VL - Issue 42 - January 2022

STEPPING FORWARD
PHOTO BY TASHI-DELEK
vised a plan.
“Ma’am,” I said. “Could I pray with you for your son?” What
mother would turn that down? With tears in her eyes, she agreed
and thanked me.
We prayed, and I left. I went back to our ministry booth and
sat down. But the Holy Spirit followed me there and spoke to my
spirit. “I asked you to lay your hands on that young man and pray
for him, not his mother.”
I felt the sting of conviction. I knew I had disobeyed the Lord’s
instructions. My fear of rejection had gotten the best of me. But
still, I had prayed for him. Why couldn’t God heal him that way?
Before I could even finish that thought, God answered. “Yes, I
could heal him, but how will he know it was Me? He didn’t hear
your prayer; his mother did. Now go to him, touch him, and I will
send My healing power into him. He will know without a doubt
that it was Me.”
I watched as the medics approached him with a stretcher. In a
few minutes, he would be gone. I
felt sick to my stomach. The clock
was ticking. If I was going to obey,
I had to do it now.
our hands together. He had given me specific instructions to lay
my hands on this injured man as a touchpoint of His power, but
I had forgotten that part of the instruction.
When I finished praying, I told the athlete he would be just fine.
Those words were fueled entirely by faith because I hadn’t felt
anything special happen during my prayer. Even after I prayed,
there was no visible evidence to me that the man had been healed.
I know now, you don’t have to see or feel anything for God to
be working. You just need to trust and obey and leave the results
to Him.
The following day, Mike told me that the athlete was fine. I went
into a dance of celebration that would surely have embarrassed
my kids, had they seen me. God had shown up and shown off.
Two weeks later, I spoke with that athlete on the phone. He
told me that he had been sure his injuries would mean his skiing
career was over. He’d even thought that maybe the accident was
a sign that it was time for him to hang up his skis and place his
focus elsewhere.
He admitted that he attended
church on Christmas and Easter
with his wife and mother, but he’d
I rose from my chair and walked
YOU DON’T HAVE
never sought a personal relationship
with God. He had occasion-
back toward the injured man, who
TO SEE OR FEEL
was now strapped securely on the
ally felt his heart being drawn to
stretcher and being loaded into
ANYTHING FOR GOD
God, but water-skiing goals and
the ambulance. “Lord, help me
commitments had always taken
TO BE WORKING. YOU
get into that vehicle,” I murmured.
precedent.
Just then, I realized that one
JUST NEED TO TRUST
But that day, he said, there was
of my former coaches was there,
no denying the realness of God.
AND OBEY AND LEAVE
talking to the medic. I approached
He went on to tell me how that,
him and said, “Mike, I need to get
on that ambulance and pray with
him before they take him to the
hospital.”
“Yes, you do,” he agreed. He
THE RESULTS TO HIM.
when our hands joined, “energy”
had entered his body and healed
his leg. He said it was like God was
right there, in his face, saying, “I
am here. I am real. Open your
called the medic over and explained our situation. She pointed
to the back of the ambulance and said, “Get in there, honey!”
As I climbed in, my policeman friend yelled from behind me, “I
am touching and agreeing, sister!” He was there, ready to lay hands
on the injured man and agree with me in prayer for his healing. I
almost chuckled; only God could arrange a scene like this.
The athlete looked a bit confused when I knelt beside him,
but he seemed to relax when I asked if I could pray. He told me
later that he agreed to let me pray because he needed a sense of
peace amid his chaos.
My eyes were open while I prayed, and the sight I witnessed
caused my faith to soar. Mike was holding one of the man’s feet,
while Mr. Policeman was holding the other. Four medics were
kneeling beside the stretcher with their hands on him. Everyone
heart to Me.”
That day on the phone, I had the opportunity to share more with
my new friend about the One who loved him beyond measure.
And then I got to lead him through a prayer of salvation as he
asked Jesus Christ to be his Savior and Lord.
You know, I was blessed to win eight US Masters Water Ski titles
during my ski career. But nothing compared to being a part of
God’s plan for this man that God had put in front of me. I can’t
wait to see how God uses him to impact the world of water skiing.
Friend, when God tells you to move out of your seat, move!
Don’t be afraid or worry about the details; He has everything
prepared. All you have to do is get up, move forward, and leave
the results to the Lord.
And be ready to be amazed.
had their heads bowed.
KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON encourages and equips people for victory
I felt a hand slip into mine. The athlete told me later that I through her writings, speaking engagements, and prison ministry. To learn
grabbed his hand, but I didn’t. Looking back, I believe God brought more, go to kojministries.org.
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