The Guitar Player

Tom (not his real name) was a guitar player. Whether or not he’ll play again remains to be seen. I found him in the emergency room screaming in pain. My new friend is a guitar picker by night and works a manufacturing job by day. He was helping to move a large sheet of Plexiglas several inches thick, weighing close to 500 pounds, when it crashed to the ground on top of his fingers.

The report I got from the nurse said the index and middle fingers on his right hand were completely crushed. The term she used was ‘filleted.’ They wrapped his hand, started IV antibiotics, gave him some Dilaudid, and called us. He was being transferred to a trauma center for surgery to repair what was left of his picking fingers. Pain control was the only thing on his mind.

“Well, at least it’s not my fretting hand,” he joked. I told him he could learn to use the other fingers to hold the pick. He agreed, but then he said, “Hey…I’m 30 years old, maybe my best playing days are behind me.” I said I was 20 years older than him and I was just beginning. And besides, if he didn’t get healed of something, this would just be another depressing, forgettable story.

I reviewed his medical information and asked what medications he took. He gave me the names of three blood pressure pills then added, “…and I take Vicodin and Soma.”

Vicodin is a narcotic pain reliever and Soma is a muscle relaxer. This combination is frequently used to treat chronic back pain. And as you know, chronic pain is something I have a lot of faith to see healed. This information was almost as good as a word of knowledge. So I asked what he took them for.

“I have back pain all the time.”

It was the answer I was looking for. I wasn’t glad that he had back pain. I was glad he had something I had a lot of faith to see healed. Smashed fingers are something I’ve never seen healed yet, but I’ve seen a lot of back injuries healed. I knew if we could get that healed, we had a shot at getting his fingers healed.

With people who have multiple problems, consider starting with the one you have the most experience with. I often ask if people have a headache and if they say yes, I command it to leave, doing this repeatedly until it’s gone. Obtaining victory over one thing demonstrates to you and them that God is willing to heal them. After one thing is healed, move to the next and then the next, getting one thing healed at a time starting with the one you have the most faith for.

Tom told me he has back pain all the time, due to bulging L5 and L4 discs. He knew surgery was needed, but he’s been putting it off. As I talked with him, I decided to try a slightly different approach. I usually command back pain to leave, but this time I was curious to know if he could be healed just by God’s presence and a testimony.

I invited the Holy Spirit to bring His presence near and talked with Tom about people I’ve seen healed in the past. I placed my hand on his hip then shared the dream about the man with severe crushing injuries who was healed by the presence of God, without me praying for him. He said that would be cool. I asked how his back felt now.

“Now you’re creeping me out… I can’t feel any pain in my back.” I asked him to move around a little to make sure. There was no pain.

So I asked how bad the pain was in his hand. It was still severe. I placed my hand so that I was barely touching the gauze bandages and commanded the spirit of pain to leave and for the blood vessels, nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles to be healed and asked how he felt.

“There was a really bad, burning pain going all the way through my hand, but now it’s gone. ”

I smiled and prayed again and asked how bad the pain was. He said it was much less and he felt like he could sleep. I said, “That’s cool because I don’t have anything else I need to ask you. I believe that when the surgeon takes these bandages off, your fingers are going to be as good as new. Why don’t you sleep for the rest of the trip?”

Tom was in excruciating pain when we picked him up, anxious about never playing guitar again, wondering when he’d have to go under the knife for back surgery and the rehab afterward. Twenty minutes later he was ready for a nap, resting in the peaceful presence of God.

I have the coolest job in the world.