Messengers

With Priscilla’s surgery scheduled in Tampa for Tuesday morning, she said we should get a hotel room near the hospital, since five miles of signal-light traffic would be easier than 40-plus miles of freeway traffic.

So on Monday night we checked into a hotel near the hospital and went to Cracker Barrel for supper. At a nearby table sat a well-dressed black couple, in their mid-60s. When we got our bill, the waitress asked something about our plans for the next day. Priscilla said she was having surgery at Moffitt. The waitress said, "Nothing serious, I hope." Priscilla said, "I have breast cancer." The waitress went silent.

At that moment, the well-dressed black woman stopped beside Priscilla, gave a hug and said, "God will bless you." Her husband took my hand and said, "God bless you." He then put his hand on Priscilla's shoulder and leaned in and said something. Then he said, "God bless you." They left.

When we were walking to the cash register, we both agreed that was an unusual thing to happen. And, we both said it was a very nice thing for someone to do. Priscilla said, "He whispered a prayer in my ear."

The couple had just finished paying when we got to the cash register. I said to the man, "Sometimes people come along..." I could not go any further. I mean to say, "Sometimes people come along, and you don't know why."

When I stopped talking and choked up and threatened tears, the man put his hand on my shoulder and said, "It's all right. Take your time."

Priscilla laughed and said, "He's taken this worse than I have."

The man said, "He's supposed to. He's a man." He then said to Priscilla, "You are already healed. The Bible doesn't say you will be healed. It says you are already healed in his name." The couple left.

As we walked to the car, Priscilla said, "God sent them." And, "You needed to hear what he said."