I want to share from my own experience the graciousness of our Lord.

When Albert and I were living in Florida, a dear lady from a Methodist congregation had a husband that was dying of a brain tumor.  He was at the stage that he could no longer speak.  She asked if we would come to her house on a regular basis and minister to her husband.

It seems as though her family’s pastor had lost his wife recently to a brain tumor and he could not “face” it again.  We wanted to help, so we called the Methodist pastor to see if ministering to a member of his flock would be acceptable to him.  He asked if we would indeed, minister to this member of his flock and explained why he could not.

So, we began to visit the house and pray with and minister to this dying man.  Now, amazingly, I was absolutely certain he would be healed.  I had the kind of knowing one has when God has given you the certainty.  I did not see any improvement, but that did not matter. I was absolutely sure.

One day we were at his house praying for him when I saw (in the spirit) a staircase come down from heaven and four angels come down the stairs.  Behind these angels, Jesus came down.  The gentleman for whom we were praying got up out of his body and went to meet Jesus.

The angels stepped to the side of the stairs into extensions that looked – for all the world – like old fashioned candle holders.

The man for whom we were praying was wearing a World War II uniform.  He began talking to Jesus – though I could not hear what was being said.

Eventually, after a good deal of talk, Jesus sat down on the stairs and so did the man in uniform.  I was very distressed and left the room.  My husband followed me. In an adjacent room, I looked at my husband and said: “He doesn’t want to go!”

After about thirty minutes, the wife of the man came bursting into the room saying: “It’s a miracle. He sat up and began talking!”  Hurriedly my husband and I returned to see him sitting up – and we heard him talk for the first time.

I was amazed – especially because, now, I no longer felt he would be healed. But he actually got better and better and even began to walk a little.  He was so well that he could go to church Easter Sunday.  His three grand daughter’s were there in their pretty Easter dresses.

But after Easter he began to decline rapidly and died quickly. I remained perplexed and distressed.  Therefore, I asked Bob Jones – (who was living near us in Florida at the time) why, I wondered, after the staircase came down and he improved and improved, I no longer believed he would get well.

Bob Jones gave me an answer that has helped me the rest of my life.  He said: “You were given an assignment to pray and you fulfilled that assignment.  You did your part.  Now the burden has lifted from you.”  In other words, everything was not my part.

We found out later that he had wanted to see his “grand babies” (as he called them) in their Easter frocks and Jesus extended his life to fulfill that desire.  The Lord is gracious indeed.

For myself – I realized that God had given me the desire to pray and he was healed – just not as I imagined.  Christ gives us our assignments and it is Christ who says when the assignment is finished.

To God be the glory.