Bitter Or Better

Wendy walked from the doctors with a vague look on her face . She almost walked into the path of an on coming truck that had to swerve to miss her . The truck driver blasted his horn which seemed to bring Wendy back to her senses .

The news that she had breast cancer had hit her very hard .
Her recent divorce left her shattered and she thought about the years that had come and gone . They weren’t nice times and she herself knew that she also contributed a lot to the marriage break up . She never really needed to share things with anyone before and now for the first time in a long time she needed someone .

She had always cut things with alcohol and drank most everyday after work .

Even though her life was a mess ,Wendy was tough .
She had to be to survive .
Day after day she just went through the motions .
She went to her office job and continued to treat those around her as life had treated her . Life was unfair and for her it wouldn’t change .

Her breast cancer treatment conflicted with her alcohol abuse and she had to make a choice .

It almost seemed like a predestined decision that was made when one night as Wendy walked down to the liquor shop to buy a few bottles she heard this wonderful music and intensely beautiful singing . She was drawn to it .
It led her to the Town Hall where a small group of young people stood on the steps .

“Come inside , you’re very welcome here in this place . “
Said a young girl to Wendy .

Wendy turned around to leave but was followed by a young man who said ,

“Please come in . There is help for you here .“

Those words echoed around in Wendy’s head over and over .
She knew that something was happening to her that she couldn’t explain .

She was escorted inside the town hall by two of the group .
The hall was packed with people who where standing on their feet singing and praising with their arms lifted up high .

Wendy looked at their faces . They were all so happy and peaceful .

Suddenly the music stopped and people began to sit down on seats .
A very well dressed man took a microphone and started to speak to the gathering .

“Oh yes Jesus . How precious is your name . “

The responses from the people in the hall was instant .
Some cheered and some danced .

Wendy was stunned and very much involved with an unexplained emotion .
She was in the hands of something out of her control . Divided between total surrender and a need to seek real help and support she accepted the place where she stood .

Hundreds of people sat down on their seats and Wendy joined them as the speaker continued to speak to the gathering .

He told his personal story of being cured from cancer and how he had since given his life to the Lord Jesus .
Wendy saw for the first time a glimmer of hope in her life .
At the end of the testimony the speaker invited any one who was sick and who needed prayers to come up to the front . He encouraged people to come forward . Wendy watched form her seat as many of the people up the front were approached by various prayer leaders who placed their hands on their heads . Some people seemed to fall to the floor as if touched by some invisible force . All this time music was being softly played by a group of musicians in the corner of the hall .

Suddenly the man with the microphone said ,

“I have just received a word of knowledge . There is someone here tonight with a cancer and this word is for you . Please , trust , just come . There is healing here , so come .“

Wendy was reluctant and sat tight .

Another man up front who seemed to be the pastor took the microphone and started to praise in a foreign language .
Then he spoke in English .

“I have a prophetic word for some one here this evening . Someone with breast cancer . Some one with an alcohol problem . You know who you are .
I have a name . again I urge you not to be afraid . That person’s name has five letters in it . It begins with W . “

“Yes Jesus .“
The people in the hall chanted .

Wendy took a deep breath and walked up to the front .
People responded and began to applaud and call out the name Jesus .

In a few moments Wendy was standing before the entire gathering .
The speaker urged her to come forward .
Wendy was surrounded by prayer leaders who placed their hands before her chanting and praying . They continued to pray and were joined by the pastor who placed his hand on Wendy’s head .

The pastor took the microphone and said ,

“There is something blocking our prayers . People join us . Everyone focus on this person before me and pray along with me .

Then all of the faithful in the gathering reached out their hands and started to chant and pray .

The pastor again took the microphone . He looked at Wendy and said ,

“Something’s not right here . Have you a grudge against anybody . Is there someone you haven’t forgiven in your life .”

Wendy kept quiet .
The pastor continued ,

“I feel there is a barrier here . I get a sense of something preventing the holy spirit ability to be present here . “

Wendy rplied ,

“Well there is my ex-husband who I haven’t spoke since our divorce and also my and I haven’t spoke for years .“

The pastor continued .

“Well then before you can receive a healing from our prayers you have to make the peace with these people . If you can talk to them during the week , come back here next Sunday for prayers .“

He took the microphone and began to pray for Jesus to remove any bitterness from Wendy’s heart . The entire gathering also joined in the prayer .

At the end of the evening Wendy did feel a little better than before .
There was a definite change in her attitude .
During the week she made contact with her sister and her ex-husband .
She even began to treat her colleagues at work much better ..

The following Sunday Wendy returned to the Town Hall .

When she went up for prayers , she told the pastor that she had made peace with her sister and husband . Everyone applauded and immediately Wendy was approached by members of the prayer team .
When they reached out to pray for her , Wendy could feel a surge of energy flow through her body . It ran to her feet and straight back to her head . Then she felt her eyes close and she fell into the arms of one of the prayer team .
She was placed gently on the floor in a state of unconscious sleep .
She remained there for ten minutes before she stirred .

From that evening Wendy was a new person .
All the lumps in her breast had gone and she was feeling energises with a new life .

The doctors and specialists refused to believe that the cancer had been destroyed .All the ex-rays still showed that the cancer was still present .
Wendy argued that she had never felt better in her life .
Her hair was growing back shiny and it had a beautiful vitality about it . Her skin was glowing and her step had a bounce in every stride .
Wendy knew she had been cured .

Wendy wasn’t seen again for a few weeks at the Town Hall for Sunday worship . When she eventually she returned , she looked terrible .
She went up for prayers and everyone noticed could see she wasn’t well at all .
With a drawn and pale look on her face , she confessed that she had argued with her sister and also her husband . That evening she stated that she was never going to contact them again .

Wendy died two weeks later .

The doctors stated that the cancer in her breast had spread through her entire body at an such an accelerated speed that it was almost unbelievable .

The End

By Paul McCann