I Prayed and Charlie Died: The Greater Miracle.

Meet My Neighbor Charlie

Charlie had a terrible accident that broke his spine 35 years ago. Confined to a wheelchair, he had grown to become resentful and crotchety. He was in constant conflict with his family and was highly suspicious of anyone he felt might be trying to take advantage of him. 

My mission was to show him the love of God and live the gospel in front of him. This was not a haphazard plan of random kindness, but required sacrifice of time and resources. 

My family and I had made a decision to be very intentional in this relationship.  For about a year it was just, “hellos” and “goodbyes” and “can I help you with your mail, with your groceries or with your trashcans?”  He was a tough Norwegian and prided himself on his independence and felt it was weakness to rely on anyone else. 

Then the ambulance came and took Charlie to the hospital. In addition to being a paraplegic, Charlie had cancer that he had beaten years before, but this time the doctors gave him 5 days to live. There was a battle between hospice and Adult Services and they required that someone look after Charlie in order for him to be released from the hospital. 

This was the opportunity for me to die to self and to show the love of God. With my wife’s blessing I moved in next door for his last few days in order to take care of him as his family members were too busy or flat out refused to help. 

Charlie made another miraculous recovery - Prayer? Maybe! Why not?

During this new time he had left on earth I had a chance to earn his trust and quite possibly became his closest friend. We played dominos and watched programs on the history channel together. After he got stronger, I moved back home next door. Each day I went over and helped him out of his bed into his wheelchair and again in the evening helped him back into his bed. I helped him with his oxygen, with meals and by emptying and cleaning up the urine and colostomy bags (what makes this story even more interesting is that I had a very bad back and a very weak stomach). 

This outreach was not just a solo event.  

Not only was my family fully invested, but it also included other faithful members of my church. Nurse Nancy had come by and helped attend to hygiene needs, others committed to sitting, visiting and reading with Charlie and a family who was close, pinched-hit when I had to be away.

It had become a real community effort.

Seven months later

When things were looking grim, I told Charlie that I was worried about his eternity. He let me share the gospel with him. He prayed an earnest prayer of salvation.

His family had no explanation as to the change of his personality. He rewrote his estranged sister back into his will. His nephew wanted to know what had happened and why Charlie hadn’t cussed him out for walking into his room unannounced.

Charlie was a different man and everyone who knew him witnessed the change and began to ask me what had happened. This was my opportunity to tell them that Charlie had prayed with me to accept the Lord and that they had witnessed the power of God to change his heart. When I told his sister that I held his hands and prayed with him every night she couldn’t believe it. Charlie was not a touchy-feely guy and I told her that the highlight of his day was when we prayed together.

One Monday, a new hospice team showed up and told me that Charlie was as healthy as an ox and would most likely live another 10 years. I didn’t think so and on that Monday night my daughter and I went over and put him to bed praying his name into Psalm 23 and laid him down with the promises of God, “…and Charlie shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.”

   

I went over in the morning and discovered that my friend had indeed passed over into glory. Ascertaining the time of death it turned out that Charlie may have died within minutes of that prayer. Not only was I sad that I had lost a good friend, but also felt blessed that God had allowed me the opportunity to be a part of that transformational encounter through intentional surrendered living. 

I discovered the simple truth that this is what faith is all about. Not that I had to move to China, Malawi or India, but be moved wherever I am by the love I have for Christ.  

I Hope this Ministry can create the vision and thirst for Christians to look upward – stare into the face of Christ and begin to embrace the high call in the small things of everyday living.   

 This type of outward living to glorify God does not happen by accident, but must come from the vision of having hearts and minds fixed fully on Christ and allow Him to move you into the world to which you are sent. Before anyone engages the divine purposes of this high call, we must have our hearts in touch with God’s heart and understand the glory for which He has called us as members of His church. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21

With the radical numbers of decline of those professing to be christian we have failed to make impact in the culture. it is time to get back to the basics and make the decision to say, “Yes” to all that God has for us as His “set apart” People.  In His conversation with the Samaritan woman Jesus said, “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (Jn 4:23).  

Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father. Obedience coming from a heart of worship is never out of compulsion nor will it ever be joyless drudgery.   

I make no promises that this type of intentional Gospel-informed living will be easy, but I guarantee that when you say, “yes” to God, your life will never be boring again. 

It doesn't take rocket science or being a rock star... only simple obedience to the Great Commission that is demonstrated in the Great Command...  LOVE GOD...Love others!