Monthly Archives: June 2015

Do I ever make mistakes?

I was the treasurer of the St. Edmond’s high school athletic booster’s club and made an error, causing a financial problem in the booster’s checking account. I prayed and asked the Lord for His help before calling the bank.

I phoned and explained the problem to a bank officer. She quickly told me the error would be handled and the funds restored into the checking account. I was so excited by how easy it worked out.

“Oh Lord, You care about small things, too,” I said aloud after hanging up.

“I care about all things,” a voice said, which sounded audible to my ears at the time.

I jumped off the stool and bowed on the kitchen’s tile floor. Tears streamed down my face. I shook, wondering what would happen to me because the voice felt so holy. I stayed in that position of reverence for several minutes.

A few days later, I jogged on the streets of Fort Dodge after a heavy rainstorm. I saw a large puddle ahead of me, which covered the street. I set my course to veer around it. As I did, a voice, which seemed audible, spoke to me.

“If you throw away your contact lens and anoint your eyes with mud, I will heal your eyes.”

I stopped and looked at the puddle. Every part of me wanted to rid myself of ever wearing eyeglasses or contact lens again, but I hesitated, not wanting to climb out that far on a shaky limb.

Healing usually comes by faith, I reasoned, and Jesus did heal a blind man in much the same way in John 9. A scripture then crossed my mind while I debated what to do.

Beloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God… (1 John 4:1).

I popped both contact lenses out of my eyes and tossed them away. I bent over and scooped up a handful of mud, spreading it over my eyes. I resumed jogging toward home.

Somehow, I felt the healing would occur that night, at our regular Monday night prayer meeting. Anticipation and excitement filled my heart.

“Why aren’t you wearing your contact lens?” asked my wife, pointing at the old eyeglasses I wore.

I related my experience and my belief about the soon happening miracle.

“Would you like to come along to the prayer meeting and watch it happen?”

She shook her head.

“I’ll believe it after the miracle happens.”

I left early that evening and stopped in a parking lot to pray for a few minutes before heading to the prayer meeting at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. I removed my eyeglasses and placed them on the dashboard. As I prayed, a gentle voice spoke to my heart.

“Can you read the sign on that building over there?”

“No, Lord, I can’t read it.”

“Then put your glasses on and go home,” the gentle voice spoke to my heart.

The story seems funny now, but it humiliated me back then. Plus the lesson cost $150.

(Excerpt from Chapter 9 of my memoir, The Hunt for Larry Who, an Amazon eBook.)

The Bible declares that it’s important for us to hear the voice of God, but let me give you a warning ahead of time, okay? If you don’t believe God’s grace will cover your mistakes, don’t even bother attempting to hear His voice. Stay dumb and mistake free.

But for you others, stop back next time.

(Continued in Part 2)