The nose that could not smell (Late 2008)

I was at the hairdresser and I was told by the owner that she could not smell smells.

I felt God prompt me to pray for her healing – that she should be able to smell all the lovely smells there were to be smelt.

I offered to pray for her and she said yes although she said she did not believe in any of this sort of thing.

I stood in the front of the shop, it was winter so it was dark outside and I was the last in the shop so all the other hairdressers all lined up to watch what I was doing and so I felt very self conscience (highlighted in the bright shop window with people passing by, about 10 hairdressers all lined up to watch, praying for someone who did not believe it would work, but who was willing to let me pray for her – I felt intimidated by her, her attitude and the people).

I placed my hand on her and prayed for healing – I prayed that she would smell the fragrances of Heaven and that she was to be totally well.

I felt nothing, no anointing, nothing.  She said she felt nothing at all as well.

I was so embarrassed but I kept it light and went home that night and cried in the kitchen and said to A that it was all too hard and that I just wanted to give up – taking the steps of faith was hard and I couldn’t do it anymore.

A said that he felt that it was just a step for her in her walk towards God – which encouraged me somewhat, but I still felt lousy and angry at God for "making a fool of me".

I felt responsible that she felt nothing and that nothing had happened and I felt like an idiot knowing that I had to go back there for haircuts in the future.

I shrugged it off, kept stepping out to pray for people and kept going to the same hairdresser for my hair cuts – even so I felt ashamed and hoped I would not see her again and I did not mention the night to my usual hairdresser.

Well about 6 months later – I had resolved to keep pressing in and praying for others – and the girl I had prayed for saw me and said she had been wanting to see me for ages … she said for the last 6 moths she had been smelling things that she had never smelt before, and that she kept telling my particular hairdresser “can you smell that, I can smell that I could not smell that before, I can smell things I could not smell before”.

I was so glad I had kept going, and here the encouragement was 6 months after the event.  I learnt that I am not responsible for the outcome and that whether they feel the anointing, or I feel the anointing, while nice and reassuring is not necessary - God moves as he chooses.

God is Good!