Today’s witness is a friend, Bruce & his wife, Alice, whom I met through email back in November of 2023. The Holy Spirit led Bruce to my podcast, and as he listened, he heard the call for people to share their stories, and he decided to do a Witness Wednesday. His first witness is episode #619. If you haven’t heard it, I invite you to listen to it today. It is really good. Bruce has made a career for the past thirty years as a head scenic artist, art director, and designer in the professional theatre business.  For the past five years, he has also had a studio on James St. N., where he produced his own artwork.  He is known and loved by many in the community for his work teaching the PMC art class for over a decade, as well as a more recent class for seniors at the YWCA.  

In the first witness, Bruce talks about how he lost his sight sort of gradually, and then he went to a healing service and was healed. However, in the morning, he could no longer see again. After hearing his witness, I asked Bruce if I could pray over him. He said yes, and I called him and his wife and prayed with them. His sight was not restored, but he felt encouraged by the Lord. I continued to pray for Bruce, and we kept in touch.

Several months later, while talking to the Lord, I felt like the Lord told me it was time to pray for Bruce again. I had prayed that the Lord be with Bruce as he was frustrated and confused. I heard the Lord tell me that He would heal him, both his eyesight and his Spirit. He said that Bruce would have a personal encounter with Jesus, and then He would heal him, and He would go on to use his painting to bring God’s love to others. I asked the Lord if He could give me a word of knowledge, anything I could share with Bruce and Alice to build their faith. I heard that Bruce would wear blue pants and a red shirt.

The Lord went on to tell me about what Bruce could do if he gained his sight back and then lost it like the last time. The Lord told me several things to tell Bruce to help put his mind at ease that this wouldn't happen again, yet if it did, what Bruce could do to get it back. I shared all of that with Bruce, and he was very encouraged. Below is His testimony as to what happened the night that I prayed over him for healing. In March, Alice and I were on an evening phone call with Catherine. Previous to this call, a week or so earlier, I asked the Lord if there was any information or help he could reveal to me as I was feeling somewhat stuck spiritually. 

 I asked for something from scripture, a word of help, or knowledge from someone. I would then be open to receiving something in the near future.  Within a few days, I received an email from Catherine in which she said she had received some knowledge to pass along to me.  God had told her that I would have an encounter with Him regarding my healing. 

He also told her what color I would be wearing as a means of verifying the truth of this knowledge. We agreed to have a follow-up phone call. My immediate thought was to wear a red tartan shirt during the phone call, but I changed my mind because I second-guessed that God would not choose such a shirt. I went with a green shirt instead. On the phone Catherine said " red" and I explained my change of mind to her. I should have trusted my first choice. We then prayed. Catherine called on the presence of Jesus. Alice and I were sitting in our living room. I felt a change in the atmosphere in the room.  I knew Jesus was there in spirit, and I had a sense that He was in front of me. Catherine's praying faded away as I entered a meditated state. I sensed someone sitting beside me. I leaned my head and shoulder into this presence beside me. It felt like a cloak around me. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of peace and love and felt like I was leaning into the safest place of all. It seemed to last for several minutes before it faded, leaving me in a state of joy. Although God did not speak to me audibly, He gave me great assurance of faith and presence with me. 

      No, I was not healed of my blindness, but I have learned in faith to continue believing for healing with hope in the Lord. It is important for us to remember that God's ways and time are not the same as ours. 

    I have been so blessed by these demonstrations of faith and love, which God gives me just when they are needed. I wish this to be everyone's experience as well.  

Wasn’t that an amazing witness? Imagine having the presence of Jesus sitting right next to you. Imagine being able to lay your head on His shoulder. I remember Bruce saying it was such an amazing experience that he didn’t want to move. He just wanted to sit right where he was. I was very happy for Bruce as he told me that he had always longed to have this sort of experience with the Lord. He knows God is always around, but he longed to feel his presence or to see him as others had. Tonight, that dream came true.

I am going to be honest with you. As happy as I was for Bruce, I was also disappointed. I truly felt like the Lord was going to heal his eyesight. I felt like the Lord had told me that he would, so I was upset that Bruce still could not see. The next morning, when the Lord and I were talking, I was honest with Him. I explained that I was disappointed because I felt like He told me that Bruce would be healed and He wasn’t, and I didn’t think that was fair. I felt like He let Bruce down because I told him he would be healed, and then he wasn’t.

God replied most gently. He said, Catherine, go back and read what I told you. I always journal our conversations so I can go back and re-read them. When I went back to reread, I saw that God had told me that Bruce would have a personal encounter with Him and he would be healed. I assumed the two would happen at the same time, but God did not say that. He assured me that Bruce would be healed but in God’s timing, not mine. This was reassuring, but I still wish it could have been at the same time. I know Bruce will see again. I know God’s timing is perfect, and yet I just want it to be now. I just want him to be able to see and paint again. I will continue to pray, and I ask all of you to join me in that prayer as well. Bruce and his wife Alice are coming to MA in the summer. I get to meet them in person for the first time in July, and I am so excited to get to meet them and hopefully get to pray over them in person. Thank you, Bruce and Alice, for reaching out and for staying in contact. Thank you for being amazing people and for spreading the light of Christ to all those you meet. I look forward to meeting you this summer! What I look forward to even more is when you give your witness as to how the Lord healed your eyesight! I can’t wait to celebrate with you on that momentous occasion!!

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