My Aunt, who had been in renewal for a long time, lent my Father a book she had called "The Power of Charismatic Healing" by Andy ÓNeill which was a personal account of this man's experience in renewal. She said "Eoin might like this book but don't force it on him." A real "I've found this useful but it may not suit you" sort of approach. Anyhow I could not put the book down and resolved to attend the meeting.
I met Andy and he prayed with me and I'm still going to the prayer group.
My Aunt, who was very reserved and not given to exuberant expressions of joy really enjoyed these meetings and had a great quiet serenity about her. I remember her recounting one day (privately, I doubt if she ever shared to the whole meeting which has had over 300 people attending from time to time) that one day she locked herself between her front door and the glass protective sliding door in front of it which was also locked. She was in her seventies and lived alone. She had visions of herself being stuck there all day. So in her own words she "praised the Lord like billyo" and then one of her neighbours passed the front gate and saw her and waved - she thought she was waving but then came back because she thought my Aunts wave seemed a little too vigorous. Anyway she came to the door and my Aunt was able to tell her to go to the house next door where they had a spare key and so she was released.
To my knowledge she never received the gift of tongues because one day she asked me about it and asked me to pray with her. (I received tongues within about six months Praise the Lord).
One day I sat with her at the meeting and someone shared a psalm and I shared my bible with her so she could read it with me. She said it was ok as she knew that psalm off by heart.
Some weeks later she wasn't at the meeting, we weren't too worried as she sometimes went away though usually resented being away on the meeting nights. One of her friends who sometimes came to the meeting said she had called to the house but that there had been no reply. But I wasn't particularly worried by this.
The next evening my Mother (her sister) rang me and told me that she had been found collapsed in the house and was in the hospital but was not conscious. There was no reason to go in to see her.
I put down the phone and said to my wife that I had to go in, that I felt I ought to and read something from the bible. My wife came with me.
On the drive in I said that there was a psalm that I had to read to her but I didn't know what psalm it was. I knew I ought to read the psalm that she knew by heart. On the way in we passed the place where the prayer meeting is held and there I said to my wife, "I think it is psalm 91 at least that is the number that keeps going around in my head."
When we went in my aunt was in a coma attached to a ventilator. I stood beside here and read Psalm 91 aloud for her:
and the Lords wonderful response
We stayed with her a short time and then returned home.
The next day her daughters arrived (they live abroad) and I told them what had happened. Her eldest daughter couldn't believe it. "That's Mammy's favourite psalm." she said.
Praise the Lord.
She and her husband were reunited forever in the Lord some days later and I was given one of her bibles in which I found this copied sheet entitled "Discernment Examen" among a lot of other interesting cuttings and notes. I know nothing of its origin or authorship.
I hope that other readers will find it useful and that it will bring them as close to the Father as she was and now is.
Is it not wonderful how gentle are the ways of our Father.
Praise him.
Eoin
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