Working as a patient care tech near Tampa, Florida, Carole Shade has seen miracles at the bedside of drug addicts nearing death and held the hands of children recovering from surgery. She has whispered prayers of thanksgiving for lives spared, and uttered words of comfort to grieving families. The hospital is a an intersection of people from all walks of life who come through the doors in need of miracles โ both physical healing and spiritual healing as well.
โIโve had the opportunity to talk with people about Christ, and encourage them for the short time Iโm with them,โ Carole says. โMy hope is that they share something of the Gospel with someone else when they leave. Every day I ask God to use me,โ she says. โThere are times when Iโm sharing my faith with someone and words come out of my mouth that only the Holy Spirit could have given me.โ
Carole wasnโt always this way. There was a time when sharing her faith was nerve-wracking. She recalls opening her mouth to share her faith, and finding herself too timid and anxious. Other times, she was too forward. She wondered how to strike the right balance.
At the same time that God was helping Carole grow in her ability to share her faith, He was fanning Debi Zaasโ passion for discipling women into flame. The two had worked at a clinic together, and bonded over their shared beliefs. They grew closer, exploring ways to deepen their relationships with Jesus.
Thatโs when Debi heard about The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry (CDM). Sheโd always had a love for womenโs ministry and a curiosity about discipleship, so she attended a CDM conference to learn more.
โIโd never been personally discipled by someone, but I was drawn to the idea of โdoing lifeโ with others intentionally,โ Debi says. โAfter the conference, I knew I had found my place with CDM.โ
Through her CDM discipleship training, Debi turned her passion into actionable steps. She began a small womenโs Bible study at her church, and invited Carole, to attend.
โMany women are transformed by their love for Jesus, but they donโt know how to show that transformation to the world,โ Debi explains. Sometimes, it can simply be a matter of knowing where to start when sharing oneโs faith.
Carole agrees, saying, โIn the past, I often found myself at a loss when I tried to tell people about why I loved Jesus. I just didnโt know where to begin. Now I know that I donโt need all the right answers before I can share Jesus. Iโve learned how to nurture people and connect them to Jesus.โ
Debi and Carole are working together to begin another group at Debiโs church. Theyโre excited about seeing more women tap into their unique gifts and callings in order to advance the Good News of Jesus Christ. โItโs amazing to see the transformation in these womenโs lives,โ Debi says of her small group.
The miracle of a transformed life may not seem as dramatic as the life and death miracles Carole sees at the hospital. But Debi and Carole know the transformation in their own lives and in the lives of the women they serve is an act of divine intervention.