As I think of miracles that have occurred in my life, three are right at the top: the miracle of God pointing me toward my wife and best friend, Cheryl; the miracle of the baptisms of both of my children; and the miracle of being where God was able to reach out and find me in December, 1987. But the one that has impacted me the most recently happened on September 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the worst day in continental America’s history.
In May 2002, we moved my mother Ginny from the home that Dad had build for her as a wedding present in the 1930’s, to our home in Champaign, Illinois. Though she had a rough time leaving, she had gotten to the point where it wasn’t safe for her to live alone. The kids planned to each take a turn caring for her, and Cheryl and I were the first to experience having a parent move back into your household.
She immediately fell in love with the Champaign Church of Christ and was a blessing to all who crossed her path. But Mom wasn’t a Christian, and though I had occasionally tried to start a Bible study with both her and Dad over my 15 years as a disciple, she was always too busy, and Dad would usually fall asleep. Though Cheryl and I had been effective in our neighborhoods, making disciples of my parents wasn’t working. I think at times, I unfaithfully believed it was impossible for Mom, now over 80 years of age, to become a Christian.
Well, there I go, doubting God… I should have known better! Along came one dear lady – Irene Ferguson, who said “Brother, we need to study the Bible with Ginny.” Well, I sure didn’t argue, and Irene and Kim Schneider began to get with Mom weekly. I had heard they were making some progress, but to be honest, I didn’t see much of it.
One day, Kim was on the way over, and I asked Mom “do you know your homework – what are the first four books of the New Testament?” She said “sure – Matthew, Michael (my son’s name), Luke and John.” I left for work thinking Kim and Irene had an uphill battle that day.
About 4 hours later, Kim called me and said “Bill, your mother!” Worried, I asked what happened and was she ok. Kim explained “She’s not hurt, Bill - she got it! She understands everything! She even asked ‘What about my children?’ She knows the truth, and she wants to be baptized, tonight!” I was in shock then, but eventually realized that God had opened a window of understanding in her mind and heart, at age 86, where she could make a true decision to follow Jesus as a true disciple.
That was my miracle
of 9/11 – Mom was baptized that night. My small faith was sure evident - a parent that old becoming a Christian was nearly an impossibility in my mind. Never would I have imagined God working in that way, but I’m grateful He did! He took a lifetime of worries off my shoulders that day, thanks to the faith of another 86 year-old Irene, and the love of a sister, Kim, for whom I will forever be grateful.
Ginny continued to flourish as a loving, lovable disciple. Her love for people and especially little children never left her. I tell this story, because Mom won her battle against the physical body and went to be with her Lord on October 3, 2010, a month before reaching age 96. She was not afraid of death, because she was a disciple of Jesus, but she enjoyed life so much that she fought to keep living until the end.
My prayer is that my miracle can also be a story of hope for others with elderly parents who have not found the Lord. Have you given up on your parents or other family members ever seeing the truth? Have you stopped praying for them? Are you without hope, maybe even to the point where it has stopped you from sharing with them?
You’re not alone. I was there in exactly the same place as you. And God, in His timing, taught me that important lesson: “Leave the impossible to me.” He took a wonderful mother, some loving disciples and patterned a perfect miracle. Don’t give up on your folks. Keep praying, and if you yourself are older, trust that God can use you, like 86 year-old Irene, to “open that window of understanding” and win someone to Christ.
Bill Aley
Elder, Champaign Church of Christ