God has a message for all of us. For some, that message might be a small action or decision that carries a tremendous impact. Or, for others, it’s a huge action that also results in a big impact! In today’s episode of Changing, Donald is joined by Jon Hensley, a man who experienced the latter of these two scenarios. In this episode, he’ll recount his story of when he learned to listen to that voice, and what changed as a result.
The story starts in 2007 when Jon entered the army.
When he first arrived, he was ready to save the world and was quite convinced he knew what was going on.
His mom mentioned her friend’s daughter was married to a colonel where he was located. After she mentioned that, Jon had a strange feeling he needed to reach out and offer his help (as a priest of the church.)
All he knew about the family was that the daughter had left the church and didn’t want anything to do with it.
This fact made him think he probably shouldn’t offer help. So, he blew it off.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling.
He was still apprehensive, so he called his mom and told her to tell her friend to tell her daughter the message. And she did.
Out of the blue, Jon got a call from the colonel. While Jon had never heard the voice before, he knew who it was. And the colonel wanted Jon to bless his wife.
So Jon went to his home, and the moment he saw the woman, his heart broke. She had an ailment where her jaw was disconnected from her skull.
She had been through several surgeries to have her jaw wired shut, and those surgeries meant she was bruised, swollen, and in pain.
Her doctors had told her they couldn’t fix the problem, but after she begged for another attempt, they agreed to one final try. And that attempt was tomorrow.
The whole family was exhausted and scared - they were asking for a miracle.
When Jon sat down with her, he asked her to repent. He felt compelled to say that.
As he said those words, he saw the desperation, fear, and anxiety in her eyes. She was ready to ask the Lord and needed to hear his message.
As the mouthpiece to the blessing, Jon told her if she would repent, she would be healed. And if she didn’t, a worse trial would befall her.
He didn’t know what came over him, but he felt compelled to say it.
She repented. And the next day, the surgery was a responding success. And to this day, she is a member of the church.
In December of 2008, Jon was sent to Afghanistan.
At one point he got an emergency call from soldiers in contact with an enemy position. They needed emergency extracting to get wounded out of the situation.
The soldiers didn't have coverage, and there wasn’t space to land Jon’s helicopter safely. Jon landed the helicopter between the enemy position and the soldiers so they could use the helicopter as cover while the wounded boarded.
As soon as he landed, the enemy began to approach. And Jon was helpless.
He asked for help on the radio. And who answered? The colonel, flying a strike eagle in the vicinity. He engaged the enemy long enough for Jon to escape with the wounded.
The man Jon was once sent to save was now sent to save him.
The Lord knows our needs. If you need a miracle, put your faith in action because He will not leave his disciplines hanging.
Colonel Johnson eventually joined the church, and the family’s entire fate is changed. They’re now sons and daughters of God. And it’s all because of that one call Jon had received.
Put action to your faith to bring salvation to those around you. To talk to Jon and discuss his story, contact eternalhensleys@gmail.com.