Why is it Worth it?

Part 8~ Power of Prayer

After our baptism, we had a couples counseling session Cjay and I had to get to that my Mom signed us up for. I was annoyed hearing that at first until my mom explained to me that it's not like actual couple counseling. They pray for prophetic words over your life as two people become one and go through what the world has to offer together. This sounded a lot better than the original thought I had of my mom thinking we needed serious help in our relationship. Moving on, Cjay and I enter the miniature chapel where the session was being hosted. 

We both discover that it's a wife and husband in charge of the event when we enter. They greeted us and then proceeded with the session. After praying over us and seeking words from Jesus they told us what they heard. They informed us that they both have lived for over three years without jobs. God has provided them with the money they needed after trusting God when He told them to quit their jobs. 

After sharing that with us, they told us that God has that same miracle in store for us. They didn't encourage us to quit our jobs as they did, but they told us God had our backs financially if we trust. Plenty of gifts will also come our way the more we press into a relationship with Him. Along with that, our dream jobs and desires will start coming true because God will use it as a way to witness to people. They then asked us what we wanted to be, career-wise. 

Cjay informed them that he wanted to be a boxer, and I, a movie director. The wife got a vision that Cjay would receive the ability to heal his opponents after his matches, which then would be a witnessing opportunity. The wife herself had the power of healing, so she prayed this gift would be passed down to Cjay. I honestly don't remember why they mentioned it, but they said something about a president somewhere within our conversation. Just pointing that out because that was the third time it was said during our time at camp. 

After that session, the couple's words actually proved to be true. For the final night service of camp, we do something called the fire tunnel. No, there's no actual fire, and I was very disappointed to find that out when I was little. The fire tunnel is actually all the special speakers, volunteers, and pastors that make up a "tunnel" by standing face to face. You go through this line of people and they all individually pray for you as you go through. Some just pray for your well-being, while others actually get words from God that are directly for you. 

I was disappointed about the whole no-fire thing when I was younger BUT that all changed once I went through the "tunnel" of people. The holy spirit runs strong through the air, and it can be quite overwhelming with how powerful it is. After my first time, it became one of my favorite things about camp. That says a lot because when I was little there were water balloon fights, candy, fun plays to watch that the youth leaders did, etc. So for a little kid who LOVES fun, finding this event as the best thing at camp is insane. 

Instead of standing in line with my family to wait to go through the fire tunnel, Cjay and I sat on the ground to play with legos with my brothers to pass the time until it was our turn. While we built with the legos, Cjay found a bobblehead turtle under a chair. This sparked a vision in Cjay's head and he asked me if my great grandma, who he never met before, had tones of nicknacks like it all over her house. I asked my grandma if her mom did and she said "Kind of, yeah." After this, Cjay became fascinated with the turtle.

 While Jade was waiting in line, she saw this and said that the turtle was one of her kids that they got from Mexico. Before Cjay could hand it to Jade, she told him to keep it. Cjay and I both turned to each other and said that we just received a gift like the couple counselor directors said we would. I also looked back and thought about how Brooke gave me one of her devotional books as a gift too. After that Cjay and I were curious about whether the turtle had significance to it other than it just being a gift since Cjay got a vision from it as well. 

Sometime after camp Grandma Laurie told us that she heard that a turtle needs to stick its head out of its shell to move forward. Therefore we need to stand out of our comfort zone to move forward. Soon after that, all four of us stopped with the legos and got in line with the rest of the family because it was our turn to go through the fire tunnel. The whole day my left shoulder was really hurting. I'm not sure if I slept on it wrong, but it hurt. The only one who knew was Cjay because I tried to have him pop it hoping it would stop the pain, but it did not. 

The reason I'm mentioning this is because I had one last prayer left to go through. It was an older man at the end of the line, and so he laid his hand on me and began to pray. "Your arm hurts," he says. My eyes widen at that statement. "Your shoulder. Your left one to be exact." I was speechless, there was no way he could have known. "God, I pray that this young woman's shoulder heals in your name Lord Jesus." 

The pain left the very second those words left his mouth. I told him that he actually did hear from God and he just replied with, "I know." I don't think I had something like this ever happen to me in my life, I was astonished. After the fire tunnel, Katie walked up to my mother. Katie told my mom that she would be praying for my family.

 When my Mom looked her in the eyes whatever negative spirit she saw before was now gone. My Mother told me this and said that it sounded like it was Katie's way of saying sorry and her heart was now right with God. Hearing that this girl that once tormented me was now healed from what was tormenting her put a smile on my face. I was honestly happy despite how much I disliked what she did to me. It's just like the Bible says, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:43-45. 

After that interaction between them happened, my family headed down to the family bond fire. While we were there a man approached Cjay and I. He congratulated Cjay and I on our engagement and offered to give us a gift. It was a book called Sacred Marriage, and he told us he recommended we read it for tips on how to have a good long-lasting marriage. He then sent it to our address through amazon. 

This was yet another gift from God as foretold. Another thing that was foretold that was starting to show itself as truth was what John had proclaimed over me. One day during our youth group, Brooke told us all to sit in silence and listen for a word or to see an image from God. This was for seeing if there was any specific person that God wanted us to pray over and or help. I heard the word lilac so Brooke told me that I should keep my eye out for someone wearing lilac.

 I thought that it was probably just my own head until the last day of camp. We crammed in a lot of things that day, Cjay and I's baptism, couples counseling, and going out to grandma's favorite restaurant in Hungry Horse for her birthday. After we finished eating at the restaurant we headed out to the car. I picked some beautiful purple flowers I noticed growing alongside the restaurant.

 My grandma had these same flowers all over her yard back in Butte so I knew how good they smelled. I asked grandma what they were called out of curiosity. She told me they were lilacs and I instantly looked over at my Mother. She was wearing a lilac-colored dress so I gave the flowers to her and told her about the word I got in one of my youth group sessions. 

My Mother gratefully took the lilacs and hugged me. John told me I had the gift of discernment, I just had to listen more. Proof of what he said happened right then and there before me...