Written by Ann Tobler, a friend we had the honor of meeting at a Holy Spirit Party in Raleigh, NC. After encountering the love of Jesus, Ann was instrumental in bringing transformation to her high school and community through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We track our lives by days, months, and years. We celebrate birthdays, take pride in our anniversaries, and mark our calendars anticipating the exciting events that have yet to come. Most of our lives are marked by dates that can’t be remembered. We have our normal routines, our day to day jobs, our families, and everything in between. But then there are days that change our lives. In my opinion, there are typically two types of life changing days. The days that we rejoice in remembering and days that are attached to events of sorrow or pain. I know, in my life, there are several dates that hold life-changing significance and I want to tell you about two of them.
December 9, 2005 was a date that nearly stopped me dead in my tracks and I mean that literally. As a new Christian, a group of friends and I decided to prayer walk our school campus. At the end of our meeting, a friend and I hopped onto the back of a car to sit and talk. Then it happened. The car accelerated and turned and I was tossed from the back of the car to the asphalt. I skidded 15 long feet on my back and slammed my head into the ground. It was a life changing day. I fractured my skull and broke the bones in my ears. I laid on the asphalt unconscious, waiting for the ambulance, unaware of the extent of the damage. The days, weeks, and months which turned into a year and a half were filled with relearning how to conquer the brain damage, memory loss and the horribly frustrating new trait of being the partially deaf girl. Fast forward through the anger and frustration and rebellion against a God who would “let this” happen to me. On top of everything else, when I felt like God was failing me, science was too. I had re-corrective surgery on my ear to restore hearing and was intensely disappointed when the results were far from "healed and whole".
Then there was May 19, 2007 – this was the day that my life was drastically altered by the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. After a night at a local music venue, meeting the members of a band from Boone, NC, I found myself sitting on a couch in a living room surrounded by a group of faces that were mostly introduced the night before.
I quietly sat and began to listen to two “crazy about Jesus” people and was honestly turned off and frustrated that I even came. Keeli opened with, “Tonight we are going to learn about the Holy Spirit and healing.” What and WHAT? I had never heard of the power of the Holy Spirit and I definitely knew nothing about healing. Then another life defining moment happens. I heard the voice of God in the deepest parts of my inner being for the first time. It was strong, clear and oh so life changing. “Open your eyes and look at where you’re at.” In awe of what was happening I quieted my mind and really began to listen to what Keeli and Jonathan were saying. When they asked a very simple question, “Does anyone need to receive healing,” I reasoned with myself before raising my hand and telling my story. In my head it went a little like this, “This is insane. Healing? I mean if it works, great, if it doesn’t then I have nothing to lose. It’s not like they’re practicing witchcraft on me.” So I raised my hand and explained about how, literally 2 days prior, I received the news that my surgery to correct my hearing was not successful. I even had internal pictures of my ear to prove it. I then was scheduled to return for a follow up appointment 5 days later to schedule another surgery in hopes of succeeding a second time. I saw Jonathan and Keeli’s faces light up with the excitement of their complete faith that I would be healed.
Over the next hour or so, I watched arms grow out, spines straightened, terminal headaches relieved and then there was me. I sat in the “hot seat” and experienced the most intense and overwhelming power of prayer. To be completely honest, I can’t even remember if I cried or not but this warm blanket of God’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit was released in my life. I was spiritually on fire and captivated by what I was experiencing. As my turn in the “hot seat” came and went, I began praying for someone else and within moments I realized that I was baptized in the Spirit and began speaking in tongues. It was undeniable that God was moving in a powerful way that night. Having experienced God in a miraculous way on May 19, 2007, I can honestly say my life has never been the same. When I went for my follow up appointment, the doctors jokingly said I must have experienced a miracle and that I wouldn’t need a second surgery. I was healed. You never realize when you wake up on just another normal day, that it could just happen to be a life changing day.
Ann Tobler
July 31, 2010 was the day Keeli and I were married. It was a good day. It was a great day. But not the best day. Everything ran smoothly, the ceremony was powerful, the music was perfect, and the bride was beautiful. Yes, it will be a day that we celebrate. But a wedding doesn't make a marriage. The best is not behind us. The best is today. And it will be surpassed by tomorrow. The sacrament of marriage is a necessary glory to step into in order to step up to the next glory. One of our favorite pastimes is remembering how Jesus rescued us by closing certain doors, promoting us by opening new ones, and directing our steps to see our family equipped to prosper. When our family advances, the kingdom advances. Our wedding was one day we will always cherish. But it will never measure to the lifetime we will spend together, continually falling in love with one another.
A celebration of matrimony is like heaven: all the people you love is in one room together, sharing in the joyous occasion. But we have made many great friends since our wedding day. We wish there was a way they could have been there to celebrate our union with us. So I created this... Enjoy.
