From HIV to HIS

friday morning = hospital ministry. that’s what we were told.

i was excited, but let’s be honest, not that excited; hospitals and sick people have always made me uncomfortable; Jesus knows that.

we got off the bus and circled up to pray. no one else prayed, so i prayed. 

then we were led into a room. inside, there were 2 beds, 2 women, and 2 babies. 

we find out that one of the women is a christian. it’s 9am. she gave birth at 5. 

she hands us her baby. we are asked to give her an encouraging word.

Hannah. 

i just kept hearing The Lord say “Hannah.”

i don’t know a ton about Hannah in the bible, but i spoke to her what i knew, and it was translated. 

she spoke back.

“do you have a christian name for my son?”

oh. ok. we were holding samuel. 

maybe you know the story, maybe you don’t.

bible hannah couldn’t give birth. so she prayed and prayed and prayed for a child. 

and finally gave birth to a son.

she named the baby samuel and fully dedicated him to The Lord for all his life. 

samuel grew up to be a great prophet and leader of the nation israel.

this morning, we held a 4 hour old baby that we were being asked to name. we called him samuel.

we shared this story with his mother. she was familiar, and said she liked the name.

we grabbed hands and we prayed. for this child’s life, and for this momma’s circumstances. 

Jesus was so present.

it was so sweet. 

we were able to give her some fruit and to pray for her stomach as well. 

apparently there’s a lil pain involved when ya give birth all natural. 

she said she wanted to see us again and invited us to come to her church service a week later.

we left the room with smiles. 

and now we were told we were going to pray for the sick.

oh great, i thought. 

so we turned the corner.

where were the sick people?

what did they mean there were none?

zero admitted on that day? 

JESUS.

so our host and our translator began gathering other people.

many other people.

sending them to the big tree.

what were they doing? 

who were these people?

these were the HIV positive people.

and we were going to preach to them.

they sat around the tree.

more than a few.

and they were hungry to hear.

they were intent to listen.

we shared a message.

i sat in the grass with them. on one lady’s tunic.

she handed me her child. 

he smiled, giggled, cooed at me.

they were focused.

they were present. 

and when we were finished, i asked if we could pray for them. 

if they would raise their hands; we would go to them.

we could feel God there.

their hands went up.

we approached them. 

The Holy Spirit did stuff.

i prayed for 3 or 4 people, i think. i don’t really remember.

but i do remember thinking,

‘i have NOTHING to say to these people. 

and i actually don’t care if they get healed if they still don’t know Jesus.’

so i prayed simply that Jesus would reveal Himself to them,

each in an intimate, personal way.

and that physical healing, if it happened, would only be an overflow,

proof of how deep His love is for them.

i was overtaken by His affection for each of the ones i prayed. 

i could tangibly feel Jesus’ heart and desire.

they didn’t know what i was praying.

and it didn’t matter.

and when we were done, it was asked if anyone wanted to give their lives to Jesus.

and 7 of these beautiful people came forward.

they knelt, with reverence, no one instructing them,

but because the presence of The Lord will do that to ya.

and they handed their lives and their troubles and their hearts over to The Lord.

one was a young boy.

one was his mother. 

two, i had prayed for. 

most had nothing to offer except the clothes on their backs.

all understood what they were doing.

it was a beautiful, humbling, raw moment.

where 7 HIV positive people,

became positively HIS.

the literal least of these,

trading their blood

for His.

and they got it.

there was nothing holding them back.

they had nothing to lose.

their blood was literally killing them,

but His just as literally saved them.  

we white people didn’t do anything radical that day.

we just showed up, in africa, at some hospital, by some tree.

we didn’t have spectacular words or bribes or incentives for these people.

this wasn’t prosperity christianity or a skewed gospel.

cuz we didn’t need to try to prove Jesus.

Jesus can speak for Himself.

and He will.

and He did.

He desires His kids more than we do.

He is smarter than we are.

He loves deeper than we can.

and HIS blood transfusion can cover any blood, HIV positive or not. 

i don’t know if any of those people were physically healed of AIDS that day,

but what i do know is that dead people came to life that day;

that children entered the kingdom;

that 7 eternities were changed forever;

and that heaven had a party.

i do know that Jesus set a baby apart,

that He encouraged a new mom,

and that He renamed 7 people who had all their lives been labeled ‘HIV,’

“HIS.”