Tony Nolan...??

When Tony Nolan popped up as the speaker at Winter Jam, his name was familiar.  (As a brief aside, I did for a moment think, “Really?  A guest speaker at a concert?” But that was me being sinful.)  I googled him.  I searched his face.  I couldn’t place him.  His testimony was not familiar either.  Nothing but the name.  He is, I guess, an evangelist?  Driving in to Dallas this morning, I was still thinking about what he said on Friday night.  

Here is the gist:  He was promoting adoption through Holt International (something like the more-familiar-to-me Compassion International).  He told the story of how his mother sold him for $200 when he was a baby.  He was a troubled teen and his adopted father once told him he regretted spending the money.  I thought he was pushy, witty, a bit hokey, and very engaging.  

The pushy part came in the promotion of Holt Int’l.  He, having two adopted children of his own, all but said you don’t love Jesus if you don’t adopt a child.  He didn’t actually say that, but that’s what it felt like.  I was torn between acting offended and adopting the first child I could find to prove how much I love God.  I did neither.  

Ah, but back to the gist: He said, “Satan is a HURT DEALER.  You wanna talk about ‘hide you kids, hide yo wife?’ we need to hide er’rybody!”  That made me lol.  A lot.  But then he said, “let me introduce you to the HURT HEALER” and that made me cry.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  Why do I forget this?  I didn’t even know I needed to be reminded.  Then I noticed the lady on my left was crying too.  I guess we all need to be reminded sometimes.  

Sometimes, you get hurt and you carry it around a long time...then one day you realize you’re feeling whole again.  And He reminds you why - because he is the Hurt Healer.  

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted, and bandages their wounds.

Indeed He does!