It’s incredibly exhilarating to watch God do something miraculous. When Jesus shows up and heals a troubled soul – there’s nothing like it. The greatest privilege in the universe is to have the honor of being Jesus to someone, to, as my seminary professor once said, connect their story with God’s story, and to then get out of the way.

As I’ve worked with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people, I’ve learned two things:

1. God uses people
2. I can’t heal anyone

I’d like to offer you a window into what it’s like to partner with God, to be there when Jesus shows up and heals a troubled soul. Here are a few stories, so you can be amazed with me.

The Joy that Stays

Sammie* was in pain – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Her body was feeling the fallout from decades of a hard life. Her most recent relationship ended less traumatically than her previous ones had; that was good. She and I would talk as often as she felt she could.  And she was starting to get her bearings, learning what it felt like to be able to think and make decisions for herself after years, decades, of struggle.

But she still seemed stuck. She would look around at other Christians and wish she could experience God like some of them did. She’d try harder, but nothing seemed to change very much. Her personal time with God seemed almost empty.

Then Sammie came to one of our Intensives. She was ready to work and entered in with all her being. One exercise in particular invited her to sever the ties her soul still felt to old things and people she needed to be released from.

The next morning as she came down the stairs everyone could see she was different. “I haven’t felt this much joy in decades!” she exclaimed. Her face seemed to have gone from dark to light. And weeks later she wrote, “I’m still enjoying the joy the Holy Spirit gave me.”

That kind of joy can’t be manufactured. It comes from a level of freedom and transformation that only Jesus Himself, through His Holy Spirit, can bring to a human heart.

Knowing He is Here

Jana* grew up in a strict religiously controlled environment, and experienced some painful traumas. She knew about God and felt she trusted Him. Then one day as a young woman she resisted something she felt God asked of her, and the shame and guilt quickly made her believe God completely cut her off. Her mind imagined He might open the trap door at any moment, and she’d find herself in hell.

Periodically she tried to dig herself out of that hole, but it wasn’t working. Now as a middle-aged woman she reached out for help. We started meeting together, but her brain struggled to believe I would not give up on her. Reading, journaling, our conversations, small attempts to let her soul be seen by Jesus – it started to make a difference.

Then one day her young-woman self cried out, expressing her misery to Jesus. And Jesus answered! She sent me her journal entry about what she heard Jesus say to that troubled young-woman part of her. Here’s a portion of it; “I know how it hit you: the hurt, the sheer terror, the feelings of having done your best to live for Me and now thinking I’ve rejected you, cut you off, turned My back on you. I know your world stopped that night. I know how scared you are to sleep and how scared you are to be awake. You think I’ve left you – but I’m still here. I’ve never left you – even though you think I have. I never did and I never will. I’m here when you sense it and I’m here when you can’t. I’m here for as long as it takes.”

As I read that I literally shouted out loud: “Jesus, You showed up!” It had taken months of her continuing to show up, and me continuing to show up to be with her. I couldn’t speed up her process. And when Jesus knew she was ready, He showed up! She experienced Jesus in the most amazing way.

“Tell Me This is Real”

Lori* had to become hard from an early age just to survive. Then as a teenager she learned she could use her sexual power to get what she needed. That started her down a road with a lot of pain and heartache. She knew God and would go to church, but her life was scratching and clawing just to stay alive. Her bitterness and anger seemed to form a never-ending volcano that she both needed and loathed.

Through both her hard work and some amazing God-moments Lori broke free from a lot of the harm she’d walked in. Her life was so much better, with a healthy business and a new healthy marriage. She was giving back, helping other women stuck in some of the same horrors she had lived through. But that angry volcano would still erupt.

Someone close to her leveled with her; “You need to go to this Intensive.” She came. She had to let down her masks; it was scary. The pain under the anger became obvious. And then during one of our prayer times she broke; “I don’t know what to do. I can’t do this!”

We found a private place. Her eyes were closed. Through her tears she described seeing Jesus inviting her to come with Him down a path, and leave the anger behind. She struggled with that; her anger had protected her. But she was exhausted, and she wanted to be free. During an extended time of being with Jesus He brought her rest, and the anger dissolved. It was much more dramatic than I can retell here. And when her eyes opened she said, “Tell me this is real!”

When we rejoined the whole group she wanted to tell everybody! Hearing her tell her testimony immediately made it all the more amazing. Jesus had showed up! And she wasn’t the same.

For You Too!

Jesus can show up for you too!

I’ve learned by now that I can’t manufacture moments like this. I couldn’t when I needed Him to show up in my own trauma years ago, and I can’t manufacture it when someone comes to me needing help. But I can set the table. I can be the kind of presence that Jesus can love someone through, that can help them let down their own walls long enough for Him to enter and change everything.

That’s what happens at our Intensives. Jesus shows up!

I’d love to talk with you about coming to one of these beautiful experiences. What might that mean for you?

Your Turn: Where do you need Jesus to show up for you? Will you start by letting your own angst roll out in His presence? And then get quiet; listen for what He might say.  I’d love to hear your comments below.

Want more? On the podcast this week you’ll hear a conversation among some of our recent Intensive participants. I think you’ll love this.  Listen or watch.

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• I can’t manufacture Jesus showing up. I can only set the table. I can be the kind of presence that helps people let their walls down so Jesus can show up. And it’s amazing when He does! Tweet that.

*Names and any identifying details are altered.