living and active

It was quite a weekend. I went to visit our daughter-in-law who was visiting her sister, Kelly. Kelly's husband Curt sustained a brain injury over a week ago. Severe memory loss. He did not remember where he lived, what he did for a living, his 5 year old daughter and a host of other things. He is a pastor, but had little to no awareness of his spiritual life.

Kelly has maintained a website which enables friends and family to check in on Curt's condition. The following paragraph is Kelly's introduction to my entry:

My dear friend, Cheri, is here from Eagle River right now to visit and help with Kendalyn. She is also my sister's mother-in-law. Today she was present with us when we witnessed a miracle. I've asked her to take over here and explain in her own words…

From Cheri

Kelly asked me to read to Curt from the Bible. Because he was planning to begin a sermon series on First Peter and because it was his favorite book (according to Kelly), we chose First Peter. I began to read. After several verses, Curt stopped me and asked a question about the text. We answered the question and I asked him if he would like me to continue. "Yes!" was his emphatic reply.

I read on. As I read, he seemed to listen more and more intently. He inched forward in his bed.

I looked up at him a few times; amazed at how alive his expression seemed. Prior to this he had the appearance of one who has a bad headache (which he does) – furrowed brow – eyes a little glassy. Now he seemed totally engaged.

I could tell he wanted to say something. "By His wounds we are healed. By His wounds we are healed." Curt continued to repeat this passage.

Kelly was obviously very excited at his attentiveness to the Living Word. She asked Curt to tell what he knew about God. He said that God was the Creator and Sustainer of Life. The First Person of the Trinity.

"What about Jesus?" she asked.

"He is the Second Person of the Trinity, the propitiation for our sins."

Curt went on to quote John 1:1-4.

I told Curt that I had been praying that the Holy Spirit would bring back to his remembrance all that he had been taught.

"The Comforter." Curt said, matter-of-factly.

Kelly, Kristi and I were wiping away tears. We had just witnessed the powerful LIVING WORD of GOD work in Curt's brain; restoring lost synapses. We felt like we were in a sacred place.

Curt repeated again during our stay, "By His wounds we are healed."

He went on to relay some other facts that had been previously missing from his memory as far as we knew. He knew he was pastor of North Bay Community Church, he knew he lived in Superior, he knew he had a daughter, he knew he and Kelly had done extensive work on their home (from floor to ceiling, he said).

Turns out that Curt's favorite book of the Bible is I Timothy. We know this because he told us so. It was written to pastors, he informed us. Then there is II Timotby and Titus, he mentioned.

I told him how much he means to our family, the impact he has had on our son Jon (now Curt's brother-in-law and a youth pastor). He remembered Jon.

We sang some songs. Just in case you want to know his favorite song is 'Take Me out to the Ballgame'.

We sang his favorite hymn "Victory in Jesus". Kelly, Kristi and I all forgot the words to the second line. Curt remembered them.

We saw some sparks of his sense of humor. When we arrived he was eating a small bowl of pineapple. He complained that was all they gave him for lunch. Kelly assured him she would talk to somebody about that. Curt said, "I was just kidding."

Speech still comes slowly and many memories are not restored yet. But we are not worried.

By His wounds, we are healed.