Brain Dead Man Sits Up

August 16, 2022

by Jim Kilmer

Sometimes the Gentiles may have more faith than experienced disciples do. I received a phone call from a woman who was not a church member. She had been taking studies from one of our members. She called from the hospital and asked if could come immediately.

When I arrived, I met the woman’s sobbing daughter. Her husband was in ICU. Through tears, the young woman told me that her husband had been having an affair with another woman. He was out with her and drunk when he had the accident.

 I talked to the nurse on duty and asked if she could share anything that would help me be of support to the family. I was shocked at the nurse’ reply.

“You need to tell them that this man will die. We ran tests and his brain is dead. As soon as we take him off life support, he can no longer live.”

This news was difficult to share with his young wife. She looked at me wide eyed as if to say, “How can you say that? Are you not a minister of God? Why are you here if God can’t do anything?”

I mumbled, “well of course God can always work a miracle.”

I opened my Bible and read from Psalm 103,

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”

The young wife straightened up, relaxed, and dried her eyes. God had said it, that settled it. We went in and had a brief prayer. Then I left.

The mother told me later that right after the prayer the brain-dead man sat up and motioned for the tubes to be taken out of his mouth. He spoke to his wife and was sent home. He had a slight loss of memory for a week or so, but was free from all effects of the accident.