The voice was tense and fraught with anxiety. "Pastor Wilson come quickly, Joel is dying." It was Roxanne Smith a young mother in my congregation who lived with her husband, Mike, a few miles north in Orillia.
"We are at the Soldiers Memorial Hospital waiting to be taken to Toronto," continued Roxanne, "but if you come now you will be able to pray for Joel."
And "come" I did. On the way north, steering with one hand I read a scripture from Luke 5 where Jesus gave John the Baptist His credentials: the deaf being healed, the blind receiving their sight and the dead being raised.
Fortified, I went to the emergency room where the six month old baby was in an incubator as grey a paper with an angry red lump above the forehead where the Meningitis poison had gathered.
I asked the nurse to remove the lid and, with Mike holding my hand, I rebuked the power of death and commanded life and health for the child.
Immediately the ambulance arrived but before they whisked Joel away I said to the parents " Call me in twenty years time. I want to officiate at his wedding!"
The next morning Joel was out of his coma but a day later was pronounced to be deaf because of brain damage. Roxanne recalled the scripture I had given her about the deaf being healed and requested other tests to be run. Sure enough by the end of the week Joel was discharged restored to health and fully intact. The Smith's later moved to Florida.
Twenty one years later I received a phone call, it was from a young man called Joel and, you have guessed it, he wanted me to officiate at his wedding and tell the story of his personal miracle.
He is still living in Destin alive, well and awaiting your call if you wish to speak with him.
Jubilate.
Ian
