Walking together

She wore a crimson red sweater, white ankle length pants and a perfectly white pair of Keds. To complete her look was a head of white, wavy hair that looked like she had just stepped out of the hair salon for her weekly set and style. She was the classic throwback to a better era when women decked themselves out in classy attire for every occasion, even a simple walk along the bay. Her look was nautical, timeless and oh-so sophisticated.
But what really stood out to me about this women was not her outfit or her perfect posture or her walk which gave her the other-worldly appearance of floating on air. No, what struck me most was who was next to her.
Attached to her arm was a man. He too had a head of white hair, freshly pressed khaki pants and a handsome sweater. The two walked along the path next to the bay at a comfortable pace, linked arm in arm, taking one step in perfect synchronized timing with each other.
Their walk was beautiful. One did not outpace the other. Their steps never looked labored or awkward. They were in perfect time with one another.
As I came up behind these companions I couldn't help but smile. How precious was their journey along the bay! Who knew that something so simple, just an afternoon stroll, could be such a glorious picture?
I don't know the names of that adorable couple, how long they've been married (assuming they are married) or how often they take their afternoon walks together. But I can't help but think that their love has been one spanning years, decades, perhaps even half a century. I can't help but think that they didn't always walk so perfectly in step together but that this ease has grown with time. I can't help but believe that their journey has become more beautiful with time,  just like a fine wine. It just keeps getting better with age.

In my journey through life I have yet to embark on an arm-in-arm walk with a companion. As I walk along the bay I do so alone. My arm is not linked to a faithful walking buddy and my pace is not influenced by a partner. Not yet, at least. But someday I hope and trust that will change. Someday I too would like to walk with my arm linked to my life partner, my husband.
 But until that day arrives,  I do not walk alone.  I am linked to a companion whom I long to follow in perfect step; my Savior. I am walking with God. His arm is around me and I am clinging tightly to Him. He sets my pace and guides my path. He chooses where we will explore on our walks and when we will take a rest.   He is walking me towards an earthly companion who will join us on the journey, so that as I am linked to Christ's left arm my husband will be linked to His right. We will walk arm-in-arm together along the path of God's design.

Like that adorable couple walking along the path by the bay, the journey and walk with God only gets better with time. My steps are more closely aligned with His with each stride forward. I become more comfortable with His pace as time passes. The rhythm He has set is becoming more my own with each new day spent walking with Him.
As I walk with God the peace of His presence becomes increasingly more real, more tangible and more overwhelming. When I "walk by faith and not by sight" I find that my walk has an ease that isn't found by walking alone. He is guiding me, protecting me, sustaining me and leading me in His path.

Heavenly Harmony

I think it is safe to say that everyone is looking for harmony. Just look around, doesn't it seem that everyone is looking for the balance and peace that harmony brings? Who doesn't enjoy smooth sailing and pleasant skies? Doesn't everyone appreciate suitable circumstances and ease of living? This, my friends, is harmony and I don't know a soul on earth who doesn't want a bit more of it in their life. Just look at eHarmony.com. We all want a little more harmony in our lives.
So, if we all want harmony so badly why does it seem to be so elusive? Harmony can be a challenge to obtain. Disharmony is found in political life, family life, work life, marital life... you name it and I'm sure disharmony can be found. There is no human relationship on earth that is free from disharmony. Yet, we are all yearning and striving to beat the odds and live in perfect harmony.
Good luck, right? Perfect harmony is as hard to come by as the perfect pair of jeans. You may find one pair of perfect jeans in your whole life but at some point those jeans will wear out, get lost or have a run in with a nasty beverage that leaves a ghastly stain. Even the perfect pair of jeans doesn't last forever.
Likewise, the relationship or circumstance in life that appears to be perfectly harmonious will not last. Reality will come busting in with unwelcome force and knock your harmony right out of the ballpark. Hello strife. Hello arguments. Hello tension and disagreement. Hello disharmony.
The life long pursuit of harmony, seen from this brutally honest viewpoint, can be depressing. The unattainable nature of this longing of the human heart can put a damper on the joyful spirit of the harmony seeker. So, why even try? Why continue to search for harmony and try to produce harmony in your life if it is never to be achieved?
Because, ultimately, the harmony we are striving for is not earthly harmony, but heavenly harmony.
On this earth we are in an inescapable predicament thanks to that nasty little human condition called sin. No matter where we go, who we know or who we avoid knowing, our lives are going to be surrounded by sin. Sometimes it will be our own sin and sometimes it will be the sin of others. Sin is unavoidable. Therefore, perfect harmony cannot be attained in a world marked by imperfection.
Yet, you and I, those that are living in light of the Kingdom of God, aren't caught up in the disharmony of this world and its lack of perfection. We are living for the perfect harmony of Heaven. Our home is there, our heart is there and our harmony is there, too. We can live in peace and balance because we have the harmony of eternity with Christ. We don't need the false, temporary, fleeting harmony of this world that is here today and gone in a moment. We have a harmonious Heaven to look forward to that cannot be shaken. There, in the presence of the Almighty God, sin, dysfunction, arguments and fighting are no more. The evil of this world that prohibits lifelong harmony is no longer a factor in Heaven. Perfection reigns. Harmony is achieved and sustained.
Knowing that you and I have the perfection of Heaven ahead and eternal harmony to look forward to, we can live with overflowing love and unity found only in Christ. This earth and its evils are temporal but Jesus and His Kingdom are eternal, forever, never-ending. It is because of Christ that you and I can heed the words of Romans 15:5, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus..." We can live in harmony here on earth because we have the promise of eternity in perfect harmony with our Savior. So, keep up your endurance and don't lose heart, because you are a citizen of Heaven where perfect harmony reigns victorious and it never ends.

Remember the cross

It happened in an instant. As I walked along the road with Pippy my ears were suddenly met with the unmistakable sound of wind chimes. The rest of the world seemed silent, as if it were listening to the playing of the wind on the high pitched metal rods of the chime. The sound of nature's musical arrangement was carried by the leaves on the trees and ran straight into me. Right there, in the blink of an eye, I was transported away from that street in Erie, Pennsylvania to the home I fell in love with back in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
It was not so long ago, only a couple of years, that I moved to Chagrin Falls believing that I was meant to be in that town, living my fantasy Gilmore Girls life. It all looked like a dream and I jumped at the opportunity to make it a reality. Actually, I pushed, shoved and fought to make it a reality. I wanted that little house, that little life and that little town.
Somehow, that dream did become a reality. There were a million roadblocks and slammed doors that could have stopped me from getting to Chagrin Falls, but despite all the odds, I did end up in that little house, in that little town.
And in that little house I heard chimes. Frequent, noisy, persistent chimes. My neighbor loved them. She had a variety of chimes in an array of pitches, playing harmonic melodies. Any time even the slightest breeze picked up, the chimes would start their refrain. Chimes became the soundtrack of my life in my little house in Chagrin Falls.
Now that I'm living back in Erie, away from the close quarters of village life and an abundant display of wind chimes, I rarely hear the sound of metal and wood clanging together. When I do happen upon such music I am immediately transported back to Chagrin Falls, back to that house and back to the dream that became a reality, and, in turn, ceased to be so dreamy.
Despite the fact that life in Chagrin Falls didn't pan out the way I had hoped and planned, I wouldn't take back those days on May Court. There were lessons to be learned by making that move. Lesson number one, don't be so hasty! And of course, the lesson of appreciating the family and the simplicity of home. These were all lessons I needed to learn and the sound of the chimes reminds me to never forget them.
I'm thankful for the chimes. They take me back to a different place and remind me that what God has revealed to me in the past is meant to be remembered today. I've left Chagrin Falls but I don't want to leave behind the lessons I learned from that town and that experience. Every time I hear a chime I have the opportunity to reflect on the ups and downs of my journey to Chagrin Falls and how God used that time in my life to refine me, teach me and hopefully make me more like Jesus.

We all have "chimes" in our life - sounds, sights and smells that take us back to a different time in our lives and a different place in our journey. Sometimes you and I don't want to go back to those past experiences. Maybe they are painful because they ended tragically or maybe they are uncomfortable because they are filled with regret. Our pasts can be messy.
Yet, even the dirtiest of messes and biggest mistakes can be used for good if we let God teach us, mold us and change us through them. Messes can be turned into blessings when God gets a hold of them.

Tomorrow is Easter and there is no greater reminder, no greater "chime," than the Cross of Calvary. Each year when Easter rolls around we are reminded of the greatest gift ever given and the greatest sacrifice ever made: Jesus Christ's death on the cross. The Son of Man bore the sins of the world in His very body, bleeding the blood of sinners and dying the death of a criminal, so that the guilty could go free. The image of the cross serves as a stark reminder of the price paid for the redemption of sinners like you and me. We were destined for eternal damnation and separation from God, but Christ went to the cross so that we could have the hope of eternity in heaven. Jesus carried our guilt and shame on His back up to Calvary and was nailed to the cross to pay the penalty for all of our sins. By His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
The cross looks messy. Jesus death wasn't pretty. Every romantic and artistic depiction fails to capture the reality of that cruel death. It was gruesome, tragic, and agonizing. The blood He spilled was real. The pain He felt was acute.
Yet, God did the most glorious work of all through that savage crucifixion. He redeemed the whole human race. Jesus went to the grave for sins and rose victorious, the conqueror over death itself. His work didn't end on the cross. The brutality of man couldn't end His reign. He rose again. He left the tomb. He overcame the grave.
Beloved, as you look upon the cross this Easter let it serve as a shining reminder of the life you have received through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died to save you. He rose to claim you. Sinners like you and like me have the promise of eternal life through the death of our perfect Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. The mess of the cross was the price Jesus had to pay for our redemption. God's masterful plan took the ugliness of that murderous cross and turned it into the most beautiful and precious gift. Through Jesus Christ, there is abundant blessing and eternal life when we turn to the cross and remember the price our Savior paid to set us free.

Declined

My absolute favorite button on my cell phone is the "decline" button. A bit harsh, I know, but hear me out, I have legitimate rationale to support my enthusiasm for hitting decline.
Namely, solicitation phone calls. Are you plagued with these incessant automated callers who want to sell you a new insurance policy or inform you that you just won a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Tahiti? Ninety nine percent of the phone calls I receive are from these phone banks which are probably somewhere in India.
Before the decline button, I used to answer, get annoyed and then press end.
As a side not, hitting end on a touch phone just doesn't have the same stress-releasing benefits as hanging up the old phone with big round buttons and cumbersome wire. At the end of a frustrating call there was nothing better than smacking the receiver back onto the cradle with force and an exacerbated "humph." It made the annoyance of the call less acute.
Those days are no longer. Now you and I must settle for a weak little red "end" button that only responds to a light touch. Try hitting the end button with force and see what happens. The call doesn't end. It is as if the high tech screen can't register frustrated poking so it just remains on the line. So instead of easing frustration, the whole situation is aggravated further and that telecommunications caller from India is still on the line trying to convince you to upgrade your motorcycle insurance when you don't even own a motorcycle. "Humph" just doesn't cut it in this situation.
That brings me to the "decline" button. This whole situation and subsequent frustration can be avoided by employing a slight tap of the finger on the "decline" button when one of these unknown, blocked or obscure numbers pops up on the phone's screen. Numbers with 800, 866, or no numbers at all are immediately flagged in my mind. They all are met with a touch of decline. No answer, no frustration, no aggravated hang up. Just a simple little decline and the whole ordeal, sales pitch and cruise ship run around is avoided. Thank you, whoever thought up the decline button. You are a genius.
As much as I love hitting the decline button when I'm faced with another solicitation call, I can't stand the decline button when it is used against me. Being declined is only tolerable if your an automated machine but if you are a human being with feelings and no sales pitch, decline is more hurtful than helpful.
Sometimes the declining doesn't come in the form of a physical button. Sometimes the decline is administered with the silent treatment, being ignored or being avoided. Have you ever experienced this kind of decline? You reach out to someone and they decline you by denying your request for friendship or backing out on plans you've made. Maybe you extend an invitation to someone you'd like to get to know better and they respond with excuses for why Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next three months won't fit into their absurdly busy schedule. Decline can come in the form of not receiving a call back or being down right stood up. No matter how the decline is issued, it hurts.
This side of heaven you and I are bound to be faced with our share of declines. For most of us they are probably too great in number to even count. I know because I've been there, over and over and over. And even if I could count all of my declines I'd rather not because it is embarrassing and downright depressing. So, I'll keep the tally to myself. Just take my word for it, this world loves to use the decline button on more than just solicitation calls.
Being the recipient of so many declines has taught me a valuable lesson. In this world I am going to face rejection. That is a given. It is to be expected. Jesus even warned His followers when He said in John 15:18-19,  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." 
Well, that about settles it, don't you think? If you and I are going to follow Christ we should expect to be on the receiving end of the decline button. He tells us upfront, no sugar coating or whitewashing, that we are to anticipate being declined, rejected and hated. The world did all of these things to Christ and they are sure to treat His followers in the same manner. 
There is no escaping rejection in this life as a Christ follower. By being in Christ you and I are out of this world and are no longer accepted and embraced by this world. That is the trade-off we make when we surrender our lives to God and enter into a union with Jesus. We give up this world and our place in it so that we can be one with Christ and spend eternity with Him. 
Is the trade-off worth it? Of course it is. I'd take a thousand years of relentless decline buttons for one day in the presence of my perfect Savior. His love is truly better than life and the promise of Heaven is greater than any acceptance you and I could ever attain here on earth. 

Of great worth

Life lesson 101: never trust a talking cat.
You need look no further than Babe the pig for anecdotal evidence that cats aren't the most trustworthy of talking animals. One of my all time favorite movies is Babe. It is rated G, came out in 1995 and features a lovable "sheep pig" who, although fully pig, believes he is a sheep herder. Babe is the ultimate lover of all creation and the sweetest darn hairless farm animal that ever hit the big screen. This isn't a matter of opinion, it is fact. Babe is the kind of pig a movie goer can't help but fall in love with.
Which is what makes the cat in the movie all the more infuriating. The farm cat, beloved and spoiled rotten by the farmer's wife, doesn't share in my love for Babe. Actually, her feelings for Babe are quite the opposite. The cat has it out for Babe. One evening the cat employs a deceitful tactic to try to rid the farm of Babe, the beloved sheep pig who has captured a special place in the heart of the farmer and the other animals. 
In the dark of night, the cat, purring with an evil tone in her voice, says to Babe, "You know, I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm not sure if you realize how much the other animals are laughing at you for this sheep dog business."

Babe replied, "Why would they do that?"

Cat said, "Well, they say that you've forgotten that you're a pig. Isn't that silly? And they even said that you don't know what pigs are for."

After more questioning by Babe, the cat finally said with authority, "The fact is that pigs don't have a purpose, just like ducks don't have a purpose." Then the evil cat went on to say that the only purpose for a pig was to be eaten. Pigs were only good if they were made into pork. Or bacon. But pigs were useless if alive. 

Poor Babe was so shaken and upset by this news that he went running out of the house. He ran straight to his adopted dog mother, Fly, and asked her what happened to all the pigs that were carted off on big trucks, like his brothers, sisters and pig mom. Fly had to admit the truth, they probably became someone's dinner. Babe was devastated. He had no idea that his life was worthless, only valuable as a meal on a hungry diner's plate. 

But the truth is Babe wasn't worthless at all. He had so much value and worth that the farmer nursed Babe back to health when he was injured and went searching for him when he went missing in the fields. The farmer loved Babe and cared deeply for his safety and wellbeing. The farmer didn't want anything to do with Babe's possibility as dinner; he wanted Babe alive and healthy so he could be an asset in the field as a sheep pig. Babe's herding method wasn't conventional but it was of great worth and value to the farmer who saw great potential in his little pig. 

The cat had been lying to Babe. That sinister cat just wanted to get rid of Babe and cause the sweet pig harm. The cat probably wanted Babe to become dinner so she could have some pork! The cat knew that the farmer loved the pig but that didn't stop her from telling a lie to achieve her own means. She wanted Babe out of the picture, off of the farm and out of her living room. So she lied. She twisted facts, distorted reality and sent Babe off running for the hills far away from the beloved care of the farmer. 

In the end, the farmer went out looking for Babe and found the poor pig shivering in the bushes, fearing that he would become the next holiday's centerpiece on the dinner table. The farmer had no such plans for Babe. No, the farmer had grand schemes and ideas that included Babe herding as a sheep pig, not as a breakfast bacon or Christmas pork feast. 

Dear Reader, sometimes you and I are a lot like Babe. We listen to the lies of another evil scheming deceiver and believe his lies. We listen to the serpent, the devil, satan himself. He wants us to believe that we are worthless. Satan twists the facts, distorts our realities and plays with our weaknesses till we believe that we are of no value to our great Shepherd, the Farmer of all farmers, our Heavenly Father. The devil wants to drag us down into a pit, out into a bush away from our Savior, and he accomplishes this by telling us lies and selling it to us as truth. 

But, just like Babe, you and I aren't worthless. The lies of a talking cat or the devil himself are just that, lies. They are meant to deceive and destroy us. But they aren't reality. You and I are not useless and pointless. Just like the farmer saw great value in Babe, God sees great value and worth in you and me, His beloved children. 

Jesus reassured us of this in Luke 12:24 when He said, "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds." You and I, beloved, are more valuable than the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. We may look at them and wonder, what value do they have? What good are the flowers? What purpose does a bird fulfill? And yet God takes care of them. We may not see their value but God does and He watches over them and preserves them. 

God cares for you and me and sees great worth and incomprehensible value in our very lives. You and I are not purposeless. Even when the devil whispers lies and falsehoods, tempting you to believe that your life is worth nothing, don't buy into his deception. Remember the truth of God. You are valuable. You are of great worth. You have a purpose. God cares so much for you that He will take care of you and preserve your life. You are a precious treasure to the Lord. You are His beloved creation. 

Babe had to be reminded by his dog mother that he was a great sheep pig and very important to the farmer. He had a big job to do in the fields and a big prize to win at the sheep herding competition. The farmer needed Babe. Sometimes you and I need that same reminding. We are of great value to our Farmer, God. He is has big plans for us and a great future ahead. So don't go off running in fear, believing you are of no use. That line is all a big lie from the evil one. Turn back to your Farmer and see His smiling face shining down on you. Listen to the love and care in His voice as He says, "That'll do Pig, that'll do." 

An Upper

There are two kinds of people in this world. Type one: the downer. Type two: the upper.
The difference is as stark and as straightforward as that. Every person has either an up or down effect on the people they encounter.
This may seem too simplistic. Aren't some people neither uppers or downers? Don't some people just seem to fall into a middle ground of neutrality? I might have once had the same doubts and questions about this theory of the human personality. But that is no longer the case. I have come to truly believe that every person exudes an aura of either positivity or negativity. This, in turn, spills over into every relationship that person has. Those who exude positivity tend to pull people up while those that are plagued with a negative outlook can't help but share that in their everyday conversations and encounters.
Of course this is all a theory of my own design but it does seem to be quite accurate. Even the quietest of friends has either a positive or negative outlook on life. The most gregarious and the shiest all have an up or down effect on the lives of those around them. Maybe a study could be done that rates the positivity or negativity of thoughts in a person's mind. The people who scored a higher positive thought quotient would be deemed the uppers while the more negative thinkers would fall into the category of downers.
I would like to argue that there doesn't need to be a scientific study to prove my point. All it takes is one look around at the faces of friends, family members and, most importantly, the face in the mirror to make my point crystal clear and close enough to fact (in my humble opinion).
By thinking over the array of people I know and the countless people I encounter on a day to day basis, I am struck by the ease at which I can name a downer versus an upper. The spirit each gives is undeniable. The uppers tend to smile more. The uppers in my life usually have a kind word to say or at least a welcoming, "It's so nice to see you!" Even if the conversation doesn't go very far, the uppers in my life leave me feeling a little lighter and just plain happier.
On the other hand, downers bring with them a shadow to the room. Even if they don't say much, their mood is usually worn with a frown or blank stare. When they do make a point it often doesn't involve humor, kindness and certainly not lightness. There is an edge to the downer. There is a lack of ease and serenity.
Of course, there is only one thought that comes to mind when I think over this budding theory: which one am I? Am I an upper or am I a downer? Do I carry with me a spirit of positivity or am I known for my negativity?
There are plenty of circumstances that I can recount where I would label myself a downer. I've carried with me a spirit that isn't peaceful and jubilant. I haven't always worn a smile and I haven't always been quick to compliment or give a kind word. Sometimes I've been the first to point out the negative. At other times I've withheld pointing out the positive.
Am I stuck as a downer for life? Is there any hope for the person who doesn't naturally wear a big wide smile and sunny disposition?
Beloved, there is hope and it is found in the salvation of Jesus Christ. There is hope for the downer and negative thinker. Jesus can give new life to even the most downcast of spirits. Through the rebirth of salvation you and I can become joyful, peaceful, uppers who exude love and positivity. This transformation can't be done by our own power. It is only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that the human heart can be made new.
Thankfully, Jesus stands ready and waiting to come into your heart and mine so that He can start His work of turning us from downers to uppers, sinners to the saved, negative Nancy's to positive Patsy's (if you will). Through Christ the redeemed can put away the spirit of the downer and be given a spirit that is overflowing with all that is beautiful and bright.
Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." When Jesus Christ dwells in us and lives through us we will be filled with these lovely, pure, right honorable and true things that are worthy of praise and are perpetual uppers. Jesus will give us this spirit when we ask.
There is no question about it, I want to be an upper. I want to walk into a room and bring with me a light of positivity. But not just positivity that I can muster up in that moment on my own steam. I want to bring with me the joyful and hopeful spirit of Jesus Christ. I want His spirit to be so alive in me that it lifts up my spirit to new heights that I could never reach, maybe even heights that I didn't know existed!
Jesus can make me the upper of all uppers. He can wipe away any ounce of negativity I've been holding onto in my heart and replace it with the positive outlook that comes from having an unshakable hope in the Lord. That is the upper I want to be. An upper by the power and indwelling of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Make me clean...

All it took was a word, a touch, a thought… and lives were changed, bodies healed, hearts were turned. All it took was Jesus.

"Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." were the words of a man covered with leprosy in Luke 5:12. A man ugly, disfigured, and ill, yet hopeful that with one touch from the Son of God his whole body could be made new. If only Jesus would be willing to do such a miraculous work on that man's ailing body.
Jesus didn't disappoint. He was willing. He reached out His hand, touched the man and made him clean. That was all it took. The leprosy was gone. The man was cleansed. The disease that had ravaged his body for so long was suddenly nothing but a memory. Jesus had all the power in the simple act of His touch to purify that man's body and He willingly displayed that power.

Such miracles are more than my mind can comprehend. I can't even imagine the excitement and pure joy that man experienced in that moment. There are no words that could ever contain the overwhelming marvel of such a miracle. To be shunned from society, an outcast because of your physical condition, and then in an instant, with the gentle touch of the perfect Son of God, your whole being is restored to a clean and pure state. All of your illness is gone. Every symptom and ailment disappears. Can your mind grasp that moment in time? My whole being overflows with boundless joy when I picture the look on his face when he surveyed his body and realized that it was completely, totally, wholly healed.

Jesus' power to heal is still alive and well. If He is willing, He can heal the broken bodies that are suffering on this earth today. All it takes is a touch. One single, gentle, divine touch from the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus Christ has the power to cleanse and purify in His very hands.

Oh Jesus how I long for your healing touch. I know that if you are willing, you can make me clean. I believe in your power to heal and make new. In an instant, with a thought or word or stroke of your hand, you can infuse health into my body. There is nothing too big for you, no illness too daunting or sickness too severe. You know the intricacies of them all and you, the great Physician, have the power to heal them all in the blink of an eye.

My precious Savior, I trust in the power of your hand. I trust in your power to heal. By the breath on your lips you are transforming my body. By the touch of your hand you are restoring me from the inside out. Thank you for gift of miraculous healing. Thank you for showing that power to be mighty and willing in the story of the leper. Jesus, you have shown that you love me and all of your children and that you long to touch us with your hand of restoration to bring health to our bones and healing to our souls. You ask for my faith in your power and I put my faith entirely and completely in you. I know that you are able. I know that you are willing.
Thank you for healing me, dear Jesus. Thank you for being willing. Thank you for your touch. Thank you for making me clean.