• Facebook
  • Twitter

Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Meditations
  • Essays
  • Contact
  • About Me

God can’t keep his hands off us when we ask for healing, because that is his nature. It takes faith to receive it, though

By Anita Mathias

The Light of the World
William Holman Hunt
 Do you remember the story of The Scorpion and the Frog from the dramatic film, “The Crying Game?”
The kidnapped black British soldier tells his softy IRA captor Fergus the story.
“Scorpion wants to cross a river, but he can’t swim. Goes to the frog, who can, and asks for a ride. Frog says, ‘If I give you a ride on my back, you’ll go and sting me.’
Scorpion replies, ‘It would not be in my interest to sting you since as I’ll be on your back we both would drown.’
Frog thinks about this logic for a while and accepts the deal. Takes the scorpion on his back. Braves the waters.
Halfway over feels a burning spear in his side and realizes the scorpion has stung him after all. And as they both sink beneath the waves the frog cries out, ‘Why did you sting me, Mr. Scorpion, for now we both will drown?’
Scorpion replies, ‘I can’t help it, it’s my nature.’”
The story apparently is both an African and a European folktale. It was an epiphanic moment when I watched the film 20 years ago, as I was struggling with a difficult and exploitative person, who continued taking advantage of us. I realized that some people cannot change their behaviour. It is their nature. I was wasting my time being outraged. Accept the way people act as their nature, and adjust your dealings with them accordingly.
Someone who has lied to or about you, gossiped about you, taken advantage of you, or exploited you will very likely do it again. It is their nature. If you continue the friendship because of their other redeeming qualities, be aware that you will be stuck with the restaurant bills, for instance.  And if the villainous one is in your church, smile, but avoid being in a small group, or in situations which require self-revelation with them.  Answer their questions with wariness.
                                                         * * *
And sometimes, conversely, you meet lovely people full of kindness. And here is the kindest of all.  “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” God is good, because that is his nature.”
(And his nature often annoys his followers who ask, “Why do the wicked prosper?” See how Jonah reproaches God for having mercy on Nineveh. “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”) 
                                                     * * *
I have heard a couple of speakers recently, John Arnott and Patricia Bootsma among them, saying that God would never send us sickness. Sickness comes from the Devil. It is always God’s will to heal. Jesus never refused a direct request for healing. Death made him weep. Smith Wiggleworth, interestingly, believed the same thing.
I have been interested recently in how different people have vast faith for different things. Mueller and Hudson Taylor could raise millions by faith alone. Heidi Baker and Bill Johnson have records of remarkable healings. Isabel Allum who I heard last week started off with a rather tedious account of satnavs, medicine, diamond earrings and power tools found after prayer.
 “The measure—or limits—of our faith is our anointing,” I read today in a fascinating book by R. T. Kendall called “The Anointing.” Those who understand God’s nature of generosity, of provision like a river, experience God’s miracles of provision. Those who understand God’s heart of compassion, how Jesus found it hard to keep his hands off sick people, expect and experience miracles of healing.
Nicky Gumbel asked Rick Warren recently at the Leader’s Conference, “Why do you think God has used you so powerfully?” Rick Warren, “Because I expect him to.”
Faith is like the rainbow bridge between heaven and earth, between God’s power and our need.
Or perhaps we could say faith is the key inside our front door that opens it to the power of the Christ who stands outside and knocks.
I honestly believe that when we ask God to touch us, to heal our emotional wounds, to heal our suffering bodies, he does. It may be seismic, or it may be the start of a process, but he does. He does not keep his hands off us—spirit, mind, soul or body when we ask for healing; he does touch us, though perhaps not in the way we asked him to. But it takes our faith to appreciate this. Ever more is being understood daily about the interaction of the mind and the body (for instance, in neuro-linguistic programming), so obviously our faith, and our positive self-talk has a role in continuing to seize and embrace this healing.
                                         * * *
I had been feeling unwell, and exhausted for the last couple of weeks. And so, as I went on my prayer walk, I prayed for God’s healing hands to reach into my inner being, and touch and heal me. I also prayed that they would reach into my spirit, emotions, mind and memory, and heal what hidden scars, wounds or memories might have contributed to my weight loss battle.
And I sort of felt his hands touch me. It was amazing. I came back feeling well and energized. The two week battle with a cough and exhaustion was over. I was happy.
* * *
Apparently, the phenomenon of healing coming and going is not uncommon. A friend of mine has had chronic neck and back pain (undiagnosed, perhaps SPD) for years which gets better after prayer, and then relapses. What’s going on? Peter sunk once he took his eyes off Jesus, once his faith wavered. I wonder, if–once we take our eyes off Jesus, once our faith wavers, once our horrid negative sick-making self-talk begins—our healing also begins to fade.
I believe Jesus desires vibrant health for us, and I am going to keep my eyes on Jesus, and prioritise my health. It feels a bit self-indulgent, perhaps, but in this season of life, my physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual health all seem intertwined. My following of Jesus is intimately entwined with his call to make life-style changes to be physically stronger and healthy, and emotionally positive, and full of praise.J
by Sharon George
From Ffald-y-Brenin


Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anitamathiaswriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anita.mathias/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnitaMathias1
My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK

View our Privacy Policy.

More from my site

  • The Paradox Project: Gaining by Losing. #1The Paradox Project: Gaining by Losing. #1
  • Salman Rushdie–Wandering between Two WorldsSalman Rushdie–Wandering between Two Worlds
  • Which strand of contemporary Christianity most appeals to you?Which strand of contemporary Christianity most appeals to you?
  • A camel through the eye of a needle/ Rich men in the KingdomA camel through the eye of a needle/ Rich men in the Kingdom
  • Good Christian Blogging should be John-The-Baptist BloggingGood Christian Blogging should be John-The-Baptist Blogging
Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: In which I chase the wild goose of the Holy Spirit

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Comments

  1. Anita Mathias says

    May 22, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    Thanks, Mollie, I find the image of God as a river of loving kindness helps me when I pray for healing!

  2. Miss Mollie says

    May 22, 2012 at 12:31 am

    Great post again. The walking and fine weather have helped me, as well, as depending on God for every moment to heal my depression and burnout.
    The fear is that I will fall back into bad habits. Yet, perfect love cast out fear. I feel those negative thoughts creep in and pray for the strength I need.

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 584 Other Readers

My Books

Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence - Amazom.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

My Latest Meditation

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Recent Posts

  • Believing Is Seeing (Miracles): “According to Your Faith, Let It Be Done to You.”
  • Jesus Knows the Best Way to Do What You Are Best At
  • On Using Anger as a Trigger to Transform Ourselves
  • Do Not Worry About What To Eat: Jesus
  • Happy Are the Merciful for They Shall Be Shown Mercy
  • The Power of Christ’s Resurrection. For Us. Today
  • Our Unique and Transforming Call and Vocation
  • Change your Life by Changing Your Thoughts
  • Do Not Be Afraid–But Be as Wise as a Serpent
  • Our Failures are the Cracks through which God’s Light Enters
Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Categories

What I’m Reading

Country Girl
Edna O'Brien

Country Girl  - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Gerard Manley Hopkins:
The Major Works

Hopkins-The Major Works --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir
Beth Moore

Beth Moore: Memoir --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Archive by month

My Latest Five Podcast Meditations

INSTAGRAM

anita.mathias

https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/28/believing-is-s https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/28/believing-is-seeing-miracles-according-to-your-faith-let-it-be-done-to-you/
Jesus was the only person in the Bible who restored the sight of blind men. The two blind men called out a simple prayer, known as the Jesus prayer, “Jesus, have mercy on us. And their faith activated a miracle when Christ replied, “According to your faith, be it done to you.” And healed them!
The same simple prayer changes things in our lives, too; the transcript of our prayers often becomes the transcript of our lives. However, we live in the “already-not yet” Kingdom. We often see answered prayer but not always, because God often has a happier biography in mind for us than our scripts, which might involve endless scrambling up ladders of striving, success and ever-more. Faith also involves leaving these worries in his hands.
A recent walk around Oxford—Christ Church and Ma A recent walk around Oxford—Christ Church and Magdalen College in particular, with my cousin, Dr. Prem Pais, recently retired Dean of St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, and his wife, Dr. Nalini Pais. It was lovely seeing them, and showing them beautiful Oxford.
And I’m excited that my little meditation podcast is listened to in 167 cities in 14 countries. A bit astonished, really, and humbled!
Here’s the latest one, on how Christ always knows the best way to do what you are best at. https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/20/jesus-knows-the-best-way-to-do-what-you-are-best-at/
When we are out of our depths and bewildered, Jesus can take the wheel, and add a 1 to our zeroes. But if we manage to surrender our strengths to him, then he can astonish us with exponential growth, adding zeroes after our 1. And, of course, surrendering everything to his wise, kind Lordship is the very best way to live.
https://anitamathias.com/.../jesus-knows-the-best- https://anitamathias.com/.../jesus-knows-the-best-way-to.../
LINK IN BIO!
Jesus knows the best way to do what you are best at!!
Simon Peter was a professional fisherman. And Jesus keeps teaching him, again and again, that he, Jesus, has greater mastery over fishing. And over everything else. After fruitless nights of fishing, Jesus tells Peter where to cast his nets, for an astounding catch. Jesus walks on water, calms sea storms.
It’s easy to pray in desperation when we feel hard-pressed and incompetent, and, often,
Christ rescues us in our distress, adds a 1 before our zeroes.
However, it’s equally important to turn over our strengths to him, so he can add zeroes after our 1. And the more we can surrender our strengths to his management, the more he works in those areas, and blesses them.
A walk around beautiful Magdalen College, Oxford, A walk around beautiful Magdalen College, Oxford, with a camera.
And, if you missed it, my latest podcast meditation, on Jesus’s advice on refocusing energy away from judging and critiquing others into self-transformation. https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/11/on-using-anger-as-a-trigger-to-transform-ourselves/
https://anitamathias.com/.../on-using-anger-as-a-t https://anitamathias.com/.../on-using-anger-as-a-trigger.../ link in bio
Hi friends, Here's my latest podcast meditation. I'm meditating through the Gospel of Matthew.
Do not judge, Jesus says, and you too will escape harsh judgement. So once again, he reiterates a law of human life and of the natural world—sowing and reaping. 
Being an immensely practical human, Jesus realises that we are often most “triggered” when we observe our own faults in other people. And the more we dwell on the horrid traits of people we know in real life, politicians, or the media or internet-famous, the more we risk mirroring their unattractive traits. 
So, Jesus suggests that, whenever we are intensely annoyed by other people to immediately check if we have the very same fault. And to resolve to change that irritating trait in ourselves. 
Then, instead of wasting time in fruitless judging, we will experience personal change.
And as for us who have been judgey, we still live “under the mercy” in Charles Williams’ phrase. We must place the seeds we have sown into the garden of our lives so far into God’s hands and ask him to let the thistles and thorns wither and the figs and grapes bloom. May it be so!
Spring in England= Joy=Bluebells=Singing birds. I Spring in England= Joy=Bluebells=Singing birds. I love it.
Here are some images of Shotover Park, close to C. S. Lewis's house, and which inspired bits of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings. Today, however, it's covered in bluebells, and loud with singing birds.
And, friends, I've been recording weekly podcast meditations on the Gospel of Matthew. It's been fun, and challenging to settle down and think deeply, and I hope you'll enjoy them.
I'm now in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus details all the things we are not to worry about at all, one of which is food--too little, or too much, too low in calories, or too high. We are, instead, to do everything we do in his way (seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness, and all this will fall into place!).
Have a listen: https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/03/do-not-worry-about-what-to-eat-jesus/ and link in bio
“See how the flowers of the field grow. They do “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. Or a king on his coronation day.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 
Of course, today, we are more likely to worry that sugary ultra-processed foods everywhere will lead to weight gain and compromise our health. But Jesus says, “Don’t worry,” and in the same sermon (on the mount), suggests other strategies…like fasting, which brings a blessing from God, for instance, while burning stored fat. And seeking God’s kingdom, as Jesus recommends, could involve getting fit on long solitary prayer walks, or while walking with friends, as well as while keeping up with a spare essentialist house, and a gloriously over-crowded garden. Wild birds eat intuitively and never gain weight; perhaps, the Spirit, on request, will guide us to the right foods for our metabolisms. 
I’ve recorded a meditation on these themes (with a transcript!). https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/03/do-not-worry-about-what-to-eat-jesus/
https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/03/do-not-worry-a https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/03/do-not-worry-about-what-to-eat-jesus/
Jesus advised his listeners--struggling fishermen, people living on the edge, without enough food for guests, not to worry about what they were going to eat. Which, of course, is still shiningly relevant today for many. 
However, today, with immense societal pressure to be slender, along with an obesogenic food environment, sugary and carby food everywhere, at every social occasion, Jesus’s counsel about not worrying about what we will eat takes on an additional relevance. Eat what is set about you, he advised his disciples, as they went out to preach the Gospel. In this age of diet culture and weight obsession, Jesus still shows us how to live lightly, offering strategies like fasting (which he promises brings us a reward from God). 
What would Jesus’s way of getting fitter and healthier be? Fasting? Intuitive spirit-guided eating? Obeying the great commandment to love God by praying as we walk? Listening to Scripture or excellent Christian literature as we walk, thanks to nifty headphones. And what about the second commandment, like the first—to love our neighbour as ourselves? Could we get fitter running an essentialist household? Keeping up with the garden? Walking with friends? Exercising to be fit enough to do what God has called us to do?
This meditation explores these concerns. #dietculture #jesus #sermononthemount #meditation #excercise #thegreatcommandment #dontworry 
https://anitamathias.com/2023/05/03/do-not-worry-about-what-to-eat-jesus/
Kefalonia—it was a magical island. Goats and she Kefalonia—it was a magical island. Goats and sheep with their musical bells; a general ambience of relaxation; perfect, pristine, beaches; deserted mountains to hike; miles of aimless wandering in landscapes of spring flowers. I loved it!
And, while I work on a new meditation, perhaps have a listen to this one… which I am meditating on because I need to learn it better… Jesus’s tips on how to be blessed by God, and become happy!! https://anitamathias.com/2023/04/25/happy-are-the-merciful-for-they-shall-be-shown-mercy/ #kefalonia #family #meditation #goats
Load More… Follow on Instagram

© 2023 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved. · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy

»
«