When Jesus performed miracles in the New Testament, He required participation. I experienced my own miraculous moment during my junior year of college that set me free from the crippling, sinful habit of masturbation and porn. True to form, my freedom from it was not a miracle for me to passively receive, but to actively participate in. While the Lord provides resurrecting power, we are called to put our feet to our faith Through scripture and my personal experience, my goal is to extend Christ’s invitation to you: rise, take up your bed, and walk.

I put it off for days because I was not in the “praying” mood. You know, the mood where you actually want to pray. When the scriptures roll off your tongue, the waterworks start and before you know it an hour has gone by. I wasn’t in that space, so I didn’t think my prayers would be productive or effective. After all, wouldn’t it be “fake” to pray to the Lord when I didn’t “feel” like it? Wouldn’t He prefer me to pray to Him when I’m actually excited about praying?

The prick was painful, but He was present through the process. I held on to His Word: "This will be over soon." Surely we had different definitions for the word “soon”. I watched a minute pass by. It turned into an hour. Then into a day. A week. All of 2020. And into 2021. This wasn't just a regular shot, and it certainly wasn't just a regular doctor. But by submitting to His procedure, the fruits of His Spirit would begin to flow through my veins.

I asked the Lord for a sign, and He didn’t give it to me. In hindsight, I know exactly why. It taught me how to move forward in faith. The confirmation that I made the right choice came on the other side of obedience.

Reflections from living with the locals in Malawi, Africa. I went abroad planning to change other people, only to find that their way of living would change me.