Chapter Five: The Power

Zack is impress of Joann preaching ability, but he discover more about her and God

The following Sunday Zackary is waiting for Joann in her office at the church after services has ended.  As one of the many ministers on staff her duties are to be available for the parishioners while they are departing the church.   A sanctuary that seat over three thousand people take a while to clear.  Zackary scans the many photo plasters over one part of her office wall.  The photos are typical of what he expected to see of family, friends, church members and other ministers.  Numerous photos are showing different stages of her life as a young woman, preacher and now wife. 

 

Joann and another woman stroll into the office Zackary turned watching them walking in.  Joann acknowledges her stepson with a wink she kept talking to the mature heavyset lady.  She holds her right hand up to her body very tenderly, “Right now my hand is only hurting a little, my fingers are numb, but some days it throbs terribly.”  Spoke the woman, Joann listens stepping toward her desk.  “I went to the free clinic and the doctor there thinks it might be carpal tunnel and I might need surgery to relieve the pain.”  Tears forming her voice cracking with emotion, “I only been on the job for a month and I’m still a temp so I don’t have insurance.  If I have the operation I would have to take time off work to recover and have another huge debt to pay.  I will lose my job, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

 

Joann grabs a tiny clear plastic bottle she was looking at her desk pop open the top a strong fragrance of aromatic spices filled the room.  Tilting the bottle a few of oils drops into her hand setting it back down rubbing her hands.  She faced the woman, then peek at Zackary, he instantly knew what to do hurrying behind the woman just in case he need to catch if she fallout in the Spirit. 

 

“Angie, we know that Jesus is the healer.”  Joann spoke with authority in her voice.

 

“Yes, Lord,” Angie agreed her voice whist with pain, Joann held her hand firmly.

 

“He’s a good God, we prayed and He blessed you with this job you have after you been unemployed for three months not getting interviews.  You kept custody of your grand-kids when it looked like you are going to lose them, but God steps in.  Now we need healing, oh it’s just small potatoes for our Jesus.”

 

Angie eyes are closed head tilt back stretching out her hurt hand, praising God in a muddle voice, “OOOH thank you Jesus.”  Zackary watches Joann other hand hovers over Angie injured hand.  Her eyes are wide open, but she is in a spiritual trance. 

 

“Second Peter 2:24…by his stripes we were healed, Umlakaha…”  Joann is speaking scriptures and unrecognizable syllables in a rhythm.  Her body sways back and forward, tapping her foot a reaction responding to what she feeling in her body.  Soon her whole dialogue is the unknown syllables spoken in a hymn.  Zackary knows it’s the gifts tongues that Joann talks about when she preaches. 

 

Speaking in tongues is one of those strange phenomenon he encounters attending Joann church with his father.  This place of worship encourages spontaneous burst of emotions during the service.  Robust cheering and celebrating during and after a song is performed that mirroring a live concert is common.  People at some point of the service will jump up praising God at the top of their lungs, some spin around like they are under a spell falling out.  The ushers are always there to catch these people whom are taken over by the spirit.

 

Zackary never experiences a church like Joann before he started attending, his mother church is traditional quiet reverence.  The only expression of emotion is during a funeral when it’s expected for the family to grieve.  The frantic praising concerned Zackary worried the Holy Spirit will overtake him making him act like a crazy person in public. 

 

“…No Zack the Holy Ghost is a gentleman,” Zackary remember a conversation he had with Joann about this subject.  “When you allow God’s grace inside of you and come the revelation of the freedoms and the power of a born again spirit it’s a great feeling.  Some want to express that great joy of singing, dancing, praising or all of the above.  Our church provides a joyful person who wants to outwardly express his worship in the presence of the Father without judgments or shame.”

 

Zackary watches Joann hand still hovering over Angie stretch out the hand.  He notices Joann hand shining in the light like it’s been dipped in heavy clear oils.  He knows she poured a couple of drops from the bottle, then rub it’s in with both hands.  He thinks how that happened.  Joann kept praying and praising God now waving her other hand in front of Angie in a wide circular motion like she is releasing the Spirit over her. 

 

She grabbed Angie injured hand swiftly holding it firm, Zackary flinches back shocked by what she did.  He expected Angie screaming in pain, pulling away but she stood in place.  “Thank you Lord, Ummm, thank you,” she is praising and jerking as if jolts electricity going into her body praising louder and louder.  Joann released her hand, stepping back clapping her hands.

 

“How does it feel?”  Joann asks.

 

“I don’t feel no pain,” Angie spoke sobbing tears of joy, Joann motion for her to move and flexed her hand.  Angie laughs working her hand picking up items on the desk and gripping them.  They both hugged each other tight, crying in celebration of God’s miracle.  Zackary took great effort holding back tears, emotion is high; suddenly two small girls appeared in the doorway. 

 

“Granny,” they both call out in timid and worried voices, seeing their grandmother bawling.  Angie said her goodbyes to Joann and Zackary leaving the room taken hold of her grand-daughters reassuring them that she alright walking down the hall.  Joann watches them leave from the doorway beaming and delighted. 

 

“Oh, what’s keeping your father?  She asks, turning gazing at Zackary.

 

“I don’t know,” Zackary stares at her, he can perceive a special type of glow of this plain short stature woman.  “Did you know she was going to be healed when you prayed?”

 

“Well yes, because Jesus had already healed her before she had the problem.”

 

“What?”  Now Zackary is confuse by Joann answer, “If she was already healed then why her hand is hurt and you prayed for healing?”

 

Joann smiling, “This is simple and complicated at the same time, you know Zack when you are born again you received the Holy Spirit.  Jesus took your sin onto His body and gave you His righteousness by shedding of His blood.”  Zackary nods his head, agreeing with Joann, “Now you are a son of God, your penalty has been paid for by your big brother sacrifice on the cross.  Now you have the same benefits that Jesus has God, peace, God kind of faith which includes healing of your body. God accomplished this through his Son death, burial and resurrection over two thousand years ago, in essence before me, you and Angie was ever born, we already had the answerer before we had the problem.” 

 

Zackary in his heart is accepting everything Joann is saying but in his mind it seems too good to be true, “Okay we are born again we get these benefits, I accept that, but why are there so many believer sick and dying of all kinds of illnesses?”

 

“Like I said it’s simple and complicated; the moment you are saved you are given the Holy Spirit.  The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is your spirit.  All knowledge, all healing and blessing is in your spirit.  Most believers don’t know this because they can’t feel the spirit with their five senses.  In the spirit you are perfect, but your flesh is still weak.  We have to learn to apply our faith to bridge the gap to manifest all the blessing.”

 

Zackary touches his midsection, “It’s awesome that God, the maker of the universe lives inside of me, that almost too much for my mind to wrap around sometimes.”  He pauses, “but Joann did you know for sure that she would see that miracle right then?

 

Joann sighs, “Well, each time I lay my hands on someone I hope to see the manifestation of a miracle right then, but it doesn’t happen like that all the time.  Sometimes it’s a process for the blessing to be completed.  I have prayed for people where I did not feel anything and they didn’t feel a thing.  That’s where we have to stand on your Faith that God has moved on our behalf and we will see the result soon.”

 

Then they both heard tapping on the door turning to see Paul, her husband. “Hey babe lets go I’m starved.”

 

“Oh Boo!” Joann spark with affection snatching a small hand bag off her desk, she and Zackary leaves closing the office door.  She trotting quickly catching up with Paul slowly strolled down the hall.  He hears tapping of her shoes echoing the hallway getting closer he raised up his arm, she slip next to him embracing smiling he holding her adoring. 

 

Zackary is following few steps behind observing the newlyweds still enjoying each company.  Zackary in is heart wish he could talk to Joann about the Lord all day.    It’s the reason he started coming to church with his father on Sundays and attending Joann youth rally every Saturday evening.  He wants to listen to her preaching as much as possible.