One Monday morning my phone rang. It was Elanor his wife, asking me to join her at St Margaret's Hospital in Toronto. Wally was in a coma after suffering a massive heart attack. He had been clinically dead for several minutes but, after skilled intervention, they had revived him. However, things were not good.
"No More Tears" baby shampoo was the only anointing oil I had in the house, so armed with a bottle I set out for Toronto.
I was met by by Elanor ( a woman of strong faith) who directed me to the emergency facility. The beds, in this state-of-the-art ward, were arrayed in a circle like numbers on a clock face with the nursing station in the center.
Wally was lying at one-o-clock on the dial.He was unclothed with wires and tubes hanging off him. With permission from the nurse I went to his bed,took his hand and spoke his name. There was no reaction. It was time for the shampoo. I shook the bottle and about half the contents finished on Wally's chest and when I prayed I found my hands slipping among all the fixtures. I didn't think that God was worried about the lack of protocol. I just asked Him to rebuke death
(which has a real presence) and restore Wally to life and health.
Then I spoke in Wally's ear "Remember you are due to preach for me in November. Squeeze my hand if you are going to be there." Sure enough, still snoring in his coma, Wally squeezed my hand.
Later that year, Wally, the Prince among preachers, preached from behind my pulpit his first sermon after been discharged from hospital, and it was a good one.
Faith in Christ and "No More Tears" baby shampoo had worked!
Jubilate.
Ian
