January 6, 2011 - Does God Really Care About the Small Things? Yes!
From: Ben Stimpson
After our meeting for REALife, a few of us were still around talking when my friend came over to pick up a letter of recommendation that I had promised to have ready for her. She was quite pale and looked sick. "Are you okay?" I asked. She responded that she had a horrible headache and was feeling like she was might have a fever. All day she had been getting really hot and sweating, then cold and shivering. Concerned, we prayed for her. She didn't feel any different after we prayed, so she headed back home to rest.
The next day, I ran into her, and she looked totally healthy again. "Guess what?!" she began. "As soon as I got home, the headache left, and I felt perfect. I didn't feel at all sick any more."
It was just a cold, a little cold. It's not like her life was in danger. Does God really care about the small things? Yes! He cares deeply about anything that could come between our hearts and his. And when that thing is a cold (or whining children or cold temperatures or car repairs), he will certainly get involved... if we ask him.
January 22, 2011 - God is Just as Good When Life is Difficult
From: Ben Stimpson
Money was tight already, and this week of car troubles wasn’t helping. First, it was the tires, then the muffler and door handle. Finally, the van wouldn’t even start. I was frustrated, and I wanted to complain. But God is good when life is easy, and God is just as good when life is difficult. So I didn’t complain but thanked him for taking care of me when things break down. That night, I dreamt I found a check for $400.
Imagine my surprise when I found an unexpected envelope in my mail the next day… with a check inside for exactly $400.
February 2011 - My Daughter is no Longer Experiencing Any Pain
From: Starlet Joles
The pain my daughter was experiencing was so intense that she had to go to the ER. In the hospital, the doctors knew something serious was going on, but they couldn’t tell what it was. They thought maybe it was diver-ticulitis or that her liver was going to rupture, but they still had to perform tests. We were all scared, but we prayed for Jesus to bring complete healing.
To make a long story short, all of the tests came back normal, and my daughter is no longer experiencing any pain. I guess God must have healed her!
March 17, 2011 - Maybe This is the Sign that I've Been Waiting For
From: Ben Stimpson
I was at Aldi’s getting groceries with my friend. At the checkout, he started to feel a stabbing pain in his foot. Naturally, I asked to pray for him. He consented, so I put my hands on his foot right there in line and prayed quickly so I wouldn’t look too weird.
He didn’t feel anything different right away, but as we headed out the door, he looked at me in surprise. “The pain is gone!” He went on to explain how he had felt pain in his foot for the past week and now felt none at all. “Maybe this is the sign that I’ve been waiting for.”
April 2, 2011 - "My Back Doesn't Hurt Anymore," He Said Finally.
From: Ben Stimpson
We had spent the whole day moving equipment around for a concert in Lone Rock, and now that it was over, we were all tired. We had just started packing everything up when my friend’s back started to hurt really bad. Since Jesus says to pray for his will to be done on earth just as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10), we decided to pray for his back to feel better.
When we got done, I asked him if it felt any better. He stood there a while not saying anything; he had a stunned look on his face. “My back doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said finally.