IBelieveInPrayer

I really do believe in prayer. As soon as I learned to talk my mother taught me the little prayer that so many children have learned in their early years:

"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take."

I prayed that prayer for many years until I learned how to phrase my own prayers when I prayed for many things, including health and care for may family and all humanity.

When I became older I was active in the Buffalo Friends Church, teaching Sunday School classes, leading the singing in the Meeting for Worship, and often vocalizing in prayer. I shall always remember a phrase my father included in his public prayers, "Lord help us to love one another." He never failed to include those words. And he was as sincere as he could be.

Then when I became a minister I always offered prayer for those who were ill or bereaved. And I believed in the effacacy of prayer. Those who I prayed for always expressed appreciation for my prayers. I continued this ministry for 39 years.

When I had emergency surgery in 1998 the surgeon told my doctor that there was no hope for my survival but I'm still here. A week following the operation for perforated bowels I had a light stroke. Three days later I had a massive stroke. It affected my right side. I couldn't speak, swallow or use my right hand or foot at all. There were several congregations, plus my wife and family who were praying for me. I was fed through a stomach tube for six weeks until I could learn to swallow again. I gradually learned to talk so I could be understood. And I gained a limited use of my right arm and leg. My doctor said afterward that he never believed he would ever remove the stomach tube, but he did. And I'm still here.

On January 10, 2003 I was admitted to Reid Hospital with what appeared to be a heart problem. After passing all the heart tests they did an Ultra sound on my abdomen and discovered a very bad Gaul bladder. So it was back to surgery and the bladder removed. Then I had swollen glands and some more problems. The doctors had to put in a stomach tube as I had lost the ability to swallow again.

I am now back at Friends Fellowship Community and once again having therapy.

When I lost my wife, after 61 plus years, I was lonely. My three girls were wonderful to me and did everything they could to fill the void, but that didn't really suffice. Then one evening while surfing the net I came across the name of a woman who was seeking a Christian pen pal. She hadn't put the item in, but her daughter in Maine had. So when I replied she had to call her mother and tell her what she had done and what my reply was. That was in August, 1997. On January 11,1998 we said our vows at the close of worship in Dublin, Indiana. What a wonderful answer to prayer. We have now had over 8 delightful years together.