A Story of Divine Healing:

During Impact Eternity Month (September 2024), I had the privilege of attending the International Conference for Police Chaplains (ICPC) in Irving, Texas. The event brought together chaplains from various law enforcement agencies worldwide, united in their calling to serve and support first responders. The conference was filled with opportunities for growth and learning, offering training courses for both new and seasoned chaplains. However, what I experienced personally transcended the educational aspect of the event—it became a testament to the power of faith, healing, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

For those who were becoming members of ICPC, the conference offered a series of 10 introductory courses. These foundational classes covered critical topics such as ethics, the role of a chaplain in law enforcement, and how to offer emotional and spiritual support to officers in need. Those of us who have been part of the chaplaincy for some time had the option to participate in enrichment classes designed to deepen our skills and understanding. I, along with eight other chaplains, had chosen to take advanced training in International Critical Incident Stress situations, which focused on helping individuals and groups in crisis. This advanced training equipped us to handle the emotional and psychological after math of traumatic events.

The training was intense, yet incredibly valuable. By the end of the course, we were certified in assisting individual sin crisis and group crisis intervention—a vital skill for anyone working in law enforcement chaplaincy, where high-stress situations are an unfortunate but inevitable reality. But while the lessons I learned were impactful, an entirely different lesson in faith would soon unfold during the conference, one that left me in awe.

On the second day of the conference, I suffered an unexpected and painful injury. I broke my toe. The pain was excruciating, and the toe turned black almost immediately, which continued for two days. Anyone who has experienced this type of injury knows how debilitating it can be. Walking became difficult, and the swelling and discoloration were alarming. Despite the pain, I was determined to continue with the training and participate in the remainder of the conference.

By that evening, I was struggling to walk without wincing from the pain, but I did not want to allow the injury to prevent me from completing the course. It was during this time that a paramedic chaplain, a fellow attendee at the conference, noticed my condition. He approached me with a heart full of compassion and offered to help. He carefully splinted the toe and prayed over it, asking for divine intervention. After assessing the injury, he advised me to get the toe X-rayed once I returned home. According to him, the toe likely needed more medical attention than he could provide at that moment, and the possibility of a fracture was high.

“He looked at me, smiled, and agreed to pray again... The next day, I woke up with no pain at all.”

In that moment, however, something powerful stirred within me. I told him that I would not need an X-ray. I believed that healing was already on its way. He looked at me, smiled, and agreed to pray again. As the paramedic chaplain prayed, asking for God’s healing hand to be upon me, the atmosphere in the room changed. I cannot explain it fully, but it felt as though the very air around us thickened—like adense, tangible presence. It was as if the Holy Spirit had entered the room, moving through the space like a thick, palpable jello.

Suddenly, I felt the undeniable presence of the Lord. His hand was under my foot, supporting it. In an instant, a rush of warmth and what I can only describe as static electricity surged through my body, flowing into my injured toe. Blood began to circulate again in a way that I had not felt since the injury occurred. It was a charge—an electric energy that surged through the pain and began to ease it. In that moment, I knew that something miraculous had just taken place.

The next day, I woke up with no pain at all. I was astonished. By the evening of that same day, not only was the pain completely gone, but the swelling had subsided, and the color of my toe had returned to normal. There was no longer any sign of the bruising or discoloration that had plagued me for the previous two days. My toe was completely healed.

The experience left me in awe of the power of prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a reminder that even in our moments of physical pain and suffering, God is near, ready to heal and restore. This unexpected, miraculous healing reinforced my faith in the power of divine intervention. It also reminded me that, as chaplains, we are called not only to serve others but also to trust in the One who sends us—trusting that He is with us, even in the most unexpected circumstances.

As I reflect on the conference, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow alongside my fellow chaplains. The advanced training I received in crisis intervention will undoubtedly equip me to better serve those in need. But more than the training, I am profoundly thankful for the personal encounter with God’s healing power. The ICPC conference was not only a time for professional enrichment but also a time of spiritual renewal and divine encounter. I left not only more skilled but also more spiritually strengthened, reminded of the God who heals, restores, and empowers us to do His work.

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