Why He’s So Thankful

Hey friends, happy Thanksgiving! Hope you’re having a wonderful start to a long weekend out and about with family and friends. Snacking on turkey. Sampling mashed potatoes. (Hopefully no food fights!) I usually post recipes during the week and write on the weekends, but thought I’d take a break from all the good eats to mention something that’s been on my heart for a few weeks now. Even though it’s Thursday. I’ve been wanting to tell you about Why He’s So Thankful.

Missions team in Romania last summer. Can you pick out my boys? (Jon in plaid, Jonathan in gray, Jacob in royal blue.)

So my husband Jon’s had lots of opportunities to go on missions trips through the years. He’s served in Jamaica, St. Maarten, Canada, New Orleans, Nepal and most recently in Romania with our older boys this past summer. I love it when Jon comes home at the end of a missions trip. First, because it’s so exhausting on the home-front when he’s away for an extended time. Second, because I miss him. And third, because he always has amazing stories that happen on the trip. And you know I love a good story. 

So Jon and his friend Jason traveled together to Nepal last fall (’14). Jason just returned home from another trip back to Nepal last month.

He and Jon had lunch together recently and he was telling Jon stories from the trip. And Jon came home, told them to me.

There was one that really captured my heart, thought it might capture yours too. I asked Jon to share it here, so he tells this story from Jason about Why He’s So Thankful.

Here’s Jon:

My friend Jason and a colleague of his named Chris were conducting a teaching session in Bharatpur, Nepal last month with a group of Christian leaders. Chris decided to end the session with a time of prayer for healing. Many churches here in the states are somewhat “aggressive” in regard to healing, praying for it often, even smacking people on the head and expecting miraculous healing immediately as a test of faith. Some of these people are genuine and some aren’t. Neither Chris nor Jason are in that category of “healers.” They believe God heals and pray for it, but are low-key about it.

So Chris, being an American and assuming that Nepalese Christians like many Americans might be hesitant to ask for healing, offered himself as an example first. (For the record, Nepalese Christians love to pray for healing. Chris soon found that out.) Chris explained he’s had diabetes for 25 years, relying on an insulin pump to regulate his blood sugar. The pump often causes problems when he travels or varies his schedule. So he asked them to pray that God might heal him so he wouldn’t need the pump anymore.

The group of 75 or so people came around Chris in a tight circle. With great intensity, they began praying for his healing. Imagine 75 people praying out loud in Nepalese all at the same time in a circle around you, begging God to heal you. Jason told me he’d never experienced anything like it in his entire life.

“I thought the roof was going to blow off, the energy in the room was that palpable,” said Jason.

Later, Chris said, “It almost felt like an electric current was running through my body.”

After 15-20 minutes of praying for Chris, the group prayed for healing for others, then sang for another 15-20 minutes with joy and passion.

Chris continued teaching that day and a few hours later, at the regularly scheduled time, checked his blood sugar. The level was 72—perfect. Strange, because he almost never scores a 72. That night he checked again: 72. The next day: 72. Every day since, every time he checks, his blood sugar is a perfect 72. He’s not used the insulin pump since returning from his trip. 

The church in Nepal has very few resources, and the little they had was largely destroyed in the earthquakes this past spring. With a poor medical system and few adequately trained doctors, health insurance is virtually non-existent. What they do have is an unwavering trust in God’s ability to meet their needs and tremendous gratitude when He does. We could learn a lot from them about thanksgiving.

So glad to share this amazing story with you today. Chills ran up and down my spine and I wiped a tear the first time I heard it. So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. No dramatic healing for me, at least not recently. (Though I nearly died of spinal meningitis as an infant.) So many miracles every day: a beautiful family, freedom, dear friends, health, my next breath, nature’s beauty. Precious things and people I often take for granted. Would love to hear what you’re thankful for today.

Have a beautiful weekend!

You may also like: Near Death by Elephant (more stories from Nepal)