Conversations with Sam: You Can’t See What I Have Seen and Not Believe

At one point it was determined the nerves running down Sam’s arms to his hands were drawing-up forcing his fingers to curl inward. The constant pull was causing excruciating pain in his shoulders and back. He would eventually have some of the nerves clipped to ease the tension. One morning prior to the surgery he and I sat at the breakfast bar and shared a pot of coffee. I was inclined to pray for his healing but I didn’t know how to broach the subject. Finally, I just blurted out, “Do you believe in healing, Sam.”

I wasn’t prepared for the certainty of his response, “You can’t be where I’ve been and seen what I’ve seen and not believe in healing.”

“Tell me what you’ve seen, Sam.”

“When I was in the hospital during the war, there was a lad in the bed next to mine. He had been hit by shrapnel and was blind in both eyes. They said he would never see again. One day his family came for a visit. They were Church of God folk from North Carolina and couldn’t come often. They told him their church was fasting for him and they would gather on Sunday evening at six o’clock for special prayer before their regular service.

On Sunday the doctor and nurse were making their rounds. I was pushing the medicine cart for them. (I had been there a while and I could get around pretty good, so since I was a medic they gave me the job of pushing the medicine cart.) When we came to the boy the doctor asked what time it was. Before we could answer, we heard the young man say “6:15.” He was looking at the nurse’s watch.

A look of pleasure was on Sam’s face as it must have been on that day and shaking his head he repeated himself, “You can’t see what I’ve seen and not believe in healing.” Our conversation was interrupted as others arrived home from their shopping and we never returned to the subject.

I cannot answer why God did not heal Sam but it certainly was not because he lacked faith in God’s ability. His was a steadfast faith in a God who responds to the cries of His children. He did not have to be healed to keep believing in healing.