing happens, then I have just violated the dead body of this families daughter and we may never be able to work in Tabacal again." The best I can describe the feeling was like the time I went cliff diving and while standing on the top of the cliff I often started to jump but then stopped myself. The difference with the cliff jumping is that eventually I actually did jump. In that room that day I started to get off my seat probably 7 times but at the end of the day I did nothing.

To this day I still have no idea what would have happened if I had actually laid on that woman but really I don't think that was the point. I don't think it was God's intention to bring that girl to life or not to. I think his primary purpose was to teach me something about myself. I could almost hear him saying, "Don't get so proud about your life of faith. Your faith is peanuts, you are still in the minors son."

God grant me more than just the faith to move mountains, with it grant the wisdom to know your calling and act in accordance with your kingdom.

(also see "The Balance..."post)