Preacher Funnies

When one of our elderly members, who was past 90 years of age, suffered a major stroke, she was unable to speak for many weeks. As I visited with her in the days and weeks afterward, her eyes would search my face as she tried to speak but could not. I would speak with her and knew she could understand my words but not respond. I prayed with her before leaving, and would ask if there was anything she wanted me to do for her. Her eyes would often fill with tears.

After many weeks, she began to regain and to redevelop her ability to use her muscles and she tried very hard to speak. There seemed to be a plea in her face as she struggled to say something. She would earnestly look up into my face and seek to speak but could not form her words clearly enough to be understood.

Finally, a day came when I began to recognize her words. With some difficulty, I heard her slowly say, "I want to ask you something." After all of the weeks of not being able to speak, she was now able to make me understand what was in her heart! At last, after all the weeks of looking up and searching my face and eyes, she was able to make her first request known to me. I said, "Of course, you may ask me anything." I took her hands and bent over so I could closely observe her face and hear her small voice. She looked up and, with a twinkle in her eyes, asked. "Do you have false teeth?"

Later, after she more fully recovered, she said she had looked at my teeth day after day while I spoke with her and wondered whether or not they were real or false. She said, "If they're false, you sure got a good fit!"

[Editor's Note: Preachers are invited to submit amusing incidents that have occurred over the years during their ministries for possible inclusion in the pages of Gospel Gazette Online. Someday, these stories may also be converted to book format.]