I might as well face it, I’m addicted to LOVE.

Jeremiah 20:9 exposes Jeremiah’s own addiction,

“But if I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a burning fire,
shut up in my bones,
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.”

He could not hold in the love that God ignited within him. He was a man perpetually on the brink of a love explosion. And I am a woman lost in love. The boat of my control has capsized in the ocean of His goodness, no longer just on the waters of love, I’m swimming in it.

Over a month ago I went with my Arabic teacher’s sister (Sameera) to a hospital in Jerusalem to accompany her on her daily radiation treatment. She has cancer in her cheek. In the shuttle from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, we were chatting and I asked her if she had any pain. “Yes, I have pain in my cheek now. It comes and goes, but now it hurts a lot.” I told her a story of praying for someone who then got healed and added, “God wants to heal you. Could I pray for you?” “Yes.”

I prayed. All the pain left her cheek. I yelped a “woohooo!” there in the back of the shuttle. Heads turned. I smiled and laughed! JESUS IS BEAUTIFUL! Sameera was thrilled!

And when we arrived at the hospital I found myself in the cancer ward surrounded by people with cancer. haha! It was a Holy Spirit stake-out. God knows I can not resist a room full of terminally ill people. I get overcome with love and I am compelled to pray for them. So, I said, “Holy Spirit, send me a translator.” Instantly a woman walked into the room and sat in the empty seat next to me (despite the presence of several other empty seats). She spoke English fluently.

The Holy Spirit told me to ask her what her name (Wael’a) means. “The Courageous One,” she answered. haha! Wow! Perrrrrfect! So, we talked for ten minutes or so and I told her about the pain leaving Sameera’s cheek in the shuttle, Wael’a immediately said, “will you pray for me?” “Yes, of course.” She didn’t have present pain, but I did pray and she felt God moving. Then I told her I wanted to ask all the people in the room if they want prayer, would she translate for me? “Oh no. I can’t. no, no, I’m too afraid” she replied. “But your name means “the courageous one” I reminded her. “Yes, but no, these women are Muslim, they don’t want prayer.” “You would be surprised. I’ve prayed for a lot of Muslim women and many of them have been healed.” “No, no, I’m sorry. I can’t,” she stated. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll do it on my own” and with that I turned to the two women on the bench to my left and said, “excuse me, I’m Dawn, and I came with Sameera. I prayed for Sameera in the van and the pain left her cheek. Do you want me to pray for you?” “Yes, YES!” they answered in unison. So, I moved seats to be near them and Wael’a burst out, “okay! I will translate for you!” haha! I prayed for both women individually and the second one, afflicted with cancer in her throat, felt fire on her throat, the pain left, and she began to cry as she was overcome with God’s presence. AMAZING!                                    HALLELUJAH!

Then I moved back to my original seat and asked Wael’a if she would translate for everyone else in the room. “No, no, I can’t,” she said. Then suddenly, she did. She leaned over and said, “she wants to know if any of you want her to pray for you.” I laughed, “please tell them about Sameera’s cheek becoming painless and this other woman’s pain leaving her throat.” So, Wael’a did. One woman’s arm shot up, “pray for me!” she exclaimed. I switched seats and prayed for the woman and then she and the man next to her asked questions about Jesus. It was gorgeous!

A woman in her seventies walked in with heavy countenance and her eyes appeared on the brink of utter despair. The Holy Spirit gave me a picture: I was kneeling on the floor simply holding the woman’s hands silently. I obeyed and knelt at the woman’s feet and took her hands in mine without words. She began to weep. Minutes passed. I asked her name and told her mine. I told her about Sameera and the other woman’s pain leaving and asked if I could pray for her. She said yes. I prayed. The Holy Spirit clothed us in weighty, golden presence. In time, family members came to say they should get going; and then the woman’s son appeared and I found out he is a doctor in the hospital! He was touched to see me praying for his mom. “Take as long as you want with my mom. We don’t need to hurry. Thank you.” he said. The family is from Gaza. And so, I sat for a while, even when another family member came over and began to pray a Muslim prayer over the woman’s head (which made me say, “Holy Spirit, it’s on!”) Eventually, I finished praying, the woman showed me her scar from her breast cancer surgery, and she got up to leave with her family overflowing with gratitude and verbal thanks.

It was just in time to go into Sameera’s appointment with her. Her treatment was quick.

Thereafter, we visited Sameera’s friend in the hospital (they were also from Gaza). And later took the shuttle back to Bethlehem.

Healing happened in those women that day. I don’t know what or how much, but I know the Son of righteousness has healing in his wings. And all of those people in that room had a GOD encounter and a love encounter. And they were changed by it.

And I know it was A GOOD DAY. And God is always in a GOOD MOOD. And He always wants to heal.

Be blessed today. Step out in boldness – even if you’ve never done such a thing before. God will respond. He will honor your faith and love. And He will heal people through your hands. And heaven will come to earth. Yaaaaaay! May Jesus get His full reward! Everything He paid for!

Have fun! It’s fun to be a laid down lover of Jesus! The most fun!