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The story you’ll hear in Promise Hill is fiction—but the heart behind it is real. It’s not based on any one person, but it reflects the honest, messy, and beautiful experiences so many of us share: grief, hope, change, and growth.
The reflections and action steps I include along the way are just gentle offerings—little things to think about or try. Take what speaks to you, and feel free to leave the rest. This space is here to uplift, inspire, and maybe even bring a bit of comfort or clarity.
And if you’re walking through something heavy right now, please don’t go it alone. Reach out to a trusted counselor or mental health professional. You are deeply worthy of that kind of support.
I am so grateful you’re here, friend. Thank you for spending this time with me.
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
WEBVTT
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Welcome
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back to Promise Hill,
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where every corner of this quiet town holds a story waiting to be discovered.
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This is Soul Care Wrapped in Fiction.
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I'm your host,
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Kimberlee Herman.
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If you're just tuning in,
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awesome!
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I'm so glad that you're here.
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You're meant to be here.
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This is a different type of podcast,
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one in which I'm not sure exists until now.
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You're listening to an unfolding story,
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so you may want to start with Chapter 1,
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but
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I have you covered and will give you a quick summary to catch you up.
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After losing her marriage and her job,
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Mira has been slowly finding her footing in Promise Hill.
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thanks to Grandma Eden's steady guidance and the quiet wisdom of Nathaniel,
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Gideon,
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and Charity.
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She's learning that maybe she isn't buried after all,
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and maybe she's finally being planted.
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But life isn't pausing for her healing.
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Her mother's dementia has stirred up a trail of mysterious papers that have yet to be revealed.
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And after stepping in to help Charity at the bakery,
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Mira caught wind of a serious conversation between Charity and Pastor Enoch,
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something that didn't sound small.
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Now,
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for Chapter 10,
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which we're walking into today,
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it's called I Was Blind,
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Now I See.
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An unfamiliar face visits Promise Hill.
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He sets a time and a place,
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and ordinary plans rearrange themselves.
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By afternoon,
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Promise Hill stands still,
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waiting for words.
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that will soon transform their hearts.
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Let's listen in.
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Saturday arrived with the warm sun rising over Promise Hill.
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Mira opened the bakery early for Charity,
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as she had promised,
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so that Charity could help out at her church.
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Mira slipped into the rhythm of baking the cookies,
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muffins,
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and scones that Charity had made the night before.
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Mid-morning,
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Nathaniel Ember calmly wandered in.
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He was surprised to see Mira behind the counter.
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Hey there,
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Mira.
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Look at you working here at the bakery.
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I'll take a coffee,
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please,
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to go.
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I use my own cup.
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Here you go.
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Oh,
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and if you've got any of those blackberry muffins,
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I wouldn't say no.
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She handed him the warm pastry and filled his mug with fresh hot coffee just as the door opened again.
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An excited-looking man in his forties with kind and welcoming big brown eyes stepped in.
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Hello.
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I'm Solomon Reed,
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and I'm a storyteller.
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Would you mind if I stood in front of the shop this afternoon?
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I'd like to tell a story appropriate for all ages to whoever wants to listen.
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Um...
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well...
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Mira was taken off guard,
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glancing toward the bookstore.
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I don't actually own the bakery,
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but there's already a story going on at the bookstore today.
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I've got a great spot,
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Solomon.
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I'm Nathaniel,
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and this is Mira.
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Nathaniel and Mira...
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put out their hands to shake Solomon's.
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Mira noticed the gentle strength that Solomon carried as he greeted her.
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You can stand in front of my woodshop and share your story there.
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Would 2 p.m.
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work?
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Grandma Eden will be done reading her story to the children by then.
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Solomon smiled.
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Of course.
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Two works great.
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In the meantime,
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it's nice to meet you both.
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I'll be back soon.
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And just like that,
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he departed.
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Solomon left behind a wonder and expectation that something exciting was coming and that he was the one to deliver.
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The hours went by fairly quickly with a steady stream of customers.
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Mira noticed she enjoyed working again and the distraction helped get out of her own head.
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True to his word,
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Solomon the storyteller showed up right at two to meet Nathaniel outside of the bakery.
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Hi there,
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Solomon.
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Ready for your story?
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Because I am.
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I sure am.
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Thank you for letting me do this.
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I'm a complete stranger.
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This means a lot to me.
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Something in me tells me
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I can trust you.
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So follow me and let's get started.
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We're just going across the street to Ember and Oak,
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my woodshop.
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Nathaniel led the way with Solomon by his side.
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Nathaniel could see quiet curiosity in his face and noticed the way his shoulders relaxed with each step toward his studio.
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The wood shop was a humble place,
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nestled on the corner,
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just across the street from the bakery,
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feeling peaceful and close enough to be seen by the whole town.
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The front of the shop had a small wooden awning,
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which Nathaniel had built himself.
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When they reached the edge of Nathaniel's shop,
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he paused,
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turning to Solomon.
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Here's the spot.
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Will this work?
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Nathaniel gestured to the area in front of his shop.
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There's enough room for you and the sound of your voice will carry.
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I will tell you how I know that another time,
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and if you need a place to sit,
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you can sit on this bench.
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Solomon looked around,
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nodding thoughtfully.
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He ran his hand along the edge of the bench,
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the smooth wood feeling familiar under his fingertips.
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It's a good spot.
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I can already feel the stories waiting to be shared here.
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Nathaniel smiled,
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noticing how the storyteller's words seemed to come alive,
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even in the quietness of the moment.
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You and I have something in common.
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I try to tell stories through the wood I craft,
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and I've always believed that stories have a way of making a place feel more alive.
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Solomon's eyes lit up.
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He stepped forward.
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letting his hand rest on the wooden post that framed the doorway.
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Well,
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that is really awesome,
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Nathaniel.
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Yes,
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we do have that in common.
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Maybe this town needs to go deeper with familiar stories.
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That's what I do.
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I take a story we all know and look at it from a different perspective.
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And it sounds like you do that with wood.
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Very cool,
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Nathaniel.
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His voice was thick with meaning.
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It's time to share them here.
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Nathaniel nodded,
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appreciating the weight of Solomon's words.
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I can't wait to hear your stories,
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Solomon.
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What a gift you're bringing to our small town.
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He gestured to the ground,
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where the sidewalk led to the space between the shop and the street.
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You can stand right here,
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and the people will hear you.
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Trust me.
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If you need anything,
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just let me know.
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Solomon looked down at the ground,
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taking in the quiet hum of Promise Hill.
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Then he turned back to Nathaniel with a smile.
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I don't need a thing.
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I'll begin soon.
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I'll need a moment to gather my thoughts.
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Take your time.
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Nathaniel responded,
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giving him the space to settle.
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And when you're ready,
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just let your words flow.
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As Solomon set down his satchel and began to prepare,
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Nathaniel stood nearby,
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watching him thoughtfully.
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There was something about this man that felt right,
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like he was meant to be here.
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bringing something the town didn't even know it needed.
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Mira,
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having finished her shift at the bakery,
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joined them outside just in time to see Solomon pulling out a small leather-bound notebook.
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He flipped it open and scanned through a few pages,
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as though searching for just the right beginning.
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She also noticed a big black book that matched Grandma Eden's.
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Nathaniel turned to Mira,
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his voice low.
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I think Promise Hill is about...
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to receive a gift.
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Mira smiled.
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Her curiosity peaked.
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I think so too.
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As Mira stood next to Nathaniel,
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other people noticed and wanted to see what was going on.
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One of the perks of being in a small town,
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people started coming in from all directions.
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Nathaniel waved over the people walking by while Mira yelled,
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Come listen to Solomon the storyteller.
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As Solomon took a deep breath and looked out at the crowd that was forming,
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The stage was set,
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Solomon was ready,
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and Nathaniel could already feel the people leaning in to listen.
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Solomon's voice gathered strength as he started the story.
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I didn't know colors.
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I couldn't describe the blue of the sky or the golden hues of the sun.
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People tried to explain them to me when I was a child,
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but all I knew was darkness.
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I was born blind.
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Every day I sat near the temple,
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begging.
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Not because I wanted to,
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but because it was the only way I could survive.
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My brothers dropped me off at the same place day after day.
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People whispered when they passed.
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Some said my blindness was punishment for sin.
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Maybe mine.
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Maybe my parents.
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As if my darkness was deserved.
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But I leaned in to listen deeply.
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I could tell what kind of person someone was by the sound of their steps.
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Heavy.
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Hurried.
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Ashamed.
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Proud.
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Some voices passed in judgment.
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Others dropped a coin with a whisper of pity.
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I had no name to most,
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just that blind man.
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Then one day I heard a different kind of voice,
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calm,
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certain.
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There was movement around him,
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people pressing in asking questions.
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One of them asked about me.
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Rabbi,
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who sinned,
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this man or his parents,
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that he was born blind?
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I braced myself for more condemnation,
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but the man's answer surprised me.
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Neither this man nor his parents sinned,
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but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
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No one had ever said my life had purpose before.
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Then I felt someone kneel close to me.
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There was silence for a moment,
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then a strange sound.
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Spitting.
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I flinched at first,
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then gentle fingers smeared something smooth and cool over my eyes.
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Mud.
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He told me to go wash in the pool of Siloam.
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He didn't promise anything,
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just told me to go.
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A few people helped guide me to the pool.
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I stumbled.
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I slipped.
265
00:10:44.263 --> 00:10:45.044
But I got there.
266
00:10:45.826 --> 00:10:48.689
And when the water touched my eyes and the mud washed away,
267
00:10:50.072 --> 00:10:50.572
I saw.
268
00:10:51.392 --> 00:10:52.330
I saw the world.
269
00:10:53.189 --> 00:10:55.158
Light burst in like fire and music.
270
00:10:55.470 --> 00:10:56.392
I saw faces,
271
00:10:56.689 --> 00:10:57.111
colors,
272
00:10:57.377 --> 00:10:58.158
reflections.
273
00:10:58.501 --> 00:10:59.142
I laughed.
274
00:10:59.392 --> 00:11:00.080
I cried.
275
00:11:00.361 --> 00:11:00.986
I ran.
276
00:11:01.683 --> 00:11:03.085
People didn't believe it was me.
277
00:11:03.786 --> 00:11:05.688
Some argued I wasn't the same man,
278
00:11:06.009 --> 00:11:06.907
but I kept saying,
279
00:11:07.747 --> 00:11:08.708
I am the man.
280
00:11:09.450 --> 00:11:10.653
I told them what he did.
281
00:11:11.536 --> 00:11:12.895
Some still refused to see.
282
00:11:13.614 --> 00:11:14.317
Later that day,
283
00:11:14.880 --> 00:11:15.856
he found me again.
284
00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:19.474
He looked into my new eyes with a gaze deeper than sight.
285
00:11:20.239 --> 00:11:22.349
Do you believe in the Son of Man?
286
00:11:22.771 --> 00:11:23.427
He asked.
287
00:11:24.427 --> 00:11:24.989
Who is he,
288
00:11:25.130 --> 00:11:25.349
sir?
289
00:11:26.224 --> 00:11:28.395
Tell me so that I may believe.
290
00:11:29.507 --> 00:11:31.249
You have now seen him,
291
00:11:31.589 --> 00:11:32.190
he said.
292
00:11:33.251 --> 00:11:33.753
In fact,
293
00:11:34.272 --> 00:11:35.854
he is the one speaking with you,
294
00:11:37.214 --> 00:11:38.093
and I believed.
295
00:11:38.452 --> 00:11:40.280
I dropped to my knees and worshipped him.
296
00:11:41.819 --> 00:11:43.022
I once lived in darkness,
297
00:11:43.319 --> 00:11:44.546
not just in my eyes,
298
00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:45.749
but in my soul.
299
00:11:46.546 --> 00:11:48.171
But now I know what light is,
300
00:11:48.499 --> 00:11:49.546
not just sunlight,
301
00:11:49.780 --> 00:11:51.015
but the light of the world.
302
00:11:51.936 --> 00:11:53.515
My name no longer matters.
303
00:11:54.358 --> 00:11:55.405
What matters is this.
304
00:11:55.968 --> 00:11:56.749
I was blind,
305
00:11:57.515 --> 00:11:58.374
and now I see.
306
00:11:59.263 --> 00:12:02.326
The crowd was awestruck and erupted in cheers,
307
00:12:02.707 --> 00:12:03.086
tears,
308
00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:04.848
and a thunder of clapping.
309
00:12:05.730 --> 00:12:10.414
Mira could hear murmuring of how incredible the story was and how it touched their hearts.
310
00:12:11.351 --> 00:12:13.453
Tears were trickling down many of their faces.
311
00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:14.719
Solomon,
312
00:12:14.734 --> 00:12:15.500
the storyteller,
313
00:12:15.625 --> 00:12:16.859
began to blush and said,
314
00:12:17.719 --> 00:12:19.484
Thank you for sharing your time with me.
315
00:12:20.203 --> 00:12:21.500
Jesus is the way,
316
00:12:22.078 --> 00:12:22.641
the truth,
317
00:12:23.141 --> 00:12:23.765
and the life.
318
00:12:24.391 --> 00:12:26.328
He gave me that story for you today.
319
00:12:26.991 --> 00:12:28.253
It is taken from the Bible,
320
00:12:28.292 --> 00:12:31.757
but I put my own spin on it so you could hear it in a new way.
321
00:12:32.577 --> 00:12:38.065
Someone here needed to see from that perspective because you have been blind and wanting so much to see.
322
00:12:38.745 --> 00:12:40.308
Jesus wants you to see the light.
323
00:12:40.643 --> 00:12:43.065
May the darkness leave you and truth settle in.
324
00:12:43.972 --> 00:12:46.612
There will be a few more stories over the next few weeks,
325
00:12:46.972 --> 00:12:48.425
and you all are welcome back.
326
00:12:48.769 --> 00:12:49.940
Bless all of you.
327
00:12:50.831 --> 00:12:54.378
The crowd again erupted in applause and thanked him for his story.
328
00:12:55.431 --> 00:12:56.873
When some began to disperse,
329
00:12:57.172 --> 00:12:58.475
Nathaniel approached Solomon.
330
00:12:59.397 --> 00:13:00.358
You have a place to stay?
331
00:13:01.155 --> 00:13:02.299
Solomon nodded his head.
332
00:13:03.077 --> 00:13:05.561
I have a trailer in the woods I have already set up.
333
00:13:06.202 --> 00:13:07.342
I could use a hot shower,
334
00:13:07.381 --> 00:13:07.600
though.
335
00:13:07.866 --> 00:13:08.702
Would that be okay?
336
00:13:10.288 --> 00:13:10.764
Of course.
337
00:13:11.123 --> 00:13:11.561
Anytime.
338
00:13:11.608 --> 00:13:12.202
Here's my cell.
339
00:13:12.655 --> 00:13:13.295
I'm here to help.
340
00:13:14.514 --> 00:13:15.467
After your shower,
341
00:13:15.764 --> 00:13:17.920
let me treat you to a hot meal down at the cafe,
342
00:13:18.499 --> 00:13:21.092
and then I can drop you off at your place if you need a ride.
343
00:13:22.459 --> 00:13:25.141
Solomon smiled and exchanged numbers with Nathaniel.
344
00:13:25.942 --> 00:13:26.764
That would be great.
345
00:13:27.565 --> 00:13:27.944
You know,
346
00:13:28.007 --> 00:13:28.546
Nathaniel,
347
00:13:29.147 --> 00:13:30.467
you're an answer to prayer.
348
00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:36.171
God told me he would take care of the details of where I would sleep and where I would be fed,
349
00:13:36.733 --> 00:13:39.210
as well as bringing listeners to hear my stories.
350
00:13:39.757 --> 00:13:42.163
Know that you are in God's plans for my visit.
351
00:13:42.975 --> 00:13:45.288
I'll be back shortly after I gather some things.
352
00:13:46.522 --> 00:13:49.538
Solomon looked around and caught Grandma Eden's eyes.
353
00:13:50.395 --> 00:13:53.515
After she finished reading her new children's book at the Lantern Bookstore,
354
00:13:53.816 --> 00:13:55.435
she listened to Solomon's story,
355
00:13:55.837 --> 00:13:57.118
standing in the back of the crowd.
356
00:13:57.837 --> 00:14:00.075
She gave him a nod and then quickly left.
357
00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:02.396
He wondered when he would see her next.
358
00:14:03.341 --> 00:14:06.661
He took a deep breath in and knew he would stay for a while.
359
00:14:07.193 --> 00:14:09.021
This is a place he needed to be.
360
00:14:09.880 --> 00:14:11.239
God had an assignment for him.
361
00:14:11.817 --> 00:14:13.646
He just did not know who it was for.
362
00:14:14.583 --> 00:14:15.567
But at the same time,
363
00:14:15.896 --> 00:14:19.239
he knew one of his assignments was to fix what he broke.
364
00:14:20.235 --> 00:14:22.578
Mira walked up to Solomon before she left.
365
00:14:23.318 --> 00:14:23.718
Thank you,
366
00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:24.300
Solomon,
367
00:14:24.339 --> 00:14:25.660
for such a great story.
368
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.121
You're really gifted.
369
00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:30.183
I look forward to hearing more.
370
00:14:31.543 --> 00:14:32.464
Off-topic question.
371
00:14:33.589 --> 00:14:35.308
I couldn't help but notice your black book.
372
00:14:35.996 --> 00:14:36.667
Where did you get it?
373
00:14:37.667 --> 00:14:37.933
Ah,
374
00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:39.074
my Bible.
375
00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:43.699
A dear friend from long ago gave it to me when I didn't know how much I needed it.
376
00:14:44.917 --> 00:14:45.699
In that moment,
377
00:14:46.167 --> 00:14:48.199
other people pressed in to talk to Solomon.
378
00:14:48.955 --> 00:14:52.376
Mira smiled and headed home exhausted from being on her feet all day.
379
00:14:53.155 --> 00:14:54.655
Her thoughts began to bubble up.
380
00:14:56.678 --> 00:14:57.456
A Bible.
381
00:14:58.081 --> 00:14:59.338
Just like Grandma Eden's.
382
00:14:59.940 --> 00:15:03.456
And like the one in my flashback after I met Grandma Eden for the first time.
383
00:15:04.237 --> 00:15:05.174
Mama gave me hers,
384
00:15:05.877 --> 00:15:07.643
which has just been sitting on my bookshelf.
385
00:15:08.362 --> 00:15:10.096
It feels like it's time to open it up.
386
00:15:11.034 --> 00:15:12.721
Her heart felt a new kind of hope,
387
00:15:13.221 --> 00:15:14.377
but she wasn't sure why.
388
00:15:15.398 --> 00:15:17.460
She also thought deeply about the story.
389
00:15:18.321 --> 00:15:21.585
A blind man being healed sounded vaguely familiar.
390
00:15:22.566 --> 00:15:30.550
Mira plopped down on her couch when she arrived home to re-read the letter Grandma Eden wrote to her about soul care and healing from her marriage to Jackson.
391
00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:32.612
When she picked up the envelope,
392
00:15:32.972 --> 00:15:34.956
she noticed there was something else inside.
393
00:15:35.566 --> 00:15:36.847
A small card that read,
394
00:15:37.472 --> 00:15:38.097
Planted,
395
00:15:38.722 --> 00:15:39.737
not buried.
396
00:15:40.550 --> 00:15:43.503
Beneath the writing was a small hand-drawn symbol.
397
00:15:44.169 --> 00:15:48.034
A seed in the shape of a heart cradled in the roots of a blooming flower.
398
00:15:48.993 --> 00:15:51.337
Mira traced the edges of the card with her fingertip,
399
00:15:51.837 --> 00:15:52.696
her eyes damp.
400
00:15:53.476 --> 00:15:54.399
Whatever this was,
401
00:15:55.024 --> 00:15:56.204
it wasn't just encouragement.
402
00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:58.805
It was a new type of a beginning.
403
00:15:59.743 --> 00:16:00.188
Somehow,
404
00:16:00.765 --> 00:16:03.390
through an old story with new lenses and a single flower,
405
00:16:03.954 --> 00:16:06.250
something new had started to shift inside her.
406
00:16:07.015 --> 00:16:09.860
And maybe that was the beginning of seeing things in a new way.
407
00:16:11.079 --> 00:16:12.219
As she set the card down,
408
00:16:12.532 --> 00:16:13.282
the phone rang.
409
00:16:15.850 --> 00:16:16.070
Hello,
410
00:16:16.190 --> 00:16:16.451
Mama.
411
00:16:17.612 --> 00:16:18.852
It's so good to hear from you.
412
00:16:19.573 --> 00:16:20.075
How are you?
413
00:16:20.735 --> 00:16:21.056
Mira,
414
00:16:21.395 --> 00:16:25.657
I'm ready to talk to you about the papers you found in the attic a few weeks back.
415
00:16:26.602 --> 00:16:28.399
Will you come visit me on Wednesday?
416
00:16:29.665 --> 00:16:30.306
Of course,
417
00:16:30.384 --> 00:16:30.681
Mama.
418
00:16:31.767 --> 00:16:32.446
I'll see you then.
419
00:16:33.134 --> 00:16:33.681
I love you.
420
00:16:34.587 --> 00:16:36.228
I love you more than you know.
421
00:16:37.993 --> 00:16:39.852
And don't talk to the lady just yet.
422
00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:40.540
I was wrong,
423
00:16:40.618 --> 00:16:41.259
really wrong.
424
00:16:41.852 --> 00:16:41.978
Oh,
425
00:16:42.118 --> 00:16:42.399
Mira.
426
00:16:44.793 --> 00:16:46.635
Will you help me find my blue bird?
427
00:16:48.258 --> 00:16:48.537
Wait,
428
00:16:49.099 --> 00:16:49.537
what lady,
429
00:16:49.599 --> 00:16:49.856
Mama?
430
00:16:51.981 --> 00:16:53.365
But Ruth hung up the phone.
431
00:16:54.020 --> 00:16:54.865
And just like that,
432
00:16:55.505 --> 00:16:59.169
another thread was woven into the quiet tapestry of Promise Hill,
433
00:16:59.927 --> 00:17:02.888
a place where a new story interrupted an ordinary day,
434
00:17:03.466 --> 00:17:04.950
kindness was an answered prayer,
435
00:17:05.528 --> 00:17:08.263
and Mira's story is unfolding even more.
436
00:17:09.122 --> 00:17:09.622
Take it away,
437
00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:10.013
Kimberlee.
438
00:17:11.249 --> 00:17:14.513
What happened in Promise Hill that Saturday wasn't random.
439
00:17:14.734 --> 00:17:16.352
It was orchestrated by God.
440
00:17:17.094 --> 00:17:20.938
Ordinary moments turned into holy ground because people made space,
441
00:17:21.580 --> 00:17:22.322
paid attention,
442
00:17:22.502 --> 00:17:25.705
and responded to what God was doing right in front of them.
443
00:17:26.547 --> 00:17:29.088
That's usually how transformation starts.
444
00:17:29.666 --> 00:17:30.822
Not in grand gestures,
445
00:17:30.869 --> 00:17:31.649
but in small,
446
00:17:31.791 --> 00:17:33.024
intentional choices.
447
00:17:34.416 --> 00:17:35.774
As we step back from the story,
448
00:17:37.369 --> 00:17:38.180
we can identify
449
00:17:38.582 --> 00:17:41.464
some clear patterns that we can apply to our own lives.
450
00:17:42.146 --> 00:17:45.568
I know I told you I was going to try to stick to three reflections,
451
00:17:46.189 --> 00:17:47.951
but there's too much to gloss over today.
452
00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:51.912
So I have five reflections and three action steps.
453
00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:54.982
Number one,
454
00:17:54.998 --> 00:17:57.857
our pain may hold a hidden purpose.
455
00:17:59.123 --> 00:17:59.904
Hear it and hold it.
456
00:18:00.498 --> 00:18:04.466
But this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
457
00:18:04.685 --> 00:18:06.123
John 9 verse 3.
458
00:18:07.542 --> 00:18:10.205
The blind man's condition wasn't a punishment.
459
00:18:10.445 --> 00:18:11.524
It was a platform.
460
00:18:12.248 --> 00:18:17.752
Sometimes what feels like punishment or injustice is preparation for a testimony.
461
00:18:18.611 --> 00:18:22.916
God may allow brokenness to become a beacon of his power and grace.
462
00:18:24.236 --> 00:18:25.174
Let that sink in.
463
00:18:25.313 --> 00:18:31.205
Sometimes what feels like injustice or punishment can turn into a testimony.
464
00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:32.393
What a beautiful,
465
00:18:32.563 --> 00:18:33.330
beautiful thought.
466
00:18:33.424 --> 00:18:35.190
It's not so easy when you're going through it.
467
00:18:35.565 --> 00:18:37.286
But once you get to the other side,
468
00:18:38.108 --> 00:18:39.269
it can be pretty amazing.
469
00:18:39.728 --> 00:18:40.233
Number two,
470
00:18:41.931 --> 00:18:45.536
God often works through what seems strange or uncomfortable.
471
00:18:46.553 --> 00:18:47.600
Hear it and hold it.
472
00:18:47.778 --> 00:18:49.755
John 9 verse 6 says,
473
00:18:50.397 --> 00:18:51.364
After saying this,
474
00:18:51.497 --> 00:18:53.036
he spit on the ground,
475
00:18:53.489 --> 00:18:55.067
made some mud with the saliva,
476
00:18:55.286 --> 00:18:57.239
and put it on the man's eyes.
477
00:18:59.005 --> 00:19:00.725
Healing came through a very,
478
00:19:01.428 --> 00:19:02.958
very unusual act.
479
00:19:03.678 --> 00:19:07.438
God's methods may not make sense to us all the time,
480
00:19:08.297 --> 00:19:10.180
but they are never without meaning.
481
00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:13.223
Sometimes his miracles begin in the mud.
482
00:19:15.043 --> 00:19:16.723
Number three,
483
00:19:16.762 --> 00:19:19.223
obedience precedes transformation.
484
00:19:20.254 --> 00:19:21.223
Hear it and hold it.
485
00:19:21.379 --> 00:19:22.442
John 9 verse
486
00:19:22.942 --> 00:19:24.426
7. Go,
487
00:19:24.926 --> 00:19:25.536
he told him,
488
00:19:26.129 --> 00:19:28.067
wash in the pool of Siloam.
489
00:19:29.098 --> 00:19:31.879
So the man went and washed and came home singing.
490
00:19:33.309 --> 00:19:35.091
The man didn't know what would happen,
491
00:19:35.913 --> 00:19:36.612
but he went.
492
00:19:37.635 --> 00:19:42.057
Faith is often revealed in the willingness to act without full understanding.
493
00:19:43.401 --> 00:19:46.784
We experience change when we trust enough to move.
494
00:19:48.487 --> 00:19:50.323
I have to share a quick story with this one.
495
00:19:50.432 --> 00:19:56.932
I was at a evangelist healing kind of thing with my aunts many,
496
00:19:57.026 --> 00:19:57.760
many years ago.
497
00:19:58.698 --> 00:20:01.010
And the pastor called.
498
00:20:02.010 --> 00:20:04.655
Anybody that needed healing and a man came forward and said,
499
00:20:04.694 --> 00:20:05.275
my back,
500
00:20:06.017 --> 00:20:06.998
something's wrong with my back.
501
00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:09.886
And the pastor said,
502
00:20:09.939 --> 00:20:12.050
lay on the ground face down.
503
00:20:12.128 --> 00:20:12.808
So the guy did.
504
00:20:13.550 --> 00:20:14.728
And the pastor said,
505
00:20:15.175 --> 00:20:15.375
Said,
506
00:20:15.575 --> 00:20:17.376
I feel the Lord telling me to stomp on your,
507
00:20:17.497 --> 00:20:18.439
or step on your back,
508
00:20:18.538 --> 00:20:18.958
not stomp,
509
00:20:19.118 --> 00:20:19.822
step on your back.
510
00:20:21.220 --> 00:20:22.040
So the guy's like,
511
00:20:22.283 --> 00:20:22.743
okay.
512
00:20:23.564 --> 00:20:25.204
And I remember just,
513
00:20:25.962 --> 00:20:26.665
oh my gosh,
514
00:20:26.704 --> 00:20:29.689
I was just terrified for this guy that would make it worse.
515
00:20:29.690 --> 00:20:30.126
But anyway,
516
00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:32.017
the pastor took his shoes off,
517
00:20:32.626 --> 00:20:37.001
stepped on this man's back as he was praying and,
518
00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:37.814
you know,
519
00:20:37.861 --> 00:20:38.798
calling out healing.
520
00:20:38.876 --> 00:20:40.798
And he got off the man's back.
521
00:20:40.814 --> 00:20:42.189
The guy got up and was healed.
522
00:20:43.017 --> 00:20:44.204
He was healed.
523
00:20:44.951 --> 00:20:48.955
And so God really does work in mysterious ways at times.
524
00:20:48.975 --> 00:20:49.736
So I don't,
525
00:20:50.057 --> 00:20:50.576
obviously,
526
00:20:50.838 --> 00:20:52.299
when you're a healing evangelist,
527
00:20:52.357 --> 00:20:54.424
you hear from the Lord and do what he says to do,
528
00:20:54.924 --> 00:20:56.166
not what you think you should do.
529
00:20:57.166 --> 00:20:57.283
So
530
00:20:58.705 --> 00:21:01.463
Jesus saw and heard what the Lord told him to do,
531
00:21:01.635 --> 00:21:02.291
and he did it.
532
00:21:02.822 --> 00:21:04.869
And same with this pastor I saw.
533
00:21:05.088 --> 00:21:05.713
So anyway,
534
00:21:05.869 --> 00:21:07.135
just reminded me of that story.
535
00:21:08.791 --> 00:21:09.291
Number four,
536
00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:13.119
people won't always recognize your transformation.
537
00:21:13.939 --> 00:21:14.820
Hear it and hold it.
538
00:21:15.020 --> 00:21:16.481
John 9 verse 8.
539
00:21:17.281 --> 00:21:21.027
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked,
540
00:21:21.547 --> 00:21:24.270
Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?
541
00:21:25.668 --> 00:21:27.715
Transformation can be so radical,
542
00:21:27.895 --> 00:21:30.660
even those closest to us may struggle to believe it.
543
00:21:31.363 --> 00:21:33.941
But it's not their recognition that defines us.
544
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.707
It's God's restoration.
545
00:21:37.707 --> 00:21:41.488
How many times have you looked back over your life looking at
546
00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:42.039
you know,
547
00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:42.860
10 years ago,
548
00:21:43.221 --> 00:21:45.643
and because of the work that the Lord has done in your life,
549
00:21:46.766 --> 00:21:48.227
look at yourself and be like,
550
00:21:48.766 --> 00:21:49.305
wow,
551
00:21:49.828 --> 00:21:51.969
I don't even recognize that person anymore.
552
00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:58.422
Because so much has happened in your own life that the transformation is just undeniable.
553
00:22:00.094 --> 00:22:00.375
All right,
554
00:22:00.531 --> 00:22:00.938
last one,
555
00:22:00.953 --> 00:22:02.313
number five,
556
00:22:02.314 --> 00:22:05.797
true vision is seeing Jesus for who he is.
557
00:22:06.781 --> 00:22:07.610
Hear it and hold it.
558
00:22:07.703 --> 00:22:08.328
John 9,
559
00:22:08.391 --> 00:22:09.141
verse 38.
560
00:22:09.795 --> 00:22:10.757
Then the man said,
561
00:22:10.936 --> 00:22:11.297
Lord,
562
00:22:11.477 --> 00:22:12.178
I believe.
563
00:22:12.538 --> 00:22:13.479
And he worshiped him.
564
00:22:14.741 --> 00:22:17.284
Physical healing was only the beginning.
565
00:22:18.225 --> 00:22:20.225
Spiritual sight was the true miracle.
566
00:22:20.944 --> 00:22:23.772
Knowing Jesus not only changes our sight,
567
00:22:23.952 --> 00:22:25.647
it changes our soul.
568
00:22:26.967 --> 00:22:27.296
Next,
569
00:22:27.327 --> 00:22:31.155
let's move into action steps that you can use.
570
00:22:31.983 --> 00:22:32.577
Take one,
571
00:22:32.858 --> 00:22:33.452
take none.
572
00:22:34.483 --> 00:22:37.186
They're just helpful tools for all of us to
573
00:22:38.243 --> 00:22:40.947
engage in so that we can connect closer to the Lord.
574
00:22:41.345 --> 00:22:41.986
So number one,
575
00:22:42.427 --> 00:22:44.349
say yes to divine appointments.
576
00:22:45.228 --> 00:22:48.892
Be willing to respond when unexpected opportunities show up.
577
00:22:50.876 --> 00:22:52.978
Nathaniel didn't plan an event.
578
00:22:53.361 --> 00:22:55.462
He simply said yes when Solomon appeared.
579
00:22:56.103 --> 00:23:00.119
God often brings key people into our path that unlocks new growth.
580
00:23:01.041 --> 00:23:05.837
Transformation happens when we stop brushing those moments off as coincidences.
581
00:23:07.735 --> 00:23:09.116
So how to start this week,
582
00:23:09.557 --> 00:23:14.382
pay attention to interruption moments before saying no out of habit.
583
00:23:14.441 --> 00:23:15.062
If you're like me,
584
00:23:15.683 --> 00:23:16.800
pause and ask,
585
00:23:17.402 --> 00:23:21.925
could this be a divine appointment and see what you hear from the Lord?
586
00:23:23.230 --> 00:23:27.050
Ask the Lord if you should say yes to these situations that come up.
587
00:23:27.753 --> 00:23:28.269
Number two,
588
00:23:28.878 --> 00:23:31.722
re-engage familiar truth with fresh eyes.
589
00:23:33.800 --> 00:23:34.769
Revisit scripture.
590
00:23:35.007 --> 00:23:36.288
or a story you know well,
591
00:23:36.348 --> 00:23:38.331
but study it from a new angle.
592
00:23:39.552 --> 00:23:43.876
Solomon took John 9 and made the crowd feel it again.
593
00:23:44.337 --> 00:23:48.782
Transformation happens when the word moves from information to encounter.
594
00:23:50.243 --> 00:23:50.845
How to start?
595
00:23:51.626 --> 00:23:53.610
Choose a passage you've read many times.
596
00:23:54.313 --> 00:23:55.126
Read it slowly,
597
00:23:55.345 --> 00:23:57.673
imagining yourself as a different character.
598
00:23:59.204 --> 00:24:00.048
Be in the scene.
599
00:24:00.345 --> 00:24:02.095
Journal what shifts in you when you do.
600
00:24:03.438 --> 00:24:03.688
Then,
601
00:24:03.959 --> 00:24:06.282
Try this with the situation you are struggling with.
602
00:24:07.583 --> 00:24:11.126
Try to put yourself in another person's shoes to see from their eyes.
603
00:24:12.008 --> 00:24:14.891
Then observe if that helps you try to understand their position.
604
00:24:16.008 --> 00:24:17.469
Maybe you need to put a boundary down.
605
00:24:18.251 --> 00:24:20.368
Or maybe you need to pursue reconciliation.
606
00:24:22.493 --> 00:24:23.540
Number three,
607
00:24:23.541 --> 00:24:24.477
nurture the seed.
608
00:24:25.196 --> 00:24:26.196
Don't rush the bloom.
609
00:24:28.196 --> 00:24:33.102
Commit to tending the slow work God has begun rather than demanding instant change.
610
00:24:35.123 --> 00:24:35.523
How funny,
611
00:24:35.624 --> 00:24:52.938
just yesterday I was out spending time with the Lord in my backyard and he was explaining to me that there's a season for everything and I have some grapefruits growing on my tree and he reminded me that a grapefruit starts so small and
612
00:24:52.939 --> 00:24:57.547
it takes time for it to get to the place of being able to be picked and eaten.
613
00:24:58.110 --> 00:24:59.860
And if you ate it too soon,
614
00:25:00.141 --> 00:25:01.532
it's just not going to taste good.
615
00:25:01.533 --> 00:25:02.422
It's going to be worthless.
616
00:25:03.032 --> 00:25:04.032
So just remember that,
617
00:25:04.110 --> 00:25:04.688
that it is
618
00:25:05.363 --> 00:25:16.010
So important for the Lord to allow the Lord to grow in you what needs to be grown so that you can release what he's been building in you when the time is right.
619
00:25:19.581 --> 00:25:20.581
Why this matters.
620
00:25:20.674 --> 00:25:22.065
Mira's card said planted,
621
00:25:22.096 --> 00:25:22.659
not buried.
622
00:25:22.737 --> 00:25:25.659
So God's work often starts beneath the surface.
623
00:25:26.096 --> 00:25:28.768
Transformation grows through faithful tending,
624
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:30.174
not frantic striving.
625
00:25:31.065 --> 00:25:31.784
So how to start.
626
00:25:32.475 --> 00:25:35.301
Choose one spiritual practice like prayer,
627
00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:36.703
scripture meditation,
628
00:25:36.883 --> 00:25:37.324
serving,
629
00:25:37.383 --> 00:25:37.926
journaling,
630
00:25:38.766 --> 00:25:41.430
and tend to it consistently for the next month,
631
00:25:42.148 --> 00:25:45.039
trusting that roots are growing even when you can't see them.
632
00:25:46.913 --> 00:25:47.753
Let me pray for you,
633
00:25:48.133 --> 00:25:48.673
just you,
634
00:25:48.894 --> 00:25:49.734
wherever you are,
635
00:25:49.773 --> 00:25:50.154
friend.
636
00:25:51.775 --> 00:25:52.154
Jesus,
637
00:25:52.212 --> 00:25:54.154
thank you for the one listening right now.
638
00:25:54.853 --> 00:25:58.337
You see their weariness and the quiet ache they don't have words for.
639
00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:02.634
I know you meet us in the ordinary and you are always present.
640
00:26:03.853 --> 00:26:07.619
I ask for the gift of others to help the listeners who need support,
641
00:26:07.697 --> 00:26:07.915
like
642
00:26:08.353 --> 00:26:11.806
Mira's generous time and like Nathaniel with his helpful heart.
643
00:26:13.297 --> 00:26:16.300
I ask you to touch the dim places in these listeners'
644
00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.661
hearts to give light,
645
00:26:17.762 --> 00:26:18.442
revelation,
646
00:26:18.524 --> 00:26:19.204
or breakthrough,
647
00:26:19.762 --> 00:26:21.024
and to wash away shame,
648
00:26:21.145 --> 00:26:21.423
fear,
649
00:26:21.524 --> 00:26:23.946
and hurry and help them see you clearly again.
650
00:26:25.009 --> 00:26:28.610
I ask for protection for every seed you've planted in their hearts.
651
00:26:29.626 --> 00:26:32.141
Remind them that they are planted and not buried,
652
00:26:32.501 --> 00:26:33.938
for you have plans for them.
653
00:26:34.985 --> 00:26:37.235
When it feels quiet or they feel unseen,
654
00:26:37.595 --> 00:26:41.641
may they feel the whisper that your work is still alive beneath the surface.
655
00:26:43.113 --> 00:26:44.855
In your holy and mighty name,
656
00:26:44.915 --> 00:26:45.415
Jesus.
657
00:26:45.816 --> 00:26:46.255
Amen.
658
00:26:47.458 --> 00:26:47.818
Listener,
659
00:26:47.857 --> 00:26:51.825
may you feel deeply seen and deeply loved by our dear Jesus.
660
00:26:53.763 --> 00:26:54.122
Friends,
661
00:26:54.161 --> 00:26:57.466
may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop.
662
00:26:58.169 --> 00:26:59.075
Until next time,
663
00:26:59.310 --> 00:27:03.232
this is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.
1
00:00:20.177 --> 00:00:20.552
Welcome
2
00:00:20.583 --> 00:00:21.677
back to Promise Hill,
3
00:00:21.880 --> 00:00:26.802
where every corner of this quiet town holds a story waiting to be discovered.
4
00:00:27.442 --> 00:00:29.521
This is Soul Care Wrapped in Fiction.
5
00:00:30.099 --> 00:00:30.849
I'm your host,
6
00:00:31.083 --> 00:00:31.786
Kimberlee Herman.
7
00:00:32.936 --> 00:00:34.197
If you're just tuning in,
8
00:00:34.618 --> 00:00:35.118
awesome!
9
00:00:35.278 --> 00:00:36.620
I'm so glad that you're here.
10
00:00:37.101 --> 00:00:38.300
You're meant to be here.
11
00:00:39.124 --> 00:00:41.468
This is a different type of podcast,
12
00:00:42.007 --> 00:00:44.671
one in which I'm not sure exists until now.
13
00:00:45.632 --> 00:00:47.851
You're listening to an unfolding story,
14
00:00:48.351 --> 00:00:50.187
so you may want to start with Chapter 1,
15
00:00:50.327 --> 00:00:50.655
but
16
00:00:51.108 --> 00:00:54.796
I have you covered and will give you a quick summary to catch you up.
17
00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:58.202
After losing her marriage and her job,
18
00:00:58.765 --> 00:01:01.812
Mira has been slowly finding her footing in Promise Hill.
19
00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:06.619
thanks to Grandma Eden's steady guidance and the quiet wisdom of Nathaniel,
20
00:01:06.803 --> 00:01:07.240
Gideon,
21
00:01:07.440 --> 00:01:08.100
and Charity.
22
00:01:08.963 --> 00:01:12.022
She's learning that maybe she isn't buried after all,
23
00:01:12.584 --> 00:01:14.740
and maybe she's finally being planted.
24
00:01:15.686 --> 00:01:17.764
But life isn't pausing for her healing.
25
00:01:18.576 --> 00:01:24.092
Her mother's dementia has stirred up a trail of mysterious papers that have yet to be revealed.
26
00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:27.998
And after stepping in to help Charity at the bakery,
27
00:01:28.588 --> 00:01:33.172
Mira caught wind of a serious conversation between Charity and Pastor Enoch,
28
00:01:33.793 --> 00:01:35.754
something that didn't sound small.
29
00:01:37.516 --> 00:01:37.758
Now,
30
00:01:38.039 --> 00:01:39.055
for Chapter 10,
31
00:01:39.258 --> 00:01:40.539
which we're walking into today,
32
00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:43.102
it's called I Was Blind,
33
00:01:43.360 --> 00:01:44.383
Now I See.
34
00:01:45.352 --> 00:01:47.774
An unfamiliar face visits Promise Hill.
35
00:01:48.430 --> 00:01:50.227
He sets a time and a place,
36
00:01:50.727 --> 00:01:53.117
and ordinary plans rearrange themselves.
37
00:01:53.946 --> 00:01:54.711
By afternoon,
38
00:01:54.789 --> 00:01:56.430
Promise Hill stands still,
39
00:01:56.602 --> 00:01:57.680
waiting for words.
40
00:01:58.028 --> 00:02:00.151
that will soon transform their hearts.
41
00:02:00.850 --> 00:02:02.374
Let's listen in.
42
00:02:04.616 --> 00:02:07.636
Saturday arrived with the warm sun rising over Promise Hill.
43
00:02:08.401 --> 00:02:10.440
Mira opened the bakery early for Charity,
44
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:11.643
as she had promised,
45
00:02:11.940 --> 00:02:14.026
so that Charity could help out at her church.
46
00:02:14.964 --> 00:02:17.386
Mira slipped into the rhythm of baking the cookies,
47
00:02:17.714 --> 00:02:18.136
muffins,
48
00:02:18.386 --> 00:02:20.510
and scones that Charity had made the night before.
49
00:02:21.526 --> 00:02:22.010
Mid-morning,
50
00:02:22.448 --> 00:02:24.339
Nathaniel Ember calmly wandered in.
51
00:02:25.214 --> 00:02:27.432
He was surprised to see Mira behind the counter.
52
00:02:28.076 --> 00:02:28.436
Hey there,
53
00:02:28.476 --> 00:02:28.716
Mira.
54
00:02:29.076 --> 00:02:30.617
Look at you working here at the bakery.
55
00:02:32.035 --> 00:02:32.719
I'll take a coffee,
56
00:02:32.976 --> 00:02:33.258
please,
57
00:02:33.277 --> 00:02:33.539
to go.
58
00:02:34.156 --> 00:02:35.137
I use my own cup.
59
00:02:35.359 --> 00:02:35.738
Here you go.
60
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:37.355
Oh,
61
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:40.301
and if you've got any of those blackberry muffins,
62
00:02:40.441 --> 00:02:41.558
I wouldn't say no.
63
00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:48.137
She handed him the warm pastry and filled his mug with fresh hot coffee just as the door opened again.
64
00:02:49.058 --> 00:02:54.387
An excited-looking man in his forties with kind and welcoming big brown eyes stepped in.
65
00:02:55.215 --> 00:02:55.480
Hello.
66
00:02:56.176 --> 00:02:57.057
I'm Solomon Reed,
67
00:02:57.058 --> 00:02:58.139
and I'm a storyteller.
68
00:02:58.738 --> 00:03:01.363
Would you mind if I stood in front of the shop this afternoon?
69
00:03:02.644 --> 00:03:06.402
I'd like to tell a story appropriate for all ages to whoever wants to listen.
70
00:03:07.887 --> 00:03:08.051
Um...
71
00:03:08.949 --> 00:03:09.168
well...
72
00:03:10.090 --> 00:03:11.410
Mira was taken off guard,
73
00:03:11.715 --> 00:03:12.918
glancing toward the bookstore.
74
00:03:13.527 --> 00:03:14.902
I don't actually own the bakery,
75
00:03:14.996 --> 00:03:17.980
but there's already a story going on at the bookstore today.
76
00:03:18.793 --> 00:03:19.855
I've got a great spot,
77
00:03:19.934 --> 00:03:20.340
Solomon.
78
00:03:20.652 --> 00:03:21.324
I'm Nathaniel,
79
00:03:21.434 --> 00:03:22.402
and this is Mira.
80
00:03:23.168 --> 00:03:24.121
Nathaniel and Mira...
81
00:03:24.328 --> 00:03:26.149
put out their hands to shake Solomon's.
82
00:03:27.110 --> 00:03:30.393
Mira noticed the gentle strength that Solomon carried as he greeted her.
83
00:03:31.694 --> 00:03:34.600
You can stand in front of my woodshop and share your story there.
84
00:03:36.038 --> 00:03:36.640
Would 2 p.m.
85
00:03:36.718 --> 00:03:36.882
work?
86
00:03:37.679 --> 00:03:40.679
Grandma Eden will be done reading her story to the children by then.
87
00:03:41.538 --> 00:03:42.413
Solomon smiled.
88
00:03:43.288 --> 00:03:43.913
Of course.
89
00:03:45.007 --> 00:03:46.022
Two works great.
90
00:03:46.632 --> 00:03:47.476
In the meantime,
91
00:03:47.710 --> 00:03:49.007
it's nice to meet you both.
92
00:03:49.413 --> 00:03:50.350
I'll be back soon.
93
00:03:51.632 --> 00:03:52.522
And just like that,
94
00:03:52.929 --> 00:03:53.554
he departed.
95
00:03:54.344 --> 00:04:01.630
Solomon left behind a wonder and expectation that something exciting was coming and that he was the one to deliver.
96
00:04:02.649 --> 00:04:05.798
The hours went by fairly quickly with a steady stream of customers.
97
00:04:06.556 --> 00:04:11.438
Mira noticed she enjoyed working again and the distraction helped get out of her own head.
98
00:04:12.407 --> 00:04:13.235
True to his word,
99
00:04:13.657 --> 00:04:18.063
Solomon the storyteller showed up right at two to meet Nathaniel outside of the bakery.
100
00:04:19.142 --> 00:04:19.470
Hi there,
101
00:04:19.532 --> 00:04:19.907
Solomon.
102
00:04:20.282 --> 00:04:21.110
Ready for your story?
103
00:04:21.704 --> 00:04:22.392
Because I am.
104
00:04:23.248 --> 00:04:24.169
I sure am.
105
00:04:24.808 --> 00:04:26.109
Thank you for letting me do this.
106
00:04:26.908 --> 00:04:27.970
I'm a complete stranger.
107
00:04:28.509 --> 00:04:29.509
This means a lot to me.
108
00:04:30.908 --> 00:04:32.568
Something in me tells me
109
00:04:32.927 --> 00:04:33.834
I can trust you.
110
00:04:34.334 --> 00:04:36.670
So follow me and let's get started.
111
00:04:37.115 --> 00:04:39.974
We're just going across the street to Ember and Oak,
112
00:04:40.224 --> 00:04:41.115
my woodshop.
113
00:04:41.693 --> 00:04:43.927
Nathaniel led the way with Solomon by his side.
114
00:04:44.927 --> 00:04:51.834
Nathaniel could see quiet curiosity in his face and noticed the way his shoulders relaxed with each step toward his studio.
115
00:04:52.664 --> 00:04:54.085
The wood shop was a humble place,
116
00:04:54.406 --> 00:04:55.346
nestled on the corner,
117
00:04:55.768 --> 00:04:57.288
just across the street from the bakery,
118
00:04:57.909 --> 00:05:01.049
feeling peaceful and close enough to be seen by the whole town.
119
00:05:01.971 --> 00:05:04.432
The front of the shop had a small wooden awning,
120
00:05:04.799 --> 00:05:06.315
which Nathaniel had built himself.
121
00:05:07.198 --> 00:05:09.182
When they reached the edge of Nathaniel's shop,
122
00:05:09.526 --> 00:05:10.135
he paused,
123
00:05:10.526 --> 00:05:11.245
turning to Solomon.
124
00:05:12.001 --> 00:05:12.923
Here's the spot.
125
00:05:13.503 --> 00:05:14.223
Will this work?
126
00:05:14.925 --> 00:05:17.426
Nathaniel gestured to the area in front of his shop.
127
00:05:18.028 --> 00:05:20.469
There's enough room for you and the sound of your voice will carry.
128
00:05:23.110 --> 00:05:25.352
I will tell you how I know that another time,
129
00:05:25.571 --> 00:05:26.993
and if you need a place to sit,
130
00:05:27.094 --> 00:05:28.290
you can sit on this bench.
131
00:05:29.118 --> 00:05:30.243
Solomon looked around,
132
00:05:30.602 --> 00:05:31.446
nodding thoughtfully.
133
00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:34.290
He ran his hand along the edge of the bench,
134
00:05:34.727 --> 00:05:37.524
the smooth wood feeling familiar under his fingertips.
135
00:05:38.462 --> 00:05:39.227
It's a good spot.
136
00:05:40.273 --> 00:05:42.755
I can already feel the stories waiting to be shared here.
137
00:05:43.997 --> 00:05:45.079
Nathaniel smiled,
138
00:05:45.696 --> 00:05:49.025
noticing how the storyteller's words seemed to come alive,
139
00:05:49.525 --> 00:05:51.103
even in the quietness of the moment.
140
00:05:51.985 --> 00:05:53.345
You and I have something in common.
141
00:05:54.845 --> 00:05:57.251
I try to tell stories through the wood I craft,
142
00:05:57.923 --> 00:06:04.001
and I've always believed that stories have a way of making a place feel more alive.
143
00:06:05.423 --> 00:06:06.517
Solomon's eyes lit up.
144
00:06:06.923 --> 00:06:07.735
He stepped forward.
145
00:06:08.069 --> 00:06:11.092
letting his hand rest on the wooden post that framed the doorway.
146
00:06:12.035 --> 00:06:12.312
Well,
147
00:06:12.933 --> 00:06:13.957
that is really awesome,
148
00:06:13.976 --> 00:06:14.496
Nathaniel.
149
00:06:15.074 --> 00:06:15.418
Yes,
150
00:06:16.074 --> 00:06:17.301
we do have that in common.
151
00:06:18.597 --> 00:06:21.887
Maybe this town needs to go deeper with familiar stories.
152
00:06:23.121 --> 00:06:23.761
That's what I do.
153
00:06:24.511 --> 00:06:28.324
I take a story we all know and look at it from a different perspective.
154
00:06:28.761 --> 00:06:30.730
And it sounds like you do that with wood.
155
00:06:31.933 --> 00:06:32.527
Very cool,
156
00:06:32.605 --> 00:06:33.152
Nathaniel.
157
00:06:34.074 --> 00:06:35.715
His voice was thick with meaning.
158
00:06:36.152 --> 00:06:37.637
It's time to share them here.
159
00:06:38.853 --> 00:06:39.714
Nathaniel nodded,
160
00:06:40.134 --> 00:06:42.196
appreciating the weight of Solomon's words.
161
00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:44.897
I can't wait to hear your stories,
162
00:06:45.159 --> 00:06:45.561
Solomon.
163
00:06:46.061 --> 00:06:48.545
What a gift you're bringing to our small town.
164
00:06:49.444 --> 00:06:50.647
He gestured to the ground,
165
00:06:50.983 --> 00:06:53.850
where the sidewalk led to the space between the shop and the street.
166
00:06:54.671 --> 00:06:55.624
You can stand right here,
167
00:06:55.967 --> 00:06:56.905
and the people will hear you.
168
00:06:58.186 --> 00:06:58.671
Trust me.
169
00:06:59.295 --> 00:07:00.155
If you need anything,
170
00:07:00.217 --> 00:07:00.827
just let me know.
171
00:07:02.452 --> 00:07:03.952
Solomon looked down at the ground,
172
00:07:04.561 --> 00:07:06.702
taking in the quiet hum of Promise Hill.
173
00:07:07.581 --> 00:07:09.683
Then he turned back to Nathaniel with a smile.
174
00:07:10.505 --> 00:07:11.485
I don't need a thing.
175
00:07:11.825 --> 00:07:12.845
I'll begin soon.
176
00:07:13.509 --> 00:07:15.149
I'll need a moment to gather my thoughts.
177
00:07:16.392 --> 00:07:16.993
Take your time.
178
00:07:17.470 --> 00:07:18.548
Nathaniel responded,
179
00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:20.353
giving him the space to settle.
180
00:07:20.595 --> 00:07:21.313
And when you're ready,
181
00:07:21.915 --> 00:07:23.439
just let your words flow.
182
00:07:24.204 --> 00:07:27.032
As Solomon set down his satchel and began to prepare,
183
00:07:27.595 --> 00:07:28.876
Nathaniel stood nearby,
184
00:07:29.470 --> 00:07:30.470
watching him thoughtfully.
185
00:07:31.298 --> 00:07:33.689
There was something about this man that felt right,
186
00:07:34.204 --> 00:07:35.907
like he was meant to be here.
187
00:07:36.701 --> 00:07:39.244
bringing something the town didn't even know it needed.
188
00:07:40.205 --> 00:07:40.525
Mira,
189
00:07:40.844 --> 00:07:42.445
having finished her shift at the bakery,
190
00:07:42.949 --> 00:07:47.933
joined them outside just in time to see Solomon pulling out a small leather-bound notebook.
191
00:07:48.832 --> 00:07:51.394
He flipped it open and scanned through a few pages,
192
00:07:51.933 --> 00:07:54.074
as though searching for just the right beginning.
193
00:07:54.762 --> 00:07:58.246
She also noticed a big black book that matched Grandma Eden's.
194
00:07:59.027 --> 00:08:00.262
Nathaniel turned to Mira,
195
00:08:00.590 --> 00:08:01.277
his voice low.
196
00:08:02.387 --> 00:08:04.309
I think Promise Hill is about...
197
00:08:04.501 --> 00:08:06.663
to receive a gift.
198
00:08:07.483 --> 00:08:08.366
Mira smiled.
199
00:08:08.565 --> 00:08:09.706
Her curiosity peaked.
200
00:08:10.506 --> 00:08:11.268
I think so too.
201
00:08:12.147 --> 00:08:13.932
As Mira stood next to Nathaniel,
202
00:08:14.448 --> 00:08:17.471
other people noticed and wanted to see what was going on.
203
00:08:18.096 --> 00:08:20.073
One of the perks of being in a small town,
204
00:08:20.932 --> 00:08:23.073
people started coming in from all directions.
205
00:08:23.885 --> 00:08:26.760
Nathaniel waved over the people walking by while Mira yelled,
206
00:08:27.026 --> 00:08:28.870
Come listen to Solomon the storyteller.
207
00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:33.073
As Solomon took a deep breath and looked out at the crowd that was forming,
208
00:08:33.501 --> 00:08:34.562
The stage was set,
209
00:08:35.564 --> 00:08:36.644
Solomon was ready,
210
00:08:37.325 --> 00:08:40.730
and Nathaniel could already feel the people leaning in to listen.
211
00:08:41.866 --> 00:08:44.749
Solomon's voice gathered strength as he started the story.
212
00:08:45.710 --> 00:08:46.655
I didn't know colors.
213
00:08:47.359 --> 00:08:50.718
I couldn't describe the blue of the sky or the golden hues of the sun.
214
00:08:51.921 --> 00:08:54.546
People tried to explain them to me when I was a child,
215
00:08:54.843 --> 00:08:56.359
but all I knew was darkness.
216
00:08:57.312 --> 00:08:58.405
I was born blind.
217
00:08:59.343 --> 00:09:00.952
Every day I sat near the temple,
218
00:09:01.296 --> 00:09:01.702
begging.
219
00:09:02.329 --> 00:09:03.429
Not because I wanted to,
220
00:09:03.529 --> 00:09:06.050
but because it was the only way I could survive.
221
00:09:07.150 --> 00:09:09.951
My brothers dropped me off at the same place day after day.
222
00:09:10.767 --> 00:09:12.369
People whispered when they passed.
223
00:09:12.728 --> 00:09:15.470
Some said my blindness was punishment for sin.
224
00:09:15.791 --> 00:09:16.611
Maybe mine.
225
00:09:16.892 --> 00:09:17.970
Maybe my parents.
226
00:09:18.751 --> 00:09:20.830
As if my darkness was deserved.
227
00:09:21.673 --> 00:09:23.361
But I leaned in to listen deeply.
228
00:09:24.173 --> 00:09:27.533
I could tell what kind of person someone was by the sound of their steps.
229
00:09:28.377 --> 00:09:28.673
Heavy.
230
00:09:29.158 --> 00:09:29.642
Hurried.
231
00:09:29.908 --> 00:09:30.658
Ashamed.
232
00:09:30.908 --> 00:09:31.470
Proud.
233
00:09:32.397 --> 00:09:34.199
Some voices passed in judgment.
234
00:09:34.839 --> 00:09:36.901
Others dropped a coin with a whisper of pity.
235
00:09:38.104 --> 00:09:39.405
I had no name to most,
236
00:09:39.803 --> 00:09:40.987
just that blind man.
237
00:09:42.128 --> 00:09:44.385
Then one day I heard a different kind of voice,
238
00:09:44.667 --> 00:09:45.151
calm,
239
00:09:45.971 --> 00:09:46.307
certain.
240
00:09:47.870 --> 00:09:49.018
There was movement around him,
241
00:09:49.315 --> 00:09:51.253
people pressing in asking questions.
242
00:09:51.612 --> 00:09:52.799
One of them asked about me.
243
00:09:54.253 --> 00:09:54.706
Rabbi,
244
00:09:55.315 --> 00:09:56.034
who sinned,
245
00:09:56.346 --> 00:09:57.706
this man or his parents,
246
00:09:58.018 --> 00:09:59.409
that he was born blind?
247
00:10:00.401 --> 00:10:02.403
I braced myself for more condemnation,
248
00:10:03.164 --> 00:10:05.067
but the man's answer surprised me.
249
00:10:06.028 --> 00:10:08.532
Neither this man nor his parents sinned,
250
00:10:08.813 --> 00:10:12.313
but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
251
00:10:13.619 --> 00:10:16.302
No one had ever said my life had purpose before.
252
00:10:17.103 --> 00:10:18.863
Then I felt someone kneel close to me.
253
00:10:19.605 --> 00:10:20.906
There was silence for a moment,
254
00:10:21.730 --> 00:10:23.027
then a strange sound.
255
00:10:23.808 --> 00:10:24.207
Spitting.
256
00:10:25.050 --> 00:10:26.128
I flinched at first,
257
00:10:26.535 --> 00:10:29.753
then gentle fingers smeared something smooth and cool over my eyes.
258
00:10:30.910 --> 00:10:31.253
Mud.
259
00:10:32.222 --> 00:10:34.722
He told me to go wash in the pool of Siloam.
260
00:10:35.753 --> 00:10:37.019
He didn't promise anything,
261
00:10:37.410 --> 00:10:38.300
just told me to go.
262
00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.541
A few people helped guide me to the pool.
263
00:10:41.921 --> 00:10:42.543
I stumbled.
264
00:10:42.863 --> 00:10:43.404
I slipped.
265
00:10:44.263 --> 00:10:45.044
But I got there.
266
00:10:45.826 --> 00:10:48.689
And when the water touched my eyes and the mud washed away,
267
00:10:50.072 --> 00:10:50.572
I saw.
268
00:10:51.392 --> 00:10:52.330
I saw the world.
269
00:10:53.189 --> 00:10:55.158
Light burst in like fire and music.
270
00:10:55.470 --> 00:10:56.392
I saw faces,
271
00:10:56.689 --> 00:10:57.111
colors,
272
00:10:57.377 --> 00:10:58.158
reflections.
273
00:10:58.501 --> 00:10:59.142
I laughed.
274
00:10:59.392 --> 00:11:00.080
I cried.
275
00:11:00.361 --> 00:11:00.986
I ran.
276
00:11:01.683 --> 00:11:03.085
People didn't believe it was me.
277
00:11:03.786 --> 00:11:05.688
Some argued I wasn't the same man,
278
00:11:06.009 --> 00:11:06.907
but I kept saying,
279
00:11:07.747 --> 00:11:08.708
I am the man.
280
00:11:09.450 --> 00:11:10.653
I told them what he did.
281
00:11:11.536 --> 00:11:12.895
Some still refused to see.
282
00:11:13.614 --> 00:11:14.317
Later that day,
283
00:11:14.880 --> 00:11:15.856
he found me again.
284
00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:19.474
He looked into my new eyes with a gaze deeper than sight.
285
00:11:20.239 --> 00:11:22.349
Do you believe in the Son of Man?
286
00:11:22.771 --> 00:11:23.427
He asked.
287
00:11:24.427 --> 00:11:24.989
Who is he,
288
00:11:25.130 --> 00:11:25.349
sir?
289
00:11:26.224 --> 00:11:28.395
Tell me so that I may believe.
290
00:11:29.507 --> 00:11:31.249
You have now seen him,
291
00:11:31.589 --> 00:11:32.190
he said.
292
00:11:33.251 --> 00:11:33.753
In fact,
293
00:11:34.272 --> 00:11:35.854
he is the one speaking with you,
294
00:11:37.214 --> 00:11:38.093
and I believed.
295
00:11:38.452 --> 00:11:40.280
I dropped to my knees and worshipped him.
296
00:11:41.819 --> 00:11:43.022
I once lived in darkness,
297
00:11:43.319 --> 00:11:44.546
not just in my eyes,
298
00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:45.749
but in my soul.
299
00:11:46.546 --> 00:11:48.171
But now I know what light is,
300
00:11:48.499 --> 00:11:49.546
not just sunlight,
301
00:11:49.780 --> 00:11:51.015
but the light of the world.
302
00:11:51.936 --> 00:11:53.515
My name no longer matters.
303
00:11:54.358 --> 00:11:55.405
What matters is this.
304
00:11:55.968 --> 00:11:56.749
I was blind,
305
00:11:57.515 --> 00:11:58.374
and now I see.
306
00:11:59.263 --> 00:12:02.326
The crowd was awestruck and erupted in cheers,
307
00:12:02.707 --> 00:12:03.086
tears,
308
00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:04.848
and a thunder of clapping.
309
00:12:05.730 --> 00:12:10.414
Mira could hear murmuring of how incredible the story was and how it touched their hearts.
310
00:12:11.351 --> 00:12:13.453
Tears were trickling down many of their faces.
311
00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:14.719
Solomon,
312
00:12:14.734 --> 00:12:15.500
the storyteller,
313
00:12:15.625 --> 00:12:16.859
began to blush and said,
314
00:12:17.719 --> 00:12:19.484
Thank you for sharing your time with me.
315
00:12:20.203 --> 00:12:21.500
Jesus is the way,
316
00:12:22.078 --> 00:12:22.641
the truth,
317
00:12:23.141 --> 00:12:23.765
and the life.
318
00:12:24.391 --> 00:12:26.328
He gave me that story for you today.
319
00:12:26.991 --> 00:12:28.253
It is taken from the Bible,
320
00:12:28.292 --> 00:12:31.757
but I put my own spin on it so you could hear it in a new way.
321
00:12:32.577 --> 00:12:38.065
Someone here needed to see from that perspective because you have been blind and wanting so much to see.
322
00:12:38.745 --> 00:12:40.308
Jesus wants you to see the light.
323
00:12:40.643 --> 00:12:43.065
May the darkness leave you and truth settle in.
324
00:12:43.972 --> 00:12:46.612
There will be a few more stories over the next few weeks,
325
00:12:46.972 --> 00:12:48.425
and you all are welcome back.
326
00:12:48.769 --> 00:12:49.940
Bless all of you.
327
00:12:50.831 --> 00:12:54.378
The crowd again erupted in applause and thanked him for his story.
328
00:12:55.431 --> 00:12:56.873
When some began to disperse,
329
00:12:57.172 --> 00:12:58.475
Nathaniel approached Solomon.
330
00:12:59.397 --> 00:13:00.358
You have a place to stay?
331
00:13:01.155 --> 00:13:02.299
Solomon nodded his head.
332
00:13:03.077 --> 00:13:05.561
I have a trailer in the woods I have already set up.
333
00:13:06.202 --> 00:13:07.342
I could use a hot shower,
334
00:13:07.381 --> 00:13:07.600
though.
335
00:13:07.866 --> 00:13:08.702
Would that be okay?
336
00:13:10.288 --> 00:13:10.764
Of course.
337
00:13:11.123 --> 00:13:11.561
Anytime.
338
00:13:11.608 --> 00:13:12.202
Here's my cell.
339
00:13:12.655 --> 00:13:13.295
I'm here to help.
340
00:13:14.514 --> 00:13:15.467
After your shower,
341
00:13:15.764 --> 00:13:17.920
let me treat you to a hot meal down at the cafe,
342
00:13:18.499 --> 00:13:21.092
and then I can drop you off at your place if you need a ride.
343
00:13:22.459 --> 00:13:25.141
Solomon smiled and exchanged numbers with Nathaniel.
344
00:13:25.942 --> 00:13:26.764
That would be great.
345
00:13:27.565 --> 00:13:27.944
You know,
346
00:13:28.007 --> 00:13:28.546
Nathaniel,
347
00:13:29.147 --> 00:13:30.467
you're an answer to prayer.
348
00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:36.171
God told me he would take care of the details of where I would sleep and where I would be fed,
349
00:13:36.733 --> 00:13:39.210
as well as bringing listeners to hear my stories.
350
00:13:39.757 --> 00:13:42.163
Know that you are in God's plans for my visit.
351
00:13:42.975 --> 00:13:45.288
I'll be back shortly after I gather some things.
352
00:13:46.522 --> 00:13:49.538
Solomon looked around and caught Grandma Eden's eyes.
353
00:13:50.395 --> 00:13:53.515
After she finished reading her new children's book at the Lantern Bookstore,
354
00:13:53.816 --> 00:13:55.435
she listened to Solomon's story,
355
00:13:55.837 --> 00:13:57.118
standing in the back of the crowd.
356
00:13:57.837 --> 00:14:00.075
She gave him a nod and then quickly left.
357
00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:02.396
He wondered when he would see her next.
358
00:14:03.341 --> 00:14:06.661
He took a deep breath in and knew he would stay for a while.
359
00:14:07.193 --> 00:14:09.021
This is a place he needed to be.
360
00:14:09.880 --> 00:14:11.239
God had an assignment for him.
361
00:14:11.817 --> 00:14:13.646
He just did not know who it was for.
362
00:14:14.583 --> 00:14:15.567
But at the same time,
363
00:14:15.896 --> 00:14:19.239
he knew one of his assignments was to fix what he broke.
364
00:14:20.235 --> 00:14:22.578
Mira walked up to Solomon before she left.
365
00:14:23.318 --> 00:14:23.718
Thank you,
366
00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:24.300
Solomon,
367
00:14:24.339 --> 00:14:25.660
for such a great story.
368
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.121
You're really gifted.
369
00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:30.183
I look forward to hearing more.
370
00:14:31.543 --> 00:14:32.464
Off-topic question.
371
00:14:33.589 --> 00:14:35.308
I couldn't help but notice your black book.
372
00:14:35.996 --> 00:14:36.667
Where did you get it?
373
00:14:37.667 --> 00:14:37.933
Ah,
374
00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:39.074
my Bible.
375
00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:43.699
A dear friend from long ago gave it to me when I didn't know how much I needed it.
376
00:14:44.917 --> 00:14:45.699
In that moment,
377
00:14:46.167 --> 00:14:48.199
other people pressed in to talk to Solomon.
378
00:14:48.955 --> 00:14:52.376
Mira smiled and headed home exhausted from being on her feet all day.
379
00:14:53.155 --> 00:14:54.655
Her thoughts began to bubble up.
380
00:14:56.678 --> 00:14:57.456
A Bible.
381
00:14:58.081 --> 00:14:59.338
Just like Grandma Eden's.
382
00:14:59.940 --> 00:15:03.456
And like the one in my flashback after I met Grandma Eden for the first time.
383
00:15:04.237 --> 00:15:05.174
Mama gave me hers,
384
00:15:05.877 --> 00:15:07.643
which has just been sitting on my bookshelf.
385
00:15:08.362 --> 00:15:10.096
It feels like it's time to open it up.
386
00:15:11.034 --> 00:15:12.721
Her heart felt a new kind of hope,
387
00:15:13.221 --> 00:15:14.377
but she wasn't sure why.
388
00:15:15.398 --> 00:15:17.460
She also thought deeply about the story.
389
00:15:18.321 --> 00:15:21.585
A blind man being healed sounded vaguely familiar.
390
00:15:22.566 --> 00:15:30.550
Mira plopped down on her couch when she arrived home to re-read the letter Grandma Eden wrote to her about soul care and healing from her marriage to Jackson.
391
00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:32.612
When she picked up the envelope,
392
00:15:32.972 --> 00:15:34.956
she noticed there was something else inside.
393
00:15:35.566 --> 00:15:36.847
A small card that read,
394
00:15:37.472 --> 00:15:38.097
Planted,
395
00:15:38.722 --> 00:15:39.737
not buried.
396
00:15:40.550 --> 00:15:43.503
Beneath the writing was a small hand-drawn symbol.
397
00:15:44.169 --> 00:15:48.034
A seed in the shape of a heart cradled in the roots of a blooming flower.
398
00:15:48.993 --> 00:15:51.337
Mira traced the edges of the card with her fingertip,
399
00:15:51.837 --> 00:15:52.696
her eyes damp.
400
00:15:53.476 --> 00:15:54.399
Whatever this was,
401
00:15:55.024 --> 00:15:56.204
it wasn't just encouragement.
402
00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:58.805
It was a new type of a beginning.
403
00:15:59.743 --> 00:16:00.188
Somehow,
404
00:16:00.765 --> 00:16:03.390
through an old story with new lenses and a single flower,
405
00:16:03.954 --> 00:16:06.250
something new had started to shift inside her.
406
00:16:07.015 --> 00:16:09.860
And maybe that was the beginning of seeing things in a new way.
407
00:16:11.079 --> 00:16:12.219
As she set the card down,
408
00:16:12.532 --> 00:16:13.282
the phone rang.
409
00:16:15.850 --> 00:16:16.070
Hello,
410
00:16:16.190 --> 00:16:16.451
Mama.
411
00:16:17.612 --> 00:16:18.852
It's so good to hear from you.
412
00:16:19.573 --> 00:16:20.075
How are you?
413
00:16:20.735 --> 00:16:21.056
Mira,
414
00:16:21.395 --> 00:16:25.657
I'm ready to talk to you about the papers you found in the attic a few weeks back.
415
00:16:26.602 --> 00:16:28.399
Will you come visit me on Wednesday?
416
00:16:29.665 --> 00:16:30.306
Of course,
417
00:16:30.384 --> 00:16:30.681
Mama.
418
00:16:31.767 --> 00:16:32.446
I'll see you then.
419
00:16:33.134 --> 00:16:33.681
I love you.
420
00:16:34.587 --> 00:16:36.228
I love you more than you know.
421
00:16:37.993 --> 00:16:39.852
And don't talk to the lady just yet.
422
00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:40.540
I was wrong,
423
00:16:40.618 --> 00:16:41.259
really wrong.
424
00:16:41.852 --> 00:16:41.978
Oh,
425
00:16:42.118 --> 00:16:42.399
Mira.
426
00:16:44.793 --> 00:16:46.635
Will you help me find my blue bird?
427
00:16:48.258 --> 00:16:48.537
Wait,
428
00:16:49.099 --> 00:16:49.537
what lady,
429
00:16:49.599 --> 00:16:49.856
Mama?
430
00:16:51.981 --> 00:16:53.365
But Ruth hung up the phone.
431
00:16:54.020 --> 00:16:54.865
And just like that,
432
00:16:55.505 --> 00:16:59.169
another thread was woven into the quiet tapestry of Promise Hill,
433
00:16:59.927 --> 00:17:02.888
a place where a new story interrupted an ordinary day,
434
00:17:03.466 --> 00:17:04.950
kindness was an answered prayer,
435
00:17:05.528 --> 00:17:08.263
and Mira's story is unfolding even more.
436
00:17:09.122 --> 00:17:09.622
Take it away,
437
00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:10.013
Kimberlee.
438
00:17:11.249 --> 00:17:14.513
What happened in Promise Hill that Saturday wasn't random.
439
00:17:14.734 --> 00:17:16.352
It was orchestrated by God.
440
00:17:17.094 --> 00:17:20.938
Ordinary moments turned into holy ground because people made space,
441
00:17:21.580 --> 00:17:22.322
paid attention,
442
00:17:22.502 --> 00:17:25.705
and responded to what God was doing right in front of them.
443
00:17:26.547 --> 00:17:29.088
That's usually how transformation starts.
444
00:17:29.666 --> 00:17:30.822
Not in grand gestures,
445
00:17:30.869 --> 00:17:31.649
but in small,
446
00:17:31.791 --> 00:17:33.024
intentional choices.
447
00:17:34.416 --> 00:17:35.774
As we step back from the story,
448
00:17:37.369 --> 00:17:38.180
we can identify
449
00:17:38.582 --> 00:17:41.464
some clear patterns that we can apply to our own lives.
450
00:17:42.146 --> 00:17:45.568
I know I told you I was going to try to stick to three reflections,
451
00:17:46.189 --> 00:17:47.951
but there's too much to gloss over today.
452
00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:51.912
So I have five reflections and three action steps.
453
00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:54.982
Number one,
454
00:17:54.998 --> 00:17:57.857
our pain may hold a hidden purpose.
455
00:17:59.123 --> 00:17:59.904
Hear it and hold it.
456
00:18:00.498 --> 00:18:04.466
But this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
457
00:18:04.685 --> 00:18:06.123
John 9 verse 3.
458
00:18:07.542 --> 00:18:10.205
The blind man's condition wasn't a punishment.
459
00:18:10.445 --> 00:18:11.524
It was a platform.
460
00:18:12.248 --> 00:18:17.752
Sometimes what feels like punishment or injustice is preparation for a testimony.
461
00:18:18.611 --> 00:18:22.916
God may allow brokenness to become a beacon of his power and grace.
462
00:18:24.236 --> 00:18:25.174
Let that sink in.
463
00:18:25.313 --> 00:18:31.205
Sometimes what feels like injustice or punishment can turn into a testimony.
464
00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:32.393
What a beautiful,
465
00:18:32.563 --> 00:18:33.330
beautiful thought.
466
00:18:33.424 --> 00:18:35.190
It's not so easy when you're going through it.
467
00:18:35.565 --> 00:18:37.286
But once you get to the other side,
468
00:18:38.108 --> 00:18:39.269
it can be pretty amazing.
469
00:18:39.728 --> 00:18:40.233
Number two,
470
00:18:41.931 --> 00:18:45.536
God often works through what seems strange or uncomfortable.
471
00:18:46.553 --> 00:18:47.600
Hear it and hold it.
472
00:18:47.778 --> 00:18:49.755
John 9 verse 6 says,
473
00:18:50.397 --> 00:18:51.364
After saying this,
474
00:18:51.497 --> 00:18:53.036
he spit on the ground,
475
00:18:53.489 --> 00:18:55.067
made some mud with the saliva,
476
00:18:55.286 --> 00:18:57.239
and put it on the man's eyes.
477
00:18:59.005 --> 00:19:00.725
Healing came through a very,
478
00:19:01.428 --> 00:19:02.958
very unusual act.
479
00:19:03.678 --> 00:19:07.438
God's methods may not make sense to us all the time,
480
00:19:08.297 --> 00:19:10.180
but they are never without meaning.
481
00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:13.223
Sometimes his miracles begin in the mud.
482
00:19:15.043 --> 00:19:16.723
Number three,
483
00:19:16.762 --> 00:19:19.223
obedience precedes transformation.
484
00:19:20.254 --> 00:19:21.223
Hear it and hold it.
485
00:19:21.379 --> 00:19:22.442
John 9 verse
486
00:19:22.942 --> 00:19:24.426
7. Go,
487
00:19:24.926 --> 00:19:25.536
he told him,
488
00:19:26.129 --> 00:19:28.067
wash in the pool of Siloam.
489
00:19:29.098 --> 00:19:31.879
So the man went and washed and came home singing.
490
00:19:33.309 --> 00:19:35.091
The man didn't know what would happen,
491
00:19:35.913 --> 00:19:36.612
but he went.
492
00:19:37.635 --> 00:19:42.057
Faith is often revealed in the willingness to act without full understanding.
493
00:19:43.401 --> 00:19:46.784
We experience change when we trust enough to move.
494
00:19:48.487 --> 00:19:50.323
I have to share a quick story with this one.
495
00:19:50.432 --> 00:19:56.932
I was at a evangelist healing kind of thing with my aunts many,
496
00:19:57.026 --> 00:19:57.760
many years ago.
497
00:19:58.698 --> 00:20:01.010
And the pastor called.
498
00:20:02.010 --> 00:20:04.655
Anybody that needed healing and a man came forward and said,
499
00:20:04.694 --> 00:20:05.275
my back,
500
00:20:06.017 --> 00:20:06.998
something's wrong with my back.
501
00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:09.886
And the pastor said,
502
00:20:09.939 --> 00:20:12.050
lay on the ground face down.
503
00:20:12.128 --> 00:20:12.808
So the guy did.
504
00:20:13.550 --> 00:20:14.728
And the pastor said,
505
00:20:15.175 --> 00:20:15.375
Said,
506
00:20:15.575 --> 00:20:17.376
I feel the Lord telling me to stomp on your,
507
00:20:17.497 --> 00:20:18.439
or step on your back,
508
00:20:18.538 --> 00:20:18.958
not stomp,
509
00:20:19.118 --> 00:20:19.822
step on your back.
510
00:20:21.220 --> 00:20:22.040
So the guy's like,
511
00:20:22.283 --> 00:20:22.743
okay.
512
00:20:23.564 --> 00:20:25.204
And I remember just,
513
00:20:25.962 --> 00:20:26.665
oh my gosh,
514
00:20:26.704 --> 00:20:29.689
I was just terrified for this guy that would make it worse.
515
00:20:29.690 --> 00:20:30.126
But anyway,
516
00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:32.017
the pastor took his shoes off,
517
00:20:32.626 --> 00:20:37.001
stepped on this man's back as he was praying and,
518
00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:37.814
you know,
519
00:20:37.861 --> 00:20:38.798
calling out healing.
520
00:20:38.876 --> 00:20:40.798
And he got off the man's back.
521
00:20:40.814 --> 00:20:42.189
The guy got up and was healed.
522
00:20:43.017 --> 00:20:44.204
He was healed.
523
00:20:44.951 --> 00:20:48.955
And so God really does work in mysterious ways at times.
524
00:20:48.975 --> 00:20:49.736
So I don't,
525
00:20:50.057 --> 00:20:50.576
obviously,
526
00:20:50.838 --> 00:20:52.299
when you're a healing evangelist,
527
00:20:52.357 --> 00:20:54.424
you hear from the Lord and do what he says to do,
528
00:20:54.924 --> 00:20:56.166
not what you think you should do.
529
00:20:57.166 --> 00:20:57.283
So
530
00:20:58.705 --> 00:21:01.463
Jesus saw and heard what the Lord told him to do,
531
00:21:01.635 --> 00:21:02.291
and he did it.
532
00:21:02.822 --> 00:21:04.869
And same with this pastor I saw.
533
00:21:05.088 --> 00:21:05.713
So anyway,
534
00:21:05.869 --> 00:21:07.135
just reminded me of that story.
535
00:21:08.791 --> 00:21:09.291
Number four,
536
00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:13.119
people won't always recognize your transformation.
537
00:21:13.939 --> 00:21:14.820
Hear it and hold it.
538
00:21:15.020 --> 00:21:16.481
John 9 verse 8.
539
00:21:17.281 --> 00:21:21.027
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked,
540
00:21:21.547 --> 00:21:24.270
Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?
541
00:21:25.668 --> 00:21:27.715
Transformation can be so radical,
542
00:21:27.895 --> 00:21:30.660
even those closest to us may struggle to believe it.
543
00:21:31.363 --> 00:21:33.941
But it's not their recognition that defines us.
544
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.707
It's God's restoration.
545
00:21:37.707 --> 00:21:41.488
How many times have you looked back over your life looking at
546
00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:42.039
you know,
547
00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:42.860
10 years ago,
548
00:21:43.221 --> 00:21:45.643
and because of the work that the Lord has done in your life,
549
00:21:46.766 --> 00:21:48.227
look at yourself and be like,
550
00:21:48.766 --> 00:21:49.305
wow,
551
00:21:49.828 --> 00:21:51.969
I don't even recognize that person anymore.
552
00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:58.422
Because so much has happened in your own life that the transformation is just undeniable.
553
00:22:00.094 --> 00:22:00.375
All right,
554
00:22:00.531 --> 00:22:00.938
last one,
555
00:22:00.953 --> 00:22:02.313
number five,
556
00:22:02.314 --> 00:22:05.797
true vision is seeing Jesus for who he is.
557
00:22:06.781 --> 00:22:07.610
Hear it and hold it.
558
00:22:07.703 --> 00:22:08.328
John 9,
559
00:22:08.391 --> 00:22:09.141
verse 38.
560
00:22:09.795 --> 00:22:10.757
Then the man said,
561
00:22:10.936 --> 00:22:11.297
Lord,
562
00:22:11.477 --> 00:22:12.178
I believe.
563
00:22:12.538 --> 00:22:13.479
And he worshiped him.
564
00:22:14.741 --> 00:22:17.284
Physical healing was only the beginning.
565
00:22:18.225 --> 00:22:20.225
Spiritual sight was the true miracle.
566
00:22:20.944 --> 00:22:23.772
Knowing Jesus not only changes our sight,
567
00:22:23.952 --> 00:22:25.647
it changes our soul.
568
00:22:26.967 --> 00:22:27.296
Next,
569
00:22:27.327 --> 00:22:31.155
let's move into action steps that you can use.
570
00:22:31.983 --> 00:22:32.577
Take one,
571
00:22:32.858 --> 00:22:33.452
take none.
572
00:22:34.483 --> 00:22:37.186
They're just helpful tools for all of us to
573
00:22:38.243 --> 00:22:40.947
engage in so that we can connect closer to the Lord.
574
00:22:41.345 --> 00:22:41.986
So number one,
575
00:22:42.427 --> 00:22:44.349
say yes to divine appointments.
576
00:22:45.228 --> 00:22:48.892
Be willing to respond when unexpected opportunities show up.
577
00:22:50.876 --> 00:22:52.978
Nathaniel didn't plan an event.
578
00:22:53.361 --> 00:22:55.462
He simply said yes when Solomon appeared.
579
00:22:56.103 --> 00:23:00.119
God often brings key people into our path that unlocks new growth.
580
00:23:01.041 --> 00:23:05.837
Transformation happens when we stop brushing those moments off as coincidences.
581
00:23:07.735 --> 00:23:09.116
So how to start this week,
582
00:23:09.557 --> 00:23:14.382
pay attention to interruption moments before saying no out of habit.
583
00:23:14.441 --> 00:23:15.062
If you're like me,
584
00:23:15.683 --> 00:23:16.800
pause and ask,
585
00:23:17.402 --> 00:23:21.925
could this be a divine appointment and see what you hear from the Lord?
586
00:23:23.230 --> 00:23:27.050
Ask the Lord if you should say yes to these situations that come up.
587
00:23:27.753 --> 00:23:28.269
Number two,
588
00:23:28.878 --> 00:23:31.722
re-engage familiar truth with fresh eyes.
589
00:23:33.800 --> 00:23:34.769
Revisit scripture.
590
00:23:35.007 --> 00:23:36.288
or a story you know well,
591
00:23:36.348 --> 00:23:38.331
but study it from a new angle.
592
00:23:39.552 --> 00:23:43.876
Solomon took John 9 and made the crowd feel it again.
593
00:23:44.337 --> 00:23:48.782
Transformation happens when the word moves from information to encounter.
594
00:23:50.243 --> 00:23:50.845
How to start?
595
00:23:51.626 --> 00:23:53.610
Choose a passage you've read many times.
596
00:23:54.313 --> 00:23:55.126
Read it slowly,
597
00:23:55.345 --> 00:23:57.673
imagining yourself as a different character.
598
00:23:59.204 --> 00:24:00.048
Be in the scene.
599
00:24:00.345 --> 00:24:02.095
Journal what shifts in you when you do.
600
00:24:03.438 --> 00:24:03.688
Then,
601
00:24:03.959 --> 00:24:06.282
Try this with the situation you are struggling with.
602
00:24:07.583 --> 00:24:11.126
Try to put yourself in another person's shoes to see from their eyes.
603
00:24:12.008 --> 00:24:14.891
Then observe if that helps you try to understand their position.
604
00:24:16.008 --> 00:24:17.469
Maybe you need to put a boundary down.
605
00:24:18.251 --> 00:24:20.368
Or maybe you need to pursue reconciliation.
606
00:24:22.493 --> 00:24:23.540
Number three,
607
00:24:23.541 --> 00:24:24.477
nurture the seed.
608
00:24:25.196 --> 00:24:26.196
Don't rush the bloom.
609
00:24:28.196 --> 00:24:33.102
Commit to tending the slow work God has begun rather than demanding instant change.
610
00:24:35.123 --> 00:24:35.523
How funny,
611
00:24:35.624 --> 00:24:52.938
just yesterday I was out spending time with the Lord in my backyard and he was explaining to me that there's a season for everything and I have some grapefruits growing on my tree and he reminded me that a grapefruit starts so small and
612
00:24:52.939 --> 00:24:57.547
it takes time for it to get to the place of being able to be picked and eaten.
613
00:24:58.110 --> 00:24:59.860
And if you ate it too soon,
614
00:25:00.141 --> 00:25:01.532
it's just not going to taste good.
615
00:25:01.533 --> 00:25:02.422
It's going to be worthless.
616
00:25:03.032 --> 00:25:04.032
So just remember that,
617
00:25:04.110 --> 00:25:04.688
that it is
618
00:25:05.363 --> 00:25:16.010
So important for the Lord to allow the Lord to grow in you what needs to be grown so that you can release what he's been building in you when the time is right.
619
00:25:19.581 --> 00:25:20.581
Why this matters.
620
00:25:20.674 --> 00:25:22.065
Mira's card said planted,
621
00:25:22.096 --> 00:25:22.659
not buried.
622
00:25:22.737 --> 00:25:25.659
So God's work often starts beneath the surface.
623
00:25:26.096 --> 00:25:28.768
Transformation grows through faithful tending,
624
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:30.174
not frantic striving.
625
00:25:31.065 --> 00:25:31.784
So how to start.
626
00:25:32.475 --> 00:25:35.301
Choose one spiritual practice like prayer,
627
00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:36.703
scripture meditation,
628
00:25:36.883 --> 00:25:37.324
serving,
629
00:25:37.383 --> 00:25:37.926
journaling,
630
00:25:38.766 --> 00:25:41.430
and tend to it consistently for the next month,
631
00:25:42.148 --> 00:25:45.039
trusting that roots are growing even when you can't see them.
632
00:25:46.913 --> 00:25:47.753
Let me pray for you,
633
00:25:48.133 --> 00:25:48.673
just you,
634
00:25:48.894 --> 00:25:49.734
wherever you are,
635
00:25:49.773 --> 00:25:50.154
friend.
636
00:25:51.775 --> 00:25:52.154
Jesus,
637
00:25:52.212 --> 00:25:54.154
thank you for the one listening right now.
638
00:25:54.853 --> 00:25:58.337
You see their weariness and the quiet ache they don't have words for.
639
00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:02.634
I know you meet us in the ordinary and you are always present.
640
00:26:03.853 --> 00:26:07.619
I ask for the gift of others to help the listeners who need support,
641
00:26:07.697 --> 00:26:07.915
like
642
00:26:08.353 --> 00:26:11.806
Mira's generous time and like Nathaniel with his helpful heart.
643
00:26:13.297 --> 00:26:16.300
I ask you to touch the dim places in these listeners'
644
00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.661
hearts to give light,
645
00:26:17.762 --> 00:26:18.442
revelation,
646
00:26:18.524 --> 00:26:19.204
or breakthrough,
647
00:26:19.762 --> 00:26:21.024
and to wash away shame,
648
00:26:21.145 --> 00:26:21.423
fear,
649
00:26:21.524 --> 00:26:23.946
and hurry and help them see you clearly again.
650
00:26:25.009 --> 00:26:28.610
I ask for protection for every seed you've planted in their hearts.
651
00:26:29.626 --> 00:26:32.141
Remind them that they are planted and not buried,
652
00:26:32.501 --> 00:26:33.938
for you have plans for them.
653
00:26:34.985 --> 00:26:37.235
When it feels quiet or they feel unseen,
654
00:26:37.595 --> 00:26:41.641
may they feel the whisper that your work is still alive beneath the surface.
655
00:26:43.113 --> 00:26:44.855
In your holy and mighty name,
656
00:26:44.915 --> 00:26:45.415
Jesus.
657
00:26:45.816 --> 00:26:46.255
Amen.
658
00:26:47.458 --> 00:26:47.818
Listener,
659
00:26:47.857 --> 00:26:51.825
may you feel deeply seen and deeply loved by our dear Jesus.
660
00:26:53.763 --> 00:26:54.122
Friends,
661
00:26:54.161 --> 00:26:57.466
may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop.
662
00:26:58.169 --> 00:26:59.075
Until next time,
663
00:26:59.310 --> 00:27:03.232
this is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.