Tag Archive | serving the homeless

Limits Stretched to HIS Power!

Last week, a friend left a message on my phone, when I was serving the homeless. I didn’t hear it come in, and had I not stopped in a parking lot to send a text, I wouldn’t have realized that I didn’t even have my phone; it was left behind at the shelter. I would have went all the way home and not known she had called. My phone was so close to a dead battery when I picked it up, that I couldn’t even call her back. My internal battery had run out as well–

I was exhausted!

The last thing I wanted to do, was add anything to my night; but her message was so long, and there was so much pain wrenching her voice, I just couldn’t turn my back.

I am so glad that I didn’t!

She suffers from severe cellulitis in both legs, but one leg was so bad it had turned black. Her toes looked like she might lose them in front of me, and there were large open sores absolutely covering her lower leg. She was in so much pain it was heart-breaking, but seeing her like that, actually helped me to stomach what I normally would not have been able to. My kids can tell you that I had trouble putting on band-aids when they were growing up. You know, it’s not easy trying to bandage a wound while looking the other way–especially when pretending to be an adult!

Somehow the Lord gives us grace for things we can’t cope with! His mercy trumps self. It’s a mystery how He manages to stretch us beyond our limits. Maybe because He can’t see limits–they don’t even exist with Him!

Stretching is good exercise, right?

So, I sat on her walker seat, parked right in front of her, because I was already in the, ‘beyond standing’ sorta tired!

–but God!

He took over!

When I started to pray, my whole being became filled with tangible energy and strength. It was amazing! I wasn’t there for me, but He generously filled me too!

After the prayer, she coached me through bandaging her leg and then I said, goodnight.

The next day she called me. She had gone to the wound clinic for a scheduled dressing change and wound check. They unwound that bandage and exclaimed over her leg–it was healed!*

I had bandaged open wounds at 10:30 the night before; but sometime between 10:30 pm and the next morning God did what only He can do–what He does best–a Miracle!

Glory to God!!!

I had nothing in me, it was ALL HIM!  –but then, It always is!

Thank you, Jesus

All Glory be to God, AMEN!

*In reading this over, I realized that it may give the impression that the entire case of cellulitis was  gone. Please understand that the wounds were healed overnight, which is miraculous; but we patiently wait for the skin to be completely renewed. I am sorry if this misled anyone; that was not my intention. My friend reports that she has absolutely no pain!  – Praise God!

*Further updated: My friend now feels tickling on the bottoms of her feet;  formerly she had lost the ability to feel sensation there. – Thank you, Jesus!