Companioned by my first love

On my way back from Boston after our Association meeting in May 2025, I experienced a wonderful healing. I was having lunch with a friend just before leaving, when I was suddenly overcome with a very painful headache. I wondered if I would be able to drive home that day. The five-hour drive ahead of me, which I normally enjoy, suddenly felt daunting. Yet I needed to get back as soon as possible to attend a church meeting.

I called a practitioner and was directed to consider what it would be like to take a road trip with someone that I had just met and felt I could really grow to love. How fascinated I would be to talk about everything and listen to the person. It wouldn’t even matter if we got to our destination. I would just want to be in the car, enjoying the presence of my new love.

The road trip was a wonderful analogy for how much we are to love God. The practitioner and I talked about the rebuke given to the church in Ephesus in the book of Revelation: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4).

We truly desire to hear God‘s thoughts, more than we sometimes remember. As I began my journey, I listened deeply and spoke with God in a heartfelt way. I felt genuinely companioned by God, held in His presence. Over the next half hour, the headache seemed to ebb and flow. Then finally, as I gave my full attention to God, I was able to permanently shut out the unwanted presence, like closing the door on an unwanted intruder. The headache stopped immediately and did not return.

I was so grateful to be able to experience this healing, especially following a wonderful Association meeting. I was also grateful to be home and well, enabling me to attend the church meeting that evening as planned.