but why did it all go away? If I could just know . . .
why
, then maybe I could move past this. Tell me why, God. Tell me . . .
why
.”
But the heavens—and likewise, his spirit—remained quiet. No answers seemed to be forthcoming, and he began to fear that none ever would.
Chapter Eighteen
A NDREA’S GOING TO KILL ME FOR THIS, Travis thought as his nimble fingers flew over the keyboard, typing the words of the best article he’d ever written.
But so what? This is gonna be a front-page story . . .
During the past two days, he’d convinced himself that he was not exploiting Eddie’s miraculous healing in any way; he was merely placing attention on some unexplained medical phenomena occurring in the region. Any self-respecting journalist worth his or her salt would do the same. At least, that was the mantra he’d repeat to himself until the story was completed.
Instead of researching background information online and over the telephone, as he’d done in previous articles, Travis had physically gone to every place where he needed a quote. Eddie’s pediatrician at Toumey Hospital in Sumter confirmed the boy’s ankles had been completely healed and his hearing restored one hundred percent.
“Never seen anything like it,” Dr. Erickson had said, shaking his head. “The bones in Eddie’s body were strong and miraculously transformed; almost as if they’d never been fused together. I wouldn’t have believed it, but X-rays don’t lie. And his once withered leg muscles have gained strength as well.” Though Toumey’s entire medical staff had been baffled as to what had happened, the proof of healing had been undeniable. To say nothing of the fact that Eddie could now
hear
!
Travis had also learned of the other healing testimonies from the crusade at Hope Springs Church, and like Detective Columbo (his favorite television detective) he’d tracked down four people who’d been healed at that crusade—T. R. Smallwood, Jefferson Embry, Wayne McCullum, and Lynn Harper. After talking with the three men first, he discovered they were all eager to testify about what had happened, maintaining that they had been healed through the power of Jesus Christ.
The concept of unexplained medical phenomena was not unheard of, as Travis had discovered during his research. Two years previously, a respected network TV news program had centered its entire evening news segment around the theme
Prayer and Healing—Does It Work?
After that story aired, several magazines and news journals had conducted surveys in the hope of establishing a pattern between religion and healing. And while the results had not produced definitive conclusions, they nevertheless inferred a positive link between those who prayed and/or attended church and the speed of medical recovery from various illnesses.
But the speed of medical recovery was one thing. Having blinded eyes opening, cancerous tumors vanishing, and deformed ankle bones straightening out was entirely another.
“This is unbelievable,” Travis muttered to himself, reading over the latest doctor’s confirmation while guzzling down another diet Pepsi. Though it was growing late in the evening, he had one more contact he needed to make before he would call it a night—Lynn Harper. He’d wanted to personally meet with her, but he hadn’t been able to find the time during the past two days. And with Ryman Wells’s deadline for the story set at noon the following day, his time was running out for using her as another source. Dialing her number (which he’d semi-illegally obtained), he leaned back in his chair and finished off the last of his soda.
THE PHONE RANG just as Lynn was settling in to watch
Casablanca.
Along with a million other reasons to give God praise for her sight, one was that she could still enjoy curling up underneath her covers with a bowl of popcorn to watch classic movies from yesteryear.
Her first thought was that it might be a telemarketer; she’d neglected to
why
, then maybe I could move past this. Tell me why, God. Tell me . . .
why
.”
But the heavens—and likewise, his spirit—remained quiet. No answers seemed to be forthcoming, and he began to fear that none ever would.
Chapter Eighteen
A NDREA’S GOING TO KILL ME FOR THIS, Travis thought as his nimble fingers flew over the keyboard, typing the words of the best article he’d ever written.
But so what? This is gonna be a front-page story . . .
During the past two days, he’d convinced himself that he was not exploiting Eddie’s miraculous healing in any way; he was merely placing attention on some unexplained medical phenomena occurring in the region. Any self-respecting journalist worth his or her salt would do the same. At least, that was the mantra he’d repeat to himself until the story was completed.
Instead of researching background information online and over the telephone, as he’d done in previous articles, Travis had physically gone to every place where he needed a quote. Eddie’s pediatrician at Toumey Hospital in Sumter confirmed the boy’s ankles had been completely healed and his hearing restored one hundred percent.
“Never seen anything like it,” Dr. Erickson had said, shaking his head. “The bones in Eddie’s body were strong and miraculously transformed; almost as if they’d never been fused together. I wouldn’t have believed it, but X-rays don’t lie. And his once withered leg muscles have gained strength as well.” Though Toumey’s entire medical staff had been baffled as to what had happened, the proof of healing had been undeniable. To say nothing of the fact that Eddie could now
hear
!
Travis had also learned of the other healing testimonies from the crusade at Hope Springs Church, and like Detective Columbo (his favorite television detective) he’d tracked down four people who’d been healed at that crusade—T. R. Smallwood, Jefferson Embry, Wayne McCullum, and Lynn Harper. After talking with the three men first, he discovered they were all eager to testify about what had happened, maintaining that they had been healed through the power of Jesus Christ.
The concept of unexplained medical phenomena was not unheard of, as Travis had discovered during his research. Two years previously, a respected network TV news program had centered its entire evening news segment around the theme
Prayer and Healing—Does It Work?
After that story aired, several magazines and news journals had conducted surveys in the hope of establishing a pattern between religion and healing. And while the results had not produced definitive conclusions, they nevertheless inferred a positive link between those who prayed and/or attended church and the speed of medical recovery from various illnesses.
But the speed of medical recovery was one thing. Having blinded eyes opening, cancerous tumors vanishing, and deformed ankle bones straightening out was entirely another.
“This is unbelievable,” Travis muttered to himself, reading over the latest doctor’s confirmation while guzzling down another diet Pepsi. Though it was growing late in the evening, he had one more contact he needed to make before he would call it a night—Lynn Harper. He’d wanted to personally meet with her, but he hadn’t been able to find the time during the past two days. And with Ryman Wells’s deadline for the story set at noon the following day, his time was running out for using her as another source. Dialing her number (which he’d semi-illegally obtained), he leaned back in his chair and finished off the last of his soda.
THE PHONE RANG just as Lynn was settling in to watch
Casablanca.
Along with a million other reasons to give God praise for her sight, one was that she could still enjoy curling up underneath her covers with a bowl of popcorn to watch classic movies from yesteryear.
Her first thought was that it might be a telemarketer; she’d neglected to
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