Every day I encounter people in need of healing. Sometimes they want their annoying cold to go away and sometimes they are struggling with the deep wounds of abuse. Most of the time, if I dig deeper into their chief complaint I find out that’s it not just a cough, but a family struggling to make ends meet, a child listening to their dad beat their mom at night, a mom doing everything they can so that their child can have a better life than they did or children just wanting someone to listen to and care about them.

I get frustrated when people comment to me about the evils of “Western medicine”. I and my colleagues are accused of being pill pushers, money hungry and scalpel happy. I have had people tell me that they won’t go to the doctor because they are waiting for God to heal them and that if we in America had the faith and dependence on God of those in third world countries then He would heal us. I don’t think it works like that.

I believe that God wants us to be healed and He wants us to live out the purpose He has placed on our lives. I do believe we need to depend on God, but I also believe that He uses people to speak into our stories. For example, part of my calling includes pursuing a career in medicine so I can help people. It doesn’t make my patient wrong in coming to me instead of simply praying and waiting for healing because as I am doing my work unto God, my patient is helping me to fulfill my calling. Without patients, I just sit there.

God has designed us for community and He uses people to carry out His purpose. I believe that God does miraculously cure illnesses but I also believe He gave people the intelligence to develop and study medicine to provide care to others. I believe that God holds the world’s finances in His hands, but he wants me to act generously to help the poor. The Bible is full of ways God used people to carry out His will and be part of His story.

John reports an account in the Bible of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. There are many lessons drawn from this story from the fact Jesus waited, Jesus wept, Jesus called someone out of the grave but Jesus also used other people in the story. He asked the people to roll away the stone and remove the grave clothes. Jesus raised a man from the dead, I think He could have waved His hand and moved a boulder. However God wants us involved in the story. He wants us to get our hands dirty. He wants to bring someone into your life that will facilitate healing and by allowing them to do their job, you are helping them to fulfill their purpose.

Is there someone you need to help heal today or you need to let in so you may be healed?

I have had the opportunity in the past to travel to St. Maarten, Jamaica, the Dominican Repulic and Honduras on short-term foreign missions trips. I have written about some of those trips in this blog. It is through these opportunities I feel as though I have come to learn what it really means to be a Christian and act like Jesus. This coming spring, I have an opportunity to travel with them to Nairobi, Kenya for 10 days. During this time we will be visiting the slums, working with Jacaranda Creations ministry, and possibly doing some medical interventions.

Jacaranda Creations is a ministry started in the slums provides work for mostly HIV positive, single mothers and gives them a source of income and pride. The ministry teaches the women to sew and allows them to create items for sale and develop community. Jacaranda recently expanded to Jacaranda Kids ministry that helps a child to be sponsored so that they will receive an education, clothes and food.

The cost of this trip is $2,600 and I need help. The money will be going toward flight, lodging, and assisting Jacaranda ministries. I have been saving money and participating in group fundraisers but I need your help. Any donation is much appreciated. You can donate on-line by going to crosspoint.tv/give, (click: One time donation, Campus: Bellevue, Other: [A box will pop up] then type Amanda Fordham + Nairobi then continue to the payment info.) or by clicking on the button below. All gifts are tax deductible.

The most important thing I need is your prayers. This trip is going to be especially challenging for me. I need to be mentally prepared for what I am going to see and also, I need to know what am I supposed to do once I go. Coming back from these trips are always hard because you can so often feel helpless. There is so much poverty and it seems not enough help. However, I believe even more important that finances, we are offering these people hope. Hope that there is a God that loves them, that can overcome any circumstance and that knows them by name. Thank you so much for partnering with me.

My late night dog walk is both my most dreaded and favorite walk of the day. It’s hard to walk out that front door after my body and mind has begun to shut down and crave my bed. Now that there is a chill in the air, it means bundling up and shocking my senses with blast of cold air. However as I make it down my driveway, I can’t help but crane my neck up and gaze at the never-ending sky.  Walk in wonder at sight of the stars and the God that placed them there. Each night renews my belief that my God is big.

 I think the question of “How big is your God?” shapes our faith and what we do to answer that question shapes how we live our life.

My God is so big that He controls the sky. Each morning the sun rises, and in the evening He paints the sky as it sets.  Each night twinkling star light up the sky as the moon sets on its path across the sky. My God is so big that He had the imagination to change the colors of the trees each fall and carpet the meadows with a rainbow of flowers each spring.  My God is so big that He can connect people of all countries, ethnicities and languages through His love.  My God is only as big as I view my world around me.

I am a finite being who’s learning about an infinite God.

I can make my God tiny when my world only encompasses me. When all I can see are the things I don’t have, complain about my job, focus only on how my relationships affect me or try to advance my position, my God is very small. When my God is only there to fulfill my desires and plans or when I set Him in the background only to talk to Him when I need something then He is tiny. When I limit God by who I am, I can become cynical and impotent.

 However if I believe in a God who made the sky; a God who gave purpose to a bunch of elements to light the sky every night, I can believe He has a purpose for me. I can believe that this world is not there to have an effect on me, however I am here to affect the world.

 How big is your God?

Three days earlier was Good Friday, the day that Jesus died, and I couldn’t get one thought out of my head.  At what point did the hope that Jesus would overcome die for His followers? These men and women had walked with Jesus for the past three years. They saw him feed thousands, walk on water, even raise a man from the grave, but when Jesus finally breathed his last, they all just walked away. They felt as though it was over. All I’ve been thinking about was at what point did they give up? Was it when he was arrested? At the clang of the first nail being struck? When Jesus said “It is finished”?

I hold out hope till all hope is gone. I believe any situation can turn around. I relationship will survive. A person will change. A job will get better. If I was there, I would be thinking, “He’s going to come down. He can do it. He won’t let this happen. He’s going to show everyone who he is. Please come down. Please don’t die.” I can only imagine the crushing blow the disciples must have felt when Jesus let go. I would have doubted everything. His power. His love. His legacy.

Are there moments in your life that you give up on something you’ve been praying for? Were you praying that God would heal your marriage only to think He never heard your prayers when the divorce papers came? Were you praying that God would provide for your bills only to think He didn’t care when you got laid off? Were you praying that God would heal your father from cancer only to think He’s cruel when your daddy passed away?

God does not leave us without hope. Your dreams may die. Your life may feel over. You may feel like God gave up on you.

But, Sunday is coming.

Even though it felt over that Friday. Even though it seemed as though everything was meaningless and gone. God was still working. On Sunday, He rose from the grave. Death could not keep Him. Your divorce does not mean you are unloved. Your unemployment does not mean you are worthless. Your father’s death does not mean you are without a father. 

It may not be how you expect it to turn out, the pain and grief may be real, but He has an Easter morning for your life planned.

What can I pray for you about today?

This was true for a project I just lead called Cinderella Day. After visiting the Dream Center, I realized that what they were doing with Cinderella Day would be easily replicated at Cross Point and since I worked 2 days at a clinic in Pearl Cohn High School I would be able to promote it there. Cinderella Day was an opportunity for girls, who may not otherwise be able to afford it, to pick out a prom dress, shoes, jewelry and also get there hair and make-up done.

So I have a confession: the last thing I wanted to do was be in charge of this project. When I first started, all I wanted to do was handout flyers and donate a couple dresses. Ryan Bult, the missions director, said that I was going to have to take the lead on this project and see it through. Not what I wanted to hear. I already had a challenging job, working through a relationship, involved in youth ministry and my computer died. Wasn’t that enough?

Sometimes God decides He wants to move and He has you in the most opportune place to help Him move. He doesn’t care that you have a million things going on because He knows that you can make it though. In addition, if He wants something done, He’s going to provide strength and support for you to do it. All He is waiting to hear is “Yes, use me.”

So I became a reluctant leader. It was difficult. It was frustrating keeping up with e-mails when I had to type each one out on my iPhone. However at some point I stopped looking at how much I didn’t want to do this and seeing how much it needed to be done. It wasn’t just about giving out dresses but for every person involved. I got an e-mail from a volunteer saying how she was new to Cross Point and this seemed like a good opportunity to get plugged in. It pierced my heart that this could be the chance she has to fall in love with this church. This could be the opportunity for her to find community and see God move.

That day we had about 20 volunteers and 50 girls come through. If it weren’t for the wonderful volunteers, this would not have happened. We had 6 racks of dresses, 4 tables of shoes and jewelry, make-up artists, hair stylists and a table of snacks. We had over $1000 of make-up donated to give away to the girls. It was amazing and I saw God move because He wanted to love these girls. I may have not intially wanted to do this, but I was so happy when I saw the result. We were able to create moments like this and have a father see his daughter in a beautiful dress.

So my question to you is: What is God calling you to do that you’d rather someone else take the lead on?

Someone found her in my neighborhood and she somehow found her way into my home about 3 months ago.  I really couldn’t have asked for a better dog. She doesn’t bark. Doesn’t bite. Doesn’t kill my cats.

We go on walks every morning and night, rain, sleet, snow, sun, bitter cold or perfect, warm nights. I’ve learned to use this time to pray and think about my day and more recently see the parallels between how she and I walk and how I walk with God.

Sometimes she pulls the leash.  She doesn’t know where we are going, but she’s really excited to get there and urges me forward often choking herself against her collar. How often do I urge God on and want Him to do something, anything? I want Him to move, but I don’t really know where the end result will be. I don’t look around or allow Him to lead me, I just want to get there now and in the end, I end up choking myself. I move too fast and don’t allow Him to replenish me or I want to get to the finish line and end up at the wrong place.

Sometimes she wanders off the path to explore and sniff. She has a 6 foot leash, so I know she won’t get far and give her a mild correction if she is stalling too long or wants to go too far off the course. Our lives are filled with great distractions: work, relationships, responsibilities, volunteering, Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday nights, and although most distractions are good things, if we get caught up too long in one spot we never move forward. If I focus too long on my job and the good and bad of it, looking at the problems and things that need to be fixed, I never actually do anything. If I focus on youth ministry and whether each individual service and production aspects that need to be fixed and how many students show up, then I never move forward. Just like my dog who will stay and sniff the same spot for what seems like hours, I can’t stay focused on the same issue. Sometimes God will give me a little jerk of the collar to get me moving and stay on the course. Whether it’s a patient that really needs my help or a student that needs to come over to talk things out, He will always move me on to the greater mission.

Sometimes she walks right by my side pacing with me. She anticipates my moves and turns and walks close to me, not straining or running to the side, but forward with me.  These are the times that I really enjoy. Sometimes I get my walk with God right too. I’m moving where He is going and allow Him to lead me. I stay close to anticipate His next move and work towards the end goal. At these points I feel as though I’m walking with a friend who is pushing me on to great things.

Overall I love these walks with my dog. She’s great and is always willing to go where ever I want to take her. She’ll walk as long or as little as I want to go and does it with her tail wagging every time. I hope that I can grow to be as good on my walk with God.

How are you on a leash?

He is just a ordinary teenager. Nothing truly extraordinary about him. He doesn’t cause a lot of trouble. He makes ok grades. He can play drums on Rockband, but I haven’t seen him pick up a pair of real drumsticks. He has funny hair. And he is going to Africa this summer.

Cooper has the opportunity that not many people will ever get to travel halfway across the world to Nairobi, Kenya with my church Cross Point. So the question is why would Cooper, a teenager, of no extraordinary talent need to go to Africa? He’s not going to be providing much needed medical care. He’s not going to preach an sermon to the masses. He’s not going to build a home for a family in need. So why should this punk kid get to go? Why should I support this kid with funny hair to go to Africa?

The thing is that Cooper serves a God who so desperately loves His people that He would send a willing teenager of no extraordinary talent to demonstrate His love. We serve a God that would choose a team of people from Nashville, TN and stir their hearts for people they have never met. He flies them across the world simply so His great love would be known. He loves an orphan in Nairobi so much, He is sending Cooper to go hug and play with them. He is sending a teenager with goofy hair to hold them, and hug them and sing silly songs and play patty cake.

Cooper’s love and willingness make him an extraordinary person. It is because of God’s love that any of us are special.

Cooper needs help. I can’t go to Africa, (maybe someday), but I can help him and his team get there. I will help them because of the great God I serve and He has caused me to love an orphan that I have never seen. I want that child to know love. To know what it is to get a hug and play. To know that there is a God in the universe that will do anything, even send a punk kid, across the world to find them and let them know they are loved.

There are a number of ways you can help. You can directly support Cooper by going to this website or you can go to this website and learn how to donate to the whole team and more about the ministries going on in Nairobi.

I saw a couple give up their time and careers to take over the Dream Center and empower the church to empower a city. I saw an ex-drug dealer fearlessly walk up to houses and reach out to the people that he would have otherwise been dealing to. I saw the CEO of Fisher Price give up his Saturday to mentor a child and develop a relationship with someone who may never buy on of this toys.

The North Charleston Dream center is focused on one thing, changing their city by becoming the hands and feet of Christ. They provide food, clothing, education and medical care with the ultimate goal of developing relationships with people.

Seeing the size and scope of the center was overwhelming. Constantly I felt myself pushing back and thinking that there was no way we could do this. We wouldn’t find the volunteers. We wouldn’t find an appropriate location. We wouldn’t be able to sustain this over the years. And the one thing that resonated in my heart was the one thing that Sam would tell his volunteers when they saw a need, “Figure it out.”

I started struggling to my commitment to something like this. Would I want to give up my Saturdays to walk in a neighborhood knocking on doors? Would I want to give up my nights to attending a student’s basketball games so they have one person cheering for them? Would I want to give up my career goals to help run a clinic that would never pay me what I could be making in a private practice? I kept hearing those words, “Figure it out.” When there are people in my neighborhood that are struggling, hurting and dying for hope, how can I not give up my time, finances and dreams for them?

Yes it is scary, but if I do not go out, why should I expect others to? We need to rise up and be more. We can’t expect people to find us and find God. We need to get into their space. We have to get out of our own space and boundaries. If we are going to change the world, we need to go out to it.

What do you think you could do to make the biggest impact where you live?

I’ve learned that a house is not a home unless you let love in. It is simply four walls that holds your stuff. You can live in your house, with your stuff and it will keep you safe. You can hang a few good memories on your wall and play whatever you want on the TV. The fridge is stocked with the foods you like and everything is kept safe by that dead bolt that only you have a key to. Sure you can look out the peephole when someone knocks and let them in for a little while or you can go to someone else’s house for a visit, but at the end of the night, it’s just you in your safe house. But a home is messy.

When you let your house become a home, others come inside.  You allow the walls to be a shelter for other people and not just yourself. Suddenly, it’s not just your stuff, and what you like in the fridge, but you start sharing your space with the people you allow inside. Sometimes you give a key out and allow another person full access to your home. Sometimes they come over when you’d rather be alone or they don’t clean up their mess. But there’s a warmth inside, not just because the thermostat is set to 70 degrees, but because there is life in your house. When you allow others into your house, you let love in.

It hasn’t been easy to be a homeowner. There are times my guests leave a big mess and break a few things, but there’s nothing like when a friend comes to stay. When someone comes in a leaves more than they’ve taken or offers an invitation for you to come into their house.

Have you simply been a houseguest or are you a homeowner? What’s stopping you?

Revelation 3:20 – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

This past month I’ve felt my heart be challenged about my concept of healing; I’ve seen it and felt it going deeper than the simple physical manifestations of getting a cut and slapping a band-aid on it. My heart is scarred with old battle wounds, some of which have never completely healed, but I’ve learned to live with them and limp along. These scars have become a part of who I am and I’ve grown accustom to the pain that comes along with it, hardly noticing anymore. Recently, God has been showing me how He heals, how perfectly and seamlessly he can mend a heart and how healing from within can be more important than any physical healing.

I’m in a relationship. This may not seem like big news, but the fact is I tend to choke on the words as I write them, so me telling such a public forum is a big step for me. However, I do believe that God is using this relationship and this man to heal my heart of so many past hurts. I have a person who has prayed for me, been patient and kind, put me first and shown care for me unconditionally. I’ve felt old bandages fall away and a beautiful healing from these Godly actions. I’ve felt my parts of myself that I thought were dead breathe new life and I’m starting to stride again. I know that God has had a part in this healing process and it’s finally because I’ve let Him.

It causes me to think, how am I being a healer in other peoples’ lives? Instead of an antibiotic, what do they really need?

What do you need? How can you bring healing to someone today?