Prayer and Healing
| Dave
Miller grew up not knowing anything different than praying when you
were sick or injured. “That’s what my parents taught me when I was a
child. That’s what I knew and understood. I didn’t know about doctors
and hospitals.” Dave saw many injuries tended and fixed at home. “Mother bandaged my injured and sometimes broken bones and they got better in a few days.” Still, Dave’s thinking changed over the years and pointed him to regular medical help on numerous occasions. But, not always. About ten years ago, Dave was just recovering from a nasty injury to his left wrist. It had been mangled by an accident with a hundred-ton press. Dr. Tom Johnson operated and put it back together. Miller had only been out of his cast a few days when he decided to rest his weary bones in the hot tub at home on the Saturday night before Easter. But, it turned out to be less than a restful evening because he slipped and fell on the tiles surrounding the hot tub. Dave immediately knew he had broken his right wrist. It wasn’t a compound fracture. No bones were sticking through the skin, but one was pushed up a good portion of an inch. “I whined for a while until my daughter appeared and tested me. I wasn’t practicing what I had taught her. Alyssa said, “Have you prayed about it, Dad.’” Part 2
Mr. Miller had been taught as a child and passed on to his children to lay on hands and anoint with oil for injuries and illnesses, seeking the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Alyssa and wife Renee did just that for Dave that night after which he went to bed. Being song leader at Faith Chapel, Dave tended to his obligations and met with his fellow musicians as usual on Sunday morning. He told them what had happened and that he might have a hard time playing for the Easter service. The group eventually gathered around him to pray, lay on hands and anoint him with oil again. David made it through practice despite the swelling in his hand and the difficulty holding his guitar pick. He decided he needed some kind of brace or support for his hand, so he walked across the street to the town’s hospital emergency. There he met with the itinerant physician on duty. The doctor had xrays taken and said, “Your wrist is clearly broken. You need to have it taken care of right now.” Dave responded, “Just bind me up. I’ll come back after church.” The medical man insisted, “That’s a mess. You’re being foolish. You need it tended to right now.” Miller persisted and left the ER with a velcro brace. He managed to play through service. “It hurt. But, I went through the program with the group. I might have taken aspirin or Advil. I didn’t have time to get a prescription for anything.” Dave didn’t time after church either. Because twenty people were coming for Easter dinner. “My mind wasn’t on my wrist then.” After things settled following dinner, Dave removed his brace. There was no pain, swelling or protruding bones. He didn’t go back to see the ER doctor either. Dave says, ‘That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” ~~ Dave Miller is a rancher and realtor in Central Montana. |
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