TESTIMONIES

 

The Healing Power of Prayer

By Pastor Carol Soderholm

 

When I began with Freedom House Basic I, I did not know what to expect. I have been a Lutheran pastor for twenty plus years serving the Lord faithfully, but really knew little to nothing about the power of prayer. I don't say this judgmentally, but going to seminary is not a guarantee that one will learn about prayer. That's partly my fault too. I never pushed it or really sought it out ...............UNTIL...............and this was a big "until". 

A heartbreaking family crises drove me to my to knees badly hurt. And, what does one learn on their knees? Nothing else, and nothing less, than prayer. Someone in the congregation I was serving at the time who observed my grief suggested Freedom House Ministries. "What's Freedom House Ministries, I asked?"  
"It's actually a school of prayer," she answered. Now I sought out prayer; I was very hurting.  And, I found it at Basic 1 and now Basic 2 given by Freedom House.

It didn't happen quickly. It didn't happen like a kind of magic or a medicine pill. It certainly didn't knock me off my horse. It was a slow learn.  Basic 1 was like getting my feet wet. As a Lutheran pastor, I approached cautiously.  What was this new thing that was so power-packed? I approached it cautiously and with great hesitation. In order to really absorb the material, I needed to repeat Basic 1. Gradually, very gradually, it became more and more clear...........................UNTIL...........

And this is a big "until."  It was during the third session of Basic 2 in the women's small group, I opened my heart of pain. I poured out my sorrow and grief - and it was then and there, that time and place, that day, that the power of prayer came home to me. As the women laid their hands on me (which was power enough for a Stoic Lutheran), Mari Anne prayed, "Carol, I see  pink toes shoes, ballerina toe shoes coming to comfort you." I don't remember exactly what she said, but I was amazed at the image of toe shoes. As  a young girl growing up inNew York City in the '40's, life was hard, cold, and cruel. Often the family didn't have enough to eat.............but I could dance. 

Being able to dance gave me life.  It gave me purpose, hope, and pride, and I felt good about myself.  I was good enough that I progressed to "pointe" class. That's an expression in the business for progressing to dancing on toe shoes. I got far enough along that I was invited one December to join the company and danced in the corps de ballet for two years. Here it was 56 years later, and a vision of what had been life-giving for me came to the person praying over me. And, that's not all. After the small group, we went back to the full session. Tommy started this session with music and I was, as the young folks say today, "blown away" with his choice of music. And I mean "blown away"! As the music began to fill the air, I realized it was J.S. Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." I got up and started to dance and every step came back to me.

When I graduated Valparaiso University almost  fifty years ago, I auditioned for the graduate dance program at Juilliard School of Music in New York City. Lo and behold, I made it. And the song I used for the audition (for the great Martha Graham), was "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Here I was at Freedom House all these many years later,  and I danced as though I remembered every step. How healing.  How wonderful. How life-giving. How prayerful. How free.  As I was dancing I remembered what Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." How did Tommy and Mari Anne know how healing dance had been for me as a very young girl? They couldn't. They didn't. But, the Holy Spirit knew. Through the amazing power of prayer, dance touched my life once again.............................all these many years later.

That Saturday at Freedom House Basic 2  the hungry, broken, lost little girl was healed. And, the woman went on to take charge of her life and make decision, after decision, after decision that she  needed to make.

Now, after seventy-one plus years of life and twenty-two plus years as a pastor, I know the healing power of prayer. Through the amazing grace of Almighty God, I am healing.