Make a Wish?

by Kim Bookmyer
(Findlay, Ohio)

(A reflection from God by Kim Bookmyer 2.7.10)

Do you remember those days as a young girl wishing on the first star you’d see at night or making a wish as you blew out your birthday candles? Recently, I was with a group of teen girls on a weekend retreat with our church youth group. The theme of the weekend was Wake Up! As in it’s time to Wake Up our faith so that we love and serve Jesus fully. Let me share with you how our precious Father met a group of teen girls and their cabin leader in a very tender and surprising way to Wake us UP!

We were back in our cabin on Saturday morning as a small group after one of the talks. I looked at my cell phone and announced that it was 11:10 and that we should get started. The entire cabin squealed in delight and asked me to tell them when it was 11:11. In their excitement, I realized that there was something more going on than just their enthusiasm for our discussion time. “What’s with 11:11?” I asked. They announced that at 11:11 you are to make a wish. I had never heard of that one before!

Well, I quickly told them that there really isn’t anything to “making a wish” but as Christ-followers there is great power in prayer. So, we decided that at 11:11 we would all silently pray. As I watched the time switch to 11:11, my prayer was, “Lord, this seems like a scripture verse. Where is it?” The Spirit led me to John 11:11 -the story of Lazarus. As I read this verse from my NLT bible, this 44 year old woman squealed in delight like a teenage girl! It reads….Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but now I will go and wake him up.” At that moment, I knew our God had just met a cabin full of his daughters in a very special way. Only God, could have orchestrated that conversation and then sent us to a verse in the Bible that actually used the words Wake Up...the theme of the weekend! The Holy Spirit was in charge!

I shared the story of Lazarus with them and then talked about the fact that Jesus was speaking these words because they were in red letters in my Bible. Another round of squeals from the girls! Now, what could be so exciting, I thought. Apparently as part of the “wish making process” the girls said that at 11:11 you are to touch the color red.

Breaking the news to them, I said there isn’t any power in the color red. BUT what’s special to me about the color red is that it always reminds me of the Blood of Jesus. And it is because of His blood sacrifice for our sins there is power….the power is in the blood of Jesus. So I suggested that the Lord might want us all to pray at 11:11 remembering that it’s only through the blood of Jesus that we have power in prayer.

God did it! He now had the attention of 10 teen girls and their very excited cabin leader. God Himself, gave us a Wake Up call at 11:11 one Saturday morning. So our question to ourselves was in what areas of our lives does God need to Wake us up? And what friends do we have that may have “fallen asleep” in their faith and need to be woken up? How can we reach out to those who are spiritually “dead” and share the love of Jesus with them? So, when you look at the clock and it is 11:11…PRAY and remember there is power in the blood! It’s Wake-Up Time!