It was a sad time around Needmore after Aunt Alvie came home from her visit to Doctor Nevins.

"I didn't get a good report at all," she announced when she got home, and she asked that the word be spread all around Needmore to pray for her because things didn't look one bit good for her.

She had told the doctor that she had been having some chills. He looked into her mouth and into her nostrils and told her she had some bad sinusitis; that no wonder she had some chills.

He also told her that she only had about one degree of excessive temperature and he predicted that it would all be gone by morning.

"Do you think prayer might help me?" she asked the doctor very gravely.

"Well, it sure won't hurt anything," the doctor said with just the hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh my, has it come to that?" Aunt Alvie asked.

She sadly reported to friends and family the terrible diagnosis the doctor had given her.

"He told me it was no wonder I was so cold, that my temperature had dropped all the way down to one degree and would likely be all the way down to zero by morning."

"He said it sure was a bad sign and that prayer was probably my only hope," she continued.

She asked if Brother Jones and the deacons from the Needmore Baptist Church could come lay hands on her and pray for her healing. Brother Jones quickly got them all together because there was little time to spare.

Except for the words of prayer, and an occasional sob, not a sound was to be heard in the room as they lifted their good sister up before the Lord.

Since her temperature would drop to zero by morning, many good friends and neighbors gathered around for the silent vigil as they carefully watched and listened for her last breath on this earth. The children were ordered to go into the back room and play quietly. They sure didn’t need to see this happen.

"Bless her heart," Brother Jones said. "she sure is facing this bravely with her faith strongly in place. She will be in a better place come morning," and all the deacons whispered amen softly.

They sat there in silence as the clock slowly ticked off the hours she had left among the living. She seemed to rally around four in the morning and said she believed she could eat something. The neighbor ladies hurried quickly back to the kitchen and soon had victuals prepared fit for a king. Nothing was too good for her final meal.

After her death meal she felt the need to go out the path to the outhouse, but was clearly in no shape to make the trip out there. So the neighbo men were all asked to leave the room while family and neighbor ladies fetched a slop jar and helped her sit on it.

They all took this to be another bad sign.

They all rejoiced when the good doctor stopped in soon after daylight to see how his patient was doing.

He very quickly sized up the situation and reacted accordingly by saying, "Aunt Alvie is greatly improved, and I think you all can go on home now." He grinned widely and happily, in fact I thought he almost laughed out loud he was so tickled.

"It's nothing short of a miracle," preacher Jones declared and a few of the church folks shouted with joy as their cups ran over.

"I am glad to report that she made a complete recovery and lived for many years after this brush with death," said the doctor.

Am I making fun of divine healing and the need for prayer in time of sickness.. Far from that, and those of you who know me well are fully aware that I gladly pray for those who stand in the need of prayer, in fact I have probably prayed for some who read this.

I have seen the healing hand of God at work many times. I know God is all powerful.

I also understand human nature and know that we can get carried away at times. If I get sick, I am heading for the doctor but I am also heading to a place to pray.

I hope someone is able to grin a little when you read my stories. Also, go on out to church Sunday and worship God.