You Might Think I'm Crazy

This is the first part of a series on Carl, age 72, referred to Hospice because of lymphoma. He and his wife, Mary, raised their family on a farm in Otway, Ohio and moved to their apartment in West Union about two years ago. Carl is the type of fellow who makes you feel at home right away. He loves people and loves to talk. And he surely loves to praise God and tell of His providence! As soon as he began the following story I knew a series was in the making:

“I was in Grant hospital for open heart surgery in 1987. My roommate was only in his 40’s and was in for a pacemaker. We were only together over night. He was a real nice guy. He got to talk’n with me and I asked him where he lived. I asked him if he had a family. He said he was divorced or separated, I can’t remember which. But he had two kids. He was scared to death about his pacemaker surgery. That’s how I knew he wasn’t a Christian. I asked him if he went to church and he said, “I can’t say that I do. I used to be a Christian.” He said he fell away. I told him, “God will take you right back but it’s up to you.” I think I scared him worse when I asked him if he was ready.

I told him I’d be going to another room after my surgery and that I probably wouldn’t see him again. I told him, “You quit your worrying. They’ll take care of you.” Then it just came to me. It dawned on me all at once. I felt kind of silly but I told him, “You might think I’m crazy but the Lord told me He wants you to pray for me. Will you do that for me?” He told me, “I’m not a Christian but I’ll do anything I can to help you. I really don’t know how to pray but I’ll do my best.” I told him, “It’ll come back to you.” I asked him to bow down next to my bed and pray for me after I was gone to surgery.

He found me the next day and told me, “I did exactly what you asked me to do and when I was praying a feeling came over me. It was like a blanket came over me. I just lost myself. I was so happy I didn't know what to do with myself. I looked up from the bed to the window and there was a rainbow in the sky.” He was so excited that when he was walking down the hallway a nurse stopped him and asked if she could help him. He told her, “Something good just happened to me” and told her the whole story. She told him, ‘I could tell by your face that it had to be something good. You got saved and the rainbow is a sign for you.’ A few weeks later we saw each other in the doctor’s office. He thanked me and told me that he and his wife got back together and the whole family was saved and in church together.”

As Carl finished, his expression changed. He appeared almost sad and commented, “How many times have we hurt God by not listening to Him, by not doing what He tells us to do? And look at the blessings we miss out on and the blessings others miss out on to”

I don’t know about you, but I stand both admonished and exhorted. Let’s no longer rob ourselves and others of the blessings of God by succumbing to the fear men. Be forewarned, God just might ask you to do something that seems crazy to the world.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it is the power of God…it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.” (I Corinthians 1:18-31)

Read part 2