3 - Baptism, the laying on of hands, and a prophecy!
My parents, after that eventful night in which I showed up pounding on their bedroom door, were worried. The following week, in response to their request, I agreed to visit with a psychologist to talk about what had happened. No answers there and the subject was never again discussed.
Not long after that, still concerned and thinking it might help, my folks purchased a car to give me a little more independence while I was in Miami attending college. They suggested I look around and think about finding another place to live; suggesting that maybe a new environment would help.
I decided to follow their advice and, on returning to Miami, found a new residence with a family offering room and board (one evening meal). As it turned out, it was a nicer environment and the meal was an added benefit.
The family attended a nearby Baptist church located in the neighborhood. It wasn’t long before I was asked if I would like to go to the church with them during one of their church’s revivals. Still dealing with the problem of the fear, of which they knew nothing about, I agreed to go to check it out. My everyday life had became secondary to the need to deal with the problem and “all options were on the table” as we so frequently hear these days. During the revival, I did decide to go forward and be baptized later that week but saw no change in terms of dealing with the problem of the fear. As I mentioned earlier, this problem was not something I talked about with anyone.
Two weeks later a couple of young adults from the church with whom I had become friends asked me to come along with them and attend a small prayer meeting. Although they were not specific, I gathered that there was something they considered to be special about this meeting and, despite being reluctant, decided to go see what it was all about. They knew nothing about the problem I was dealing with.
I was the center of the stage as it turned out; the only people present were my two friends who had invited me and this fellow who was going to pray for me. Their whole purpose in inviting me was to have this individual pray for me; like something special was going to happen. Although this seemed strange to me and I had reservations about doing so, I agreed to permit it for, as I mentioned earlier, all options were on the table and I was looking for and seeking God. I took a seat on the chair.
A most strange experience. He put his hands on my head and started praying and the next thing I knew, I came to my senses sitting in the chair and laughing my head off. I don’t usually laugh out loud, never have, still don’t; it’s an extremely rare event. But that was not all; on coming to my senses it was clear that the individual who had prayed for me was taken aback at what had transpired. Upon his recovery, his words were few and just as strange. He said “When you are older, your hair is white, and your faith had increased, you shall do great things in the name of the Lord”. We left immediately after that. Don’t even know his name.
Most strange. I left that meeting understanding nothing except that things in general had become very strange, beginning the minute I asked God for an answer. Nothing else changed.
But something was changing. Without consciously realizing it, I began to sense that this was all linked to God and that He had a hand in the events and circumstances taking place. That sense became more of a reality shortly thereafter. Check out the next page entitled: “4 – I prayed: God answers with a dream!”
Notes
I did not recognize it at the time but something very important happened at this point in my life. It was at this point that my journey really began; a journey through which I became aware of the reality of God, the reality of Jesus, and the reality of the Holy Spirit. It all began when I, casting myself into God’s hands in an effort to deal with the problem of the fear, went forward and accepted Jesus. I did not know it at the time but it is Jesus who provides us the entryway through which we can enter into God’s presence and be accepted of him, to have a relationship with him, and to have our petitions and prayers heard. I would encourage you, at this point, to jump ahead to the experience described in “14 – The blood of Jesus: the Chaplain, the dream, and the GI!” to gain the advantage of knowing the complete story of what Jesus means to us.
What do I make of the experience I had with the man laying his hands on me and praying? In the Old Testament, the laying on of hands was an action referred to on numerous occasions to accompany the conferring of a blessing or authority. An example would be Moses ordaining Joshua; the Bible adding that Joshua was subsequently “filled with the spirit of wisdom”. In the New Testament, the laying on of hands was associated with the receiving of the Holy Spirit as well as the conferring of authority or designation of a person to a position of responsibility. That said, it was definitely an experience I won’t forget. It effect was not something that I could explain with my rational mind then and can not, with my rational mind, explain now; except for the fact that it was a real experience and most unusual in its immediate effect. The context, meaning, and validity of what the man said when I regained my consciousness, “when you are older, your hair is white and your faith has increased, you shall do great things in the name of the Lord” remains to be seen.
A scriptural Reference
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”