Flourishing when we feel weak or not whole.... SCWN Luncheon September 27

Today's post is from a luncheon I went to last month in which Tabi Upton spoke to the local Scenic City Women's Network (SCWN).  I realize that September 27 is now several weeks in the past.  I also realize that even though I have my notes to rely upon, I may not fully share every wonderful nugget that Tabi shared with us that afternoon.  I apologize in advance for my lapses in memory and notes.

I first met Tabi at a previous SCWN Luncheon at which Jerilyn Sanders spoke.  Tabi has a presence about her that shines love, light, joy, and life.  She is beautiful on the outside and the inside.  I'm sure there are better qualified folks to tell you more about her.... I've only met her twice.  But, this is what I've seen.  And, this past time, I was blessed to hear her story of flourishing.... flourishing through those times when we feel weak and/or when we don't feel whole.

(If you're from the Chattanooga area and you're thinking to yourself, 'that name sounds familiar'.... that may be because Tabi writes a column for the local newspaper, the Chattanooga Times-Free Press.)

Back to the luncheon.

Tabi mentioned the stages that we go through when dealing with a situation of health (or other):  fear, grief, sadness, anger, hope.  These stages are similar to grief stages because when we are faced with an illness or a breakdown in our bodies (or any other situation), we come face to face with our humanness, our mortality, our limitations.

For Tabi, she was facing foot surgery in order to keep the functionality of her feet.  And for someone who was athletic, independent, etc., that was not an easy thing to face.

Tabi spoke to us about the brokenness in our bodies, our souls, our spirits.  She shared God as a healer throughout the Gospels and that God wants to heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Tabi shared several book resources with us as well as three steps to flourishing as she shared her personal story.  Unfortunately, I didn't get all the book resources.  I did catch a couple of them.  One of them that I wasn't sure where to put in the order of the talk is: The Healing Code by Alexander Loyd and Ben Johnson.

Steps to Flourishing:

1. Understand that God's light and love heal us.  (Resource suggested: Agnes Sanford's Healing Light.) [She talked about the Greek term for healing, sozo, which means 'saved to the uttermost', 'salvation' and that reminded me of sozo prayer ministry I'm familiar with.  There may be several places locally that offer Sozo prayer.  I know that this ministry, Growing in Grace Ministries, does.  This short video explains how a Sozo session can help someone with life's struggles.]
2. Link ourselves with other people.  This boosts our immune system.
3. Allow God to reveal our hurt.  Acknowledge we are torn, broken...
4. Position ourselves to receive healing.  Forgive others.  Confess our sins.  (Resources suggested: The Meal that Heals by Perry Stone; a book on healing by Leann Payne)
5. Surrender the "how". 
6. Prayer.  Prayer heals us.  Oil, laying on of hands, praying and proclaiming the Word of God.

Tabi's sharing was uplifting, encouraging, convicting, powerful, and truly was a living testimony to the Hebrew Scriptures in Isaiah that say:

 

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”

(Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

 

Thank you, Tabi, for sharing last month with those gathered around table fellowship.  You brought not only good news of health and healing, but you also proclaimed salvation and that it is God who reigns.

 

For those who weren't able to be there and are reading my version, even though these notes and thoughts aren't as good as being there, maybe there will be something you can glean for your journey today.

 

Blessings on your journey today,

 

~Debra