It has been almost four months ago that I had a very interesting and challenging conversation with one of my leaders during the training period for our journey at the beginning of the year. "I want to see big things from God! I want to see amazing miracles happen! Before I come back I want to see some really great things!" - I said to the lovely lady sitting in front of me. And she replied with much wisdom: "What if you don't? Will you still believe?"
That hit me really hard! What if I don't see and experience the "great things" that I have planned in my mind to see. Will the miracles I read of in the Bible still be enough for me. It also challenged me in what my definition of "great miracles" is.
I started thinking about what I am going to define as miracles. Every day is a miracle! The fact that I woke up this morning, the laughter of an innocent child, the provision of food on our table, the beautiful sunrise, or the fact that I didn't step on the amazingly freaky frogs that stay in Suriname - those are miracles! We as a team journeyed through John and the theme of believing without seeing was very evident for me. It was something I am greatly challenged with. Reading some of the stories of how people asked more miracles from Jesus, or how Tomas said he will not believe unless he sees, and Jesus saying to the people: Blessed is those who believe without seeing! Now that is a strong word!
Even though The Lord has been working in my heart on this subject, He gave me a shocking experience that I can now truly say that I physically experienced the greatness of our God!
It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in Suriname, a few kilometers outside of the city of Paramaribo. During out stay at the Bible school, the girls in the team have done a lot of their washing by hand, like we are used to, but then some of the boys discovered an old washing machine. I decided right there and then that the bucket that was destined for my clothes and hands for later that afternoon would have to wait. I am going to use the worn down washing machine! I arrive at the little room close to the machine and Erick tells me I should ask R.P to show me how it works. I tell him that R.P is far from there and that he should please show me how to use it. At that stage I should have known that it is truly a troubled washing machine if a man should show a woman how to use it. But luckily Erick left the very important sermon preparation he was busy with to come and help his sister in need of washing her clothes. So this is how it works: you stick a piece of washing peg into the timer button to ensure that it doesn't move. You turn the knob to "washing", fill the tumbler with numerous buckets of water and plug the cable into the broken socket in the wall, and it starts turning. You should keep close monitor on the washing that doesn't stop, because you messed with the timer button to ensure that the tumbler will turn. So Erick could leave me to do my washing- I am now equipped! So far I am doing great! Bare foot, singing and content with the abnormality of a washing machine, I was doing my laundry. When the time was right to start rinsing, the manual process should start all over again: pull out the plug, turn the knob to "drain", watch as the soapy water run past your feet because of the unconnected pipe, fill the tumbler again and rinse. And repeat until all soap is removed. Somewhere between either my inability of working with strange washing machines or the way that I was lost in singing my song, I didn't concentrate. I took hold of the plug which was connected to the open socket. It hit me.... The strong current grabbed hold of my hand and shocked me as I have never been shocked before! I could leave the plug after a moment and I shook my hand as when one burns it. The next moment I just saw blood that was spread over my arm. I looked down, and saw blood streaming from my thumb and index finger. Blood was dripping on the floor as a rushed to the tap. There was two cuts on my fingers running with blood. The pain in my arm was evident! After about five minutes, Erick passed by. I showed him the blood on the floor and told him that I shocked. He said: Shame man, are you okay? Where did you fall?" I said: "No! I didn't fall, I shocked!!" Then he realised what happened. And he said that I was still shaking! Luckily he made me some sugar tea that really helped!
It was actually only a while later that I realised what miracle just happened. I talked to the girls, and when Keneilwe said that my body was the perfect medium for the current to completely flow through my body, the reality of what actually happened shocked me again! My hands were wet, my feet were wet and I was standing on a wet surface without shoes. Even though my hands were bleeding from the shock, I know that the pain stopped just under my shoulder. No pain got any further that that! No current went any further! Not through my heart or any part of my body that would make me suffer any physical damage! Praise the Lord!
Today I can stand up tall, alive and well, with only two open wounds on my fingers, proving that my God performed a great miracle in my own life! Maybe I could learn from this that you don't have to see a miracle, but that you can also feel a miracle!!! And that God is great and powerful beyond measure! I believe that He stopped the current right there and then, before going any further! And whether my fingers have cut or burst open I wouldn't know, but I have two scars to proof His greatness and mercy over me! I know He still has plans for me here on earth=) What a shocking but memorable experience in Suriname!