Vikings Disease – “an ancient affliction of unknown origin introduced by the Vikings.”. Who would have thought a nice Jewish girl with all Jewish grandparents entering America through Ellis Island could have a condition that medically is traced back to coming from the Vikings in Scandinavia?! Yes, my father’s father was born in Manchester, England and his ancestors came from Scandinavia, so there you go, not exactly what I would call a blessing from my father. So grateful, however, that through prayer and medical intervention we have vanquished the condition, for now. May it stay so!!

My mother had a favorite expression: “Blit shvokt nit.” It translates to “Blood doesn’t keep quiet.” She would say it when observing a trait, behavior, or appearance of a relative who acted or looked like an ancestor he or she may not have even known. She was sharing the truth that sometimes we have tendencies we don’t understand given the influences in our own lives that may actually be the result of genetics, and even spiritual connections which tie us to our ancestors in ways we can’t begin to understand.

These ancestral bonds, and bondages, are part of the unknowable mysteries we experience in a negative way, analogous to our good and beautifully mysterious ability to know that Yeshua is the Messiah or that Abba is our heavenly Father. These are mysteries of life. And these connections to our departed relatives, perhaps multiple generations back, are the ties that bind. Ruach Israel was blessed last Shabbat as one of our community leaders shared just how powerfully these ancestral influences can play roles and wreak havoc in our lives, taking us unawares, mystifying us as to their ability to take control of our well being despite all that we do. For sometimes they are an unknown force which makes battling them, if negative, all the more difficult.

I found it absolutely adorable the other day when my 3 pound fox terrier puppy instinctively held up his left paw in a perfect hunting pose as he heard his first goose honk. I do not like to dwell on the concept of prior generations’ wrongdoings being a part of our genetic or spiritual make up, the thought of generational curses. And yet, there is truth to this concept in ways which we must be careful not to try to slice and dice too specifically while still being cognizant of its reality. So what’s a person to do, for we are who we are, and these hidden influences, when good are a blessing, but when bad are quite troublesome.

The answer is simple and foolproof – prayer. First we need to be aware of this influence in our lives, and work to accept the similarly powerful truth that serious healing prayer absolutely works. For those of you who may doubt, I strongly encourage you to come to the Healing Prayer conference being held at Ruach Israel, 754 Greendale Ave, Needham, info at 781-449-6264 / office@ruachisrael.org on March 16-18th. Pre-registration is recommended. Additional info:

Cost: $75 per person. Discounted rate $60/pp available for groups, GWAC, or Ruach Israel members. (Includes training materials)

Schedule:
Thursday, March 16th 7:00pm: workshop and training.
Friday, March 17th 7:00pm: workshop and training.
Saturday, March 18th:
2:00-4:00pm: workshop and training
4:00-7:00pm: break for dinner.
7:00: Healing Service.

The lives we have been given are designed to be lived without the fetters that hold us back. Addressing the influence of the past on our present brings us closer to realizing the potential He has created in all of us. Hope to see you at the conference.

Shabbat Shalom.
Diane