MY MIRACLE
By Larry Wright
Most of you know that I am an ex- POW from the Vietnam War, and that I have
been struggling with a number of resultant health issues. One of the most troubling has been severe bone pain from fragility fractures throughout my body, the most recent being a fracture of a tibia in my right foot. I have severe and quickly advancing osteoporosis, as well as other bone marrow maladies, from being held in solitary confinement for more than three years. During my confinement I got little food, mostly rotting rice and an occasional fish head, and no exercise. I have other health issues from all this, but the
unbearable pain has been the most debilitating. My wife brought to my attention a
retreat given by Fr. Bevilacqua from San Diego that was to be held at St. Rita's Retreat Center. This 2-day, 2-night event made me cringe at the thought of going for that length of time but off we went. It was every bit as long and difficult as I thought it would be. Near the end of the second day, at a break, Fr. Bevilacqua asked me about my
disability and I gave him a "Reader's Digest" version of my situation. That evening he asked me to go through a "process" that we had been discussing in the workshop. I agreed to, hesitantly. Later he asked me to sit in a straight back chair that he had placed in the middle of the room. I really did not want to do that. My pain level was near a ten. But I agreed and sat in the very uncomfortable chair. He asked if my wife and the attendees
could gather around and lay hands on me in prayer. The praying seemed to last forever and the pain intensified, especially in my back. It felt like everyone was pushing down on me. I later found out that, because of my pain, people were actually lightly placing their hands on me. This first session left me even more tense than before and I was very glad when it was over. Fr. Bevilacqua decided that more prayer was needed. This time he had my wife come behind me and place her hand in the middle of my back. The praying began and I resisted. The pain had become unbearable; it felt as if a hot blade was coming in my back and out my chest. When I could no longer resist the pain, I fell forward in a state of blackness. A few moments later I awakened to find Fr. Bevilacqua asking
me if I was O.K. He asked me to stand up and slowly walk around. I did, forgetting my cane. He then asked how I felt. I could not believe the words that came out of my mouth. I said I felt young and light on my feet. I then realized that there was no pain in my body. I could even stand and bounce up and down on my tiptoes. I had no pain in my broken foot, which had been giving me fits. Praise be to God! I felt healed! Later that evening I walked in the door at home and my 16-year-old son exclaimed that I looked taller. I surprised him by doing a few toe touches in rapid succession. His response was
"Wow, does this mean that you can play basketball with me now!" "I said, "Praise be to
God, I think it does," and we have been. This has been true joy for me and I thank
Jesus every day for another day of life without pain. PS. My physician cannot find the break in my foot with his most recent x-rays. His take was that the x-ray tech must not have had the correct settings on the machine. However, he has been scratching his head at my bouncing up and down on my toes and the rapid toe touches that I did in his office.
God is great! Thanks be to God!
Praise Jesus!
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