Wally. Behind closed doors.

Wally: a good friend, father, grandfather, preacher par-excellence and a founder of churches.

In April 1989, I received a phone call from his wife, Elanor.
"Please pray for Wally. He died last night but was resuscitated and now he is unconscious in Sunnybrooke hospital."

At that time I had no oil in the house but I did have a bottle of "No More Tears" baby shampoo. I jammed it in my pocket, drove down to Toronto, sloshed some on Wally as he lay in bed, prayed and told him that when he recovered he was going to preach for me in Barrie.

I believed that though he was unconscious Jesus could step behind closed doors and speak to Wally. So I said to Wally "If you agree to preach for me, sqeeze my hand." There was a definite squeeze.

Sure enough, six months later Wally stood in my pulpit and preached a great sermon.

In 2001 Wally, at 66 years old, became Canada's oldest recipient of a transplanted heart and for the past twelve years he has been chugging along.
This week things changed. Wally was taken into hospital and when I saw him today his cognitive side seemed to have shut down.

Nevertheless I believed that something was going on "behind closed doors."

As I prayed with him for the last time I said:

 "Give my hand a squeeze and tell me you will see me in Heaven"

And he did. 

And we will,without a doubt, meet in a better place than Peterboro General Hospital.

Jubilate.

Ian