Moments with Meryl
by Meryl Langley

A few months ago, my uncle was diagnosed with cancer at the back of his throat. It was a very sombre moment when he told me. "What have I done to deserve this?" he asked. I went to visit him and my aunt two days later, having given a lot of thought to what I wanted to say. I needed to talk about God and particularly about becoming a Christian. I set off on the short fifteen-mile drive armed with a tract called, "Journey into Life." It hardly sounded appropriate under the circumstances, did it?

I was feeling more nervous than I could have believed possible and thought, "This is so difficult–to address the issue of death when Uncle has been told that without surgery he may only live another six months." This felt like MY burden. "Well, Meryl, nothing has changed–there is no independent me to carry a burden; this is Christ/Meryl living. And Jesus Christ is perfectly capable of the task in hand." Page’s tape "Life is Difficult" was in the car, so I played it. at a tremendous relief and help to hear her familiar voice reinforcing the truth.

I walked up the path to their home saying, "This is Jesus Christ in Meryl form doing this, and now, God, it’s up to you." At first there were tears and my aunt (who is housebound) was very distressed. "Why does it always happen to our family," was her cry. "It doesn’t," said my uncle. "I saw people in wheelchairs, physically and mentally disabled in town only yesterday. It’s just our turn." He then went on to tell me all he had done over the years in the village church where they once lived. I took a breath and thought, This is it–Christ/I will say this. "Do you think then, Uncle, that will make you right with God?" He sobbed and said, "Yes." Not being swayed by emotion, I said, "Uncle, as difficult as it is for me to tell you this, the fact is it does not make you right with God. But I can tell you the way that does." I went on to simply present the Gospel to him and asked him to think about what I said and to read the tract I had brought.

I telephoned Uncle the day before his admission to the hospital and asked if he had trusted the Lord as his Saviour. He said, "I have, and I read the booklet seven times!" The night before his operation, my Uncle was told that the situation was worse than originally thought. He would lose his voice, need skin and bone grafts, and the surgery would take eight hours. Uncle re-read the tract ten times before going to surgery and told God he was trusting Him.

The following evening, he was back in his room, partly conscious. The operation took only four hours, no skin or bone grafting was necessary, and Uncle would not lose his voice. Next day the surgeon visited and told Uncle he had gotten rid of all the cancer and that he would live for many more years yet.
 
Uncle thanked the surgeon for his skill but wrote down a message saying it was due to God. "You’re a fine Christian man, Mr. M." "Yes, I am" whispered Uncle.

Four months later, Uncle (now 75) is recovered, having regular check-ups and able to look after his wife again. He is also regularly visiting his 80-year-old sister in hospital, as well as managing the household chores!!

I gave him a Gideon’s Psalms and New Testament which he reads. He keeps it on a small table on top of a rather grubby copy of "Journey into Life."