A woman named Lauren is driving home in the rain from church. It's pouring intensely. Lauren just returned from an outreach meeting with her pastor.
"I can't wait to share the Gospel with people in Uganda."
Suddenly Lauren accidentally swerves the car off the road and the car goes down the hill and flips over. Lauren becomes unconscious and closes her eyes. 3 hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed and finds her arms covered in a cast and her legs with support stretches on them.
"Wh-What happened?" Lauren asks.
"You were in a car accident. Your arms and legs have become paralyzed."
"No! This can't be happening! I am supposed to go to Uganda tomorrow!"
"I am sorry, Lauren."
"No! God please no!"
The doctor walks out of the room and Lauren is left sobbing in the hospital bed. She sobs for hours and hours.
"Why did this happen to me, God?!" She prays out loud.
The door opens and a man walks in.
"Hello, Lauren. It's good to see you."
Lauren looks up and stares at the man. Her tears end and she looks at the man confused.
"Umm, who are you?"
"The person you need right now. I am a friend who cares about you."
"I don't need you! All I need is God!"
"Exactly."
"I need to know why this happened to me! I thought God loved me! I thought he- Why am I telling you this? Please get out! I don't know you!"
"But you do, Lauren. And I know you. I have known you before you were even born."
"Huh?"
"My father created every part of you and he doesn't regret a thing about you. And He love you!
"Wait! You are-"
"Yes, Lauren. I am Jesus."
Lauren's jaw drops to the floor and she is speechless.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Anything, Lauren."
"Am I being punished by God?"
Jesus sighs.
"Lauren, no. You are not being punished. You have been nothing but faithful to him."
Tears begin to fall from Lauren's eyes again.
"Then why did this happen to me?"
Jesus walks up to her hospital bed and puts his hand on her shoulder.
"I was going to go honor him by serving him.
"And you still can."
"HOW?! I can't even do anything anymore. I have become nothing but a burden."
"A burden?! Who says so?"
"ME! How can I serve you like this?"
"It was never about what you are able to do."
"Can I ask you another question, Jesus?"
"Of course."
"Can you heal me?"
Jesus sighs.
"Lauren."
"I KNOW YOU CAN YOU DO IT!!! I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT!!!!"
"Oh Lauren. I can do it but is it what you need?"
"YES! I NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE ARMS AND LEGS AGAIN TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO!" Lauren yells, crying hard.
"I am nothing without them," she says, softly.
Jesus wraps her arms around Lauren.
"Don't ever say that about yourself! You are worth more to me than you can possibly imagine! Your worth doesn't come from what you are able or not able to do! Your worth comes from me alone! I love you, Lauren because you are my child!"
"But I can't do anything."
"Yes you can. And the things that you can do will give a greater testimony than the things that you wanted to do but can't."
"What about my legs?"
"What about them? Just because you lost the use of them doesn't make me love you any less. I still love you."
YOU ARE READING
Jesus Walks Among Us
SpiritualAuthor's Note: Please read the actual Bible before reading this book Imagine if Jesus was physically walking with us in modern day times. What would it be like? I try to create an idea of what that would look like through a series of short stories...
