Testimony Tuesday: I AM Willing

Don’t ever underestimate the power of a testimony. Not only do they give glory to God by revealing His goodness, they release hope and belief for the favor and love of a Father to breakthrough in your life beyond all you can ask or think. 

I have been wanting to share this particular testimony publicly for years. There are a few that know the story well. And I believe I can speak for each of us when I say that what took place in the year of 2015, was a complete game changer in our lives.

Just before Christmas, 2014, my husband, a pitching coach and Rehab Coordinator with the Kansas City Royals, was asked to be the organization’s pitching coach the following season for one of their minor league affiliates in Lexington, Kentucky. I was beyond excited as the Lord had been revealing to me for two years that Kentucky was in our future.

As He would have it, it was the perfect time to sell our home and put our stuff in storage. After Spring training, we packed up, had our vehicles shipped and took off for the land of the Unbridled Spirit!

The baseball season itself was full of the miraculous. Everything from the amazing people we connected with to the beauty of the land we experienced, to the too-many-to-count Jesus encounters. I have so many testimonies of His tangible presence, I could seriously write a book on this season alone.

But there was one day, one family, and one very special little girl, that knocked everything else out of the park. 

It was a humid August day towards the end of the baseball season. The night before, we were asked by our team’s Community Relations Director if we would be interested in visiting some children at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. 

I knew our sons, being so young, wouldn’t be able to go into the individual rooms so I asked the Lord if we were supposed to go or if maybe just my husband should go. He said “go!” 

Early that next morning, I awoke to a song playing loud in my spirit. It was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz movie. I thought, “What is this?” I even googled the full lyrics to see if the Holy Spirit was trying to say something to me through that song, but honestly it almost seemed kind of depressing. I finally thought “Oh well,” and got up to get dressed for our visit to the hospital.

Before arriving, I texted my dear friend whose very special daughter (Emily) we met in another hospital years earlier. I wanted her to know I was thinking of her. She texted back “I hope you find your ‘Em’ there.”

While the boys and I walked around the lobby and waiting room, Carlos, my husband, along with a couple of our players, went to the children’s floor. Room to room they visited many precious children, handing out hugs and baseball giveaways. 

After going into one particular room, Carlos felt as though he was meant to come out and check on us. Moments after he did, a father to one of the girls Carlos just saw came out to the elevator near us and recognized him. 

As he began talking to us, he mentioned his daughter’s name was Emma. I instantly felt quickened by the Holy Spirit and knew this was our “Em” we were meant to see. At that moment, I was also given the word “hope” and knew it was for this dad. I told him how much Jesus loves him and Emma and that Jesus wanted him to hold on to hope because He was taking care of her.

The dad, being touched by this word told me he had to go bring out his wife to talk to me. As she approached me I could actually feel God’s love for her and asked her if I could pray for her. I knew (being a mother myself) the angst she was going through. 

I placed my hand on her heart and began to speak peace into it. At that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” again. I stopped in my tracks. 

Feeling a little nervous about sharing it, I stepped out in faith anyway and asked the mom if that song meant anything to her. She started crying and said yes, that it was her daughter’s favorite song as the Wizard of Oz was her favorite movie. 

She instantly led me back to her Emma’s room where I got to meet this delightful eight-year-old whom Jesus had His heart set on! I sat with her and asked if I could pray with her. She agreed.

I placed my hand on her back and started feeling waves of electricity run through my arm and hand into Emma’s body. 

I asked her if she felt it. I remember her saying “Yeah, a lot!” I told her “That’s Jesus. That’s His love. He is healing you right now.”

After that most sacred encounter, I had a few more minutes to talk with her mom and dad, who were also overwhelmed with God’s love and all that was taking place. We then exchanged phone numbers and tender hugs and we all agreed we would keep in touch.

Back at our apartment later that day as we were getting ready to head to the ballpark, I got a text on my phone from Sonya, Emma’s mom. I quickly opened it, anxious to hear from her. She told me that morning Emma had bloodwork done for her chronic pancreatitis to see what the next step would be for them and after we left the hospital, the doctor came in to give them the results. They were completely normal! No sign of pancreatitis! The doctor told them he had no reason to keep them!

They were released that day! Of course we all couldn’t stop praising the Lord for all He had done! 

But God wasn’t done yet. Word spread at the baseball field. It wasn’t long before the team’s chapel leader heard about it. And it just so happened, he was friends with this family. He asked us if we would be willing to come to his church and share our testimony. We did. And  to this day, like an electric wave, the story of Jesus’ heart to heal is continually finding its way into the hearts of many. 

On a side note, the day Emma was healed and released from the hospital, the catcher of our team, who happened to be one of the players who went with us to the hospital, hit a walk-off home run to win the game that night.

One week later, we had Emma and her family come to the baseball game so she could throw out the first pitch. Again, our same catcher, hit another walk-off home run to win that game. 

God is good!

Beloved, no matter what you’ve gone through or are going through now; no matter what you or your loved ones have experienced thus far, don’t ever be unsure of whether or not it is God’s will to heal. Even now, renew your mind by believing that it is ALWAYS your Father’s heart to heal you physically, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus is God’s perfect will in action. 

Stroke after stroke, beating after beating, Jesus took your sicknesses, diseases and distresses on His own body. He Himself carried your sorrows and pains. His body was broken for yours to be made whole (See Isaiah 53).

What we believe is powerful. When the man with leprosy in Matthew chapter 8 asked Jesus to heal him, he didn’t doubt He was able. He questioned His willingness. And to that Jesus reached out His hand, touched this man who probably hadn’t been touched in forever, and said, “I AM willing. Be healed.”

As you are reading this now, I release that same hope to you for your healing. He loves you child of God. He already paid for the healing that is present for you right now. You don’t need the laying on of hands. All you have to do is believe and receive.

Resting In His Love,

Annalee Reyes