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This is the first spiritual healing that made an impression on me.
When I was about twelve years of age, I suffered from appendicitis. The attacks caused serious pain on a fairly regular basis. One Sunday morning during this period, the family was on a road trip, and we stopped in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to go to the Christian Science church. I was enrolled in Sunday school with my brothers and sisters. During the class session, I had a severe attack and could not sit there any longer and endure it. This was an emergency! As I rushed into the lobby, I was met by an usher who calmly asked me to sit down. She looked me in the eyes and affirmed, "I will get help." I was surprised that she seemed so serene, thinking that perhaps she did not realize the severity of the situation. From my perspective, she just sat there silently, close by my side. After a while, she spoke very simply about God's love for me. Even though I had personally done nothing, the effect of her prayer was quite remarkable.
The pain gradually lessoned until, after
a few minutes, it had completely dissipated. I felt a sensation,
like a warm blanket of love, wrapping around me and holding me
softly. There was also a power that I thought I could see - a
kind of light circling around us that filled the whole room. I
was healed, and I knew it. The symptoms of that disease never
returned. Unfortunately, I was too amazed in the moment of healing
to thank the woman or to make any remark at all.
Many years later, I was sitting in my home in the Midwest reading
the account of Jesus healing the ten lepers - only one returned
to give praise to God and to thank him. At that moment, I remembered
my childhood healing and realized that I was like the nine who
just walked away. My conscience would not allow me to be silent
any longer, so I got in my car and drove back to Harrisburg, checked
into a motel, and waited for the opportunity to share my experience
with the members of that church and to thank them for being there
for me so many years before. At their Wednesday testimony meeting,
I settled my account with God.
After a warm embrace from the congregation,
I drove a few miles out of town back to the motel. In the morning,
I was awakened by a sunbeam shining through the back window of
my room.
I peeked out and saw a herd of sheep grazing on a hillside. It
was so beautifully inviting that I went out and stood for quite
a while, observing how the sheep moved, especially how they took
turns grazing and watching. There were always some sheep watching,
positioning themselves in all different directions. Jesus' words
came to mind, "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord
when he cometh shall find watching" (Luke 12:37). I consider
that this hillside of sheep and the lesson Christ taught me about
watching and watching out for one another was my gift for having
returned to give gratitude.
George Denninger ©
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