Six doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed my grandmother with an enlarged heart and confirmed that she had six months to live. She was 51. In spite of the doctors’ prognostication, God had a miraculous plan for her life that would grant her almost 50 more years.
My grandfather was opposed to everything religious. He had enough money that he and my grandmother could live anywhere they wanted. When she was diagnosed, he tried to buy my grandmother good health. Instead, the doctors told him to move to a locale with a mild climate and make her last days as comfortable as possible.
So they moved to Los Angeles, just a taxi ride away from Angelus Temple.
Although they had never heard of Aimee Semple McPherson or Angelus Temple, that was all about to change when they heard “Sister” preach on KFSG, the radio station she established in 1924.
Sister McPherson had garnered quite a reputation as a miracle worker. Crowds would gather by the thousands, multiple times each week, just to experience the spectacular services and the miracles that took place there.
My grandmother decided to take a cab to Angelus Temple and see firsthand what it was all about. When she arrived, the service had already started, and an usher told her the only seat left in the auditorium was in the center section, main floor, directly in the middle.
Angelus Temple had theater seats, and everyone seated in her row had to stand to allow her to pass by and get to her seat. It was indeed directly in the middle of Angelus Temple.
But she made the effort and climbed over all the other people to find her place.
A Life-Changing Miracle
My grandmother was completely surprised when she realized Sister McPherson had stopped the service and was looking her way. Naturally, all 5,000 people in the place strained to see what had caught Sister’s attention.
From the pulpit, she spoke in a kind and sincere voice. She said, simply, “Honey, the Lord has just healed you.”
My grandmother’s recollection is that the enlarged heart began to immediately change. She said the feeling was as though someone had punctured it with a pin, and the pressure was gone.
She lived to be 99 years and 9 months old—and lived out her days in vigorous health.
She always remembered how God had touched her, and she became a staunch prayer warrior. She prayed for me, that I would accept Christ, go to Bible college and become a minister of the Foursquare Gospel.
Ripples of Transformation
I can’t say her prayers were answered quickly. But like ripples of water that surround a rock thrown into a pond, my grandmother’s miracle eventually brought personal transformation to my life, as well.
Though it took a number of years before I accepted Christ, my grandmother made the most of every opportunity when I was small to take me to Angelus Temple. One day, Sister McPherson noticed me waiting for my grandmother. I’ll never forget it. She looked at me and reached down to pick me up.
She looked me square in the eye and asked, “Are you Mrs. Cox’s grandson?”
I nodded my head.
She said sweetly, “I just love you!”
And with my noticeable 6-year-old lisp, I responded, “I love you too, ‘Thithter’!”
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