When I was in university
my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer.
And he was always very peaceful
very loving
and he was
he was a big man.
He enjoyed eating
but when he was diagnosed with cancer
He was taken to the hospital
and he started to lose a lot of weight.
And he got to be so skinny.
that it was kind of like a skeleton with a little bit of skin on
And he...
I went to see him with my father
And my father said he had tried to kill himself in the hospital
because it was in so much pain
in the advanced stages of cancer.
And so I went to see him
And they had him strapped like an animal
Strapped in bed.
He couldn't even move.
I guess because he had tried to kill himself they...
they strapped him in there.
And he was angry.
And he had quit talking
He wasn't speaking anymore
But I could see in his eyes he was angry.
And so I got on one side of him, and my dad got on the other side of him
And and he started looking at me. And I could tell he was communicating with me
And he was using his eyes 'cause he refused to speak.
And so he kept looking at me and then he'd look at the straps
Me. Straps. Me. Straps.
So I just said to my dad, "I'm taking the straps off."
And my dad said, "I don't know what the doctors... we're in a hospital."
I said, "I don't care."
He does not want to be strapped down. And if these are his last hours...
I don't want to see him strapped down like an animal
I'm taking the straps off.
So I started taking the straps off—my dad helped me. He said, "Okay!" and we took off the straps.
And he got a look of relief immediately
He started to move; maybe move his body for the first time
He moved around, moved around. He got softer, more calm...
And then he looked at me.
And he smiled!
He still wasn't speaking but he smiled at me
It was my grandpa. And he said...
He said, "Pull me up, boys!" He spoke!
He spoke to me and my father. "Pull me up boys! Throw me around the room!"
He always had such a sense of humor!
And so I helped his back move; I helped him get up.
And oh, he was so full of relief!
I set him back down. Then...
"Pull me up again, boys!" So I
He just wanted to move. I pulled him up and down.
This went on for a little while.
And then an announcement came over the speakers
at the hospital:
"Visiting hours are over.
"All non-medical personnel must leave the hospital."
So I had to hug him and kiss him, and
I felt this is probably the last time I'll see him.
And as I left the room
I looked back, and they were strapping him up again.
And I got to see his face.
And I could see on his face that he was
Very upset.
So I went home.
And I prayed.
And I said, "God...
"If You had anything to do
"with what I just perceived.
"I want nothing to do with You!
"Nothing!"
I said to God, "I won't even have lunch with You!"
And God spoke to me.
And He said, "Oh, my beloved
"My beloved child.
"I had nothing to do
"with what you just perceived.
"But you need help.
"You need a lot of help
"And I'm here to help you
"But you have to be willing."