I Will Exalt — The Joyful Adventure

As I sit down to write this post, I realize the goodness of God.

Wow, just wow.

I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord
There is no one like You God
I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord
No other name be lifted high

(I Will Exalt by Amanda Cook, Bethel Music)

The clock strikes late August and younger (okay, one year ago, but still) me excitedly awaits my first day of Musical Theater at my brand new high school. A few hours in, I'm sobbing in the doctor's office because I saw "my world" come crashing down. No swimming career, no musical theater future, no walking on my own for months. I was crushed. Fight after fight, physical therapy appointment after appointment, tear after tear, I still didn't get it. I cried "why God" more times than not and I felt more alone than ever in my life. Even still, He knew me. Even when I didn't believe it, my Jesus knew what He was going to beautifully make out of my mess.

Months later, I'm walking on my own and starting to do things normally. For any knee geeks out there, I had experienced a complete tear of my MPFL and a fracture of my patella (knee cap). I knew that without a reconstruction, I would just always have to live a little differently. I decided the only thing I could do is hold tight to Jesus and press on.

Fast forward to just 2 weeks ago--laughing, singing, dancing, I'm having the time of my life at camp. Thirty minutes before camp's closing, suddenly everything I had "planned" flashed before me...again. Moments later I found myself in those same "Why God?" tears and in that same state of loneliness. My mom (hands down the best trooper I've got) rushes me to the hospital. The following day, I was supposed to leave for a missions trip to Panama at 5am. I knew there was no possible way that immobile me would be allowed to go. More tears. More pain. More questioning. Why me? Why now?

At the time, I felt like the orthopedic who saw me was insane for letting me go to Panama. Of course, Jesus knew every detail so intimately. How was I supposed to tell people about the goodness of Jesus when I couldn't even walk? I felt so out of place.

I'm glad that our God stays the same yesterday, today, and forever. He held me tight through the hikes up mountains, squished in vans on bumpy roads, 8 flights of stairs (both ways!), slippery rocks on crutches, and the many hours I spent my free time alone, icing my knee, faithfully.

Wednesday (day 4 of our trip) comes around and the place where we were staying invited locals and missionaries to come for a worship night. They asked me to speak. Me? Obviously, the wrong girl! I'm the youngest one here; I can't walk on my own, much less speak in front of a crowd! The enemy whispered to me endlessly that I wasn't qualified, I wasn't enough, and that what I had to say wasn't important.

What I shared, I had prepared even before my re-injury and was so applicable to what I was going through. God laid on my heart a message that would apply to me as well! He knew. I spoke about declaring Truth over ourselves and others in order to fight the lies of the devil.

I sit down after speaking and immediately feel the enemy's lies. It's like I became deaf to the truth I had just spoken. I knew that God didn't want me to believe them, but the devil convinced me I wasn't strong enough to fight back. One man spoke after I did and I felt like an idiot. He was so passionate and excited and had no notes! What he had to say was so true and empowering. All I had was a shaky hand reading a sheet of paper I written weeks before. I believed I wasn't good enough.

After more worship, we split off into prayer groups. My group prayed over the country of Panama and for the fullness of God's presence to be there. Then...they asked to pray for my knee. For some reason, I said yes. The first time I had been injured, people prayed for me and I still had to experience so much pain, I had no faith. My group started to pray and I felt the Holy Spirit. God spoke to me through the prayers of the strong women around me, saying that I was a jewel around God's neck to Him, that He cared about me. No matter what the enemy tried to say, I deserved to be healed; not because of anything I did or could have done, but simply because I am a child of God and He wants nothing more than to pour out every blessing over me.

Healing. Inside and out. Really people. I ripped off my brace, dropped those crutches, sobbed, danced around, and did things I never thought I could do. When you and I meet in person, (I hoping that will be very soon), I'll let you touch my right MPFL that is even stronger than my knee that wasn't injured. I can flex my leg and physically see the ligament that I haven't had for a year. Two of the women who prayed over me shared that God had given them the same vision in their mind's eye of my ligament growing back. This was a reality. I was completely healed.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Nothing.

The next day we went out to pray for the people of Kuna Nega, a community built on the dump of Panama City with cardboard and wood shacks. Because I had been there earlier that week, the people asked about my "muletas" (crutches); they wanted to know why, only 3 days later, I was running up and down the dump, with no brace and no crutches. I shared my story and prayed over a few people that day. We saw healing firsthand yet again.

Then just this past Tuesday, I was at a concert with my family and few friends when we met a dear friend. This is her story:

"I've had many friends asking how my back is. Well I have a wonderful report! I got into a good spinal group early Monday morning...she shared my MRI with me and I could see the fracture L-4...said surgery would not be her first choice as I would eventually heal, she also said "it will be months before you are pain free in your back"..so I left there feeling relieved that I would not need surgery or have to go for second opinion etc...well the next night I went to Regent to hear the "Tidewater Winds" I sat near the back in case I could not stand to sit that long... I noticed old friends with their family sitting a few rows ahead of me so after it was over I went over to speak with them...their daughter had just returned from a mission trip. A beautiful young girl that went on the trip with a knee brace and crutches!!! She shared with me about a healing of her knee while on the trip..and how the very next night people were asking "where are your crutches" she told them God had healed her knee and they witnessed more miracles that night! We chatted in the lobby and I started to leave, got to the outside steps and said to myself..."I'm going back and get my back prayed for." Went home got in bed and the next morning (yesterday) I was able to get up (Patrick can tell you, I could not do for a few weeks without horrible pain. So painful it took a long time to get up even if I was seated. I could not bend over without horrible pain....so yesterday I thought WOW I really do feel better??? Went outside picked tomatoes from our little garden, then went on to dead head a huge row of Dahlias without that horrible pain....folks GOD Almighty touched my back!!! I still have a little pain but nothing like it was... Believe Him and do not be afraid to ask..."

(Betty Lou Jenkins, July 30, 2015)

God is moving. And He wants nothing more than for you to live fully. You are the crown of creation, His glorious image bearer..He will do whatever it takes to set you free. My story of pain and loneliness came full circle this week; it's not just about me, it's about the goodness of God that people internationally got to experience--all from my simple story. What took 6 months before to semi-heal, God healed in less than 6 days. He really loves His kids (you).

If God cares enough to completely heal little me, He cares enough about whatever you're going through. Give it to Him, He desires to bring our "deadness" back to life.

I don't know about you, but I will exalt. There is no one like our God.