HIS ACT OF LOVE
It was early 1977 and I wasn't saved yet. I had gone a few times to the Wickliffe Presbyterian Church because my coworker, Marge Smith, had invited me there. It was her Church.
One Sunday, I went to church and it seemed no different than many other Sundays except, this week I had been suffering with my backache again. For the last 15 years I had suffered with no help from the doctors. I tried cortisone shots, and had been manipulated by chiropractors and nothing seemed to help. It always just "worked itself out" in a few weeks, (One time it was so bad I had to stay in bed and my mother had to keep my baby for me, who was only a few months old at the time.)
As I left church that particular Sunday morning, walking with great difficulty with my body in the shape of an "s", I took the pastor's hand and expressed how much I liked the sermon. (As all good Protestants do on their way out of the church.)
Our Pastor, Hugh Gowman, is a very humble man, never "pushy", but this Sunday, the Spirit of God fell on him and he held my hand very tightly and wouldn't let go as he asked about my back. He insisted I have prayer. Our pastor never insists very often, but he would not let me say "no". He called Grace, his wife, and she took me to the prayer room where she called some people to pray with us. I could hear my good friend Marge, shouting to people to come and see a "leg lengthening". I was nervous about all this and had no idea what was going on.
I didn't know what to expect as I had never been "prayed for" before. I was overwhelmed as all these strangers filled this little room. The Pastor explained that most people have one leg shorter than the other and it usually doesn't cause any problems, but sometimes it creates a problem like I was experiencing.
So he showed me by sitting me down and holding my legs out front. My right leg was shorter! When he picked both legs off the ground I screamed. The people began to pray. I didn't know most of them but one very large man had a hand clamped on my shoulder and I could hear him expressing to God his praise and his desire to see my back healed.
With that, I felt something "hot" travel down my back and out my right leg. I didn't understand. All I knew was the pain in my back was gone. Everyone was laughing and praising God, hugging and very joyous.
I couldn't wait to get home and show my daughter, Cyndi. She knew how much pain I had been in before I left home. Now I could actually step down from my left foot to my right and she noticed the difference immediately.
It was during that week as I thought about the events of that Sunday. I realized the love of the Lord. I didn't know the Lord personally, but He knew me enough to heal me. I needed someone to love me that much. I asked Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior. My life has never been the same since. Praise the Lord.!
1990
Bea Evans
"Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known." Jeremiah 33:3