An old couple named Martha and Ernest were enjoying one of their typical nights in the comfort of their home, which was a quaint cottage in the middle of the countryside. In the living room, the lighting was kept at a low level. They watched a channel that featured a charismatic preacher who asserted that he possessed remarkable healing skills. This station was one of the ones they watched the most.
They were immediately drawn in by the booming tones of the preacher that came through the speakers as soon as they tuned in. He declared with much fervor into the camera, “My friends, I’d like to share my healing skills with each and everyone watching this program. Put one hand on the top of your television and the other hand on the area of your body that hurts, and I will cure you.
Martha, a kind senior citizen who was entering her golden years, had been suffering from excruciating stomach troubles for several weeks. She regarded this as a chance to get some reprieve from the situation. She leaned forward, resting one hand, which was trembling, on the television set and the other hand, which was trembling, on her aching tummy. Hope was in her heart.
Her devoted spouse of many decades, Ernest, saw all of this develop with a sense of concern for the well-being of his cherished wife. In order to avoid being left out of the conversation, he followed everyone else towards the television. He imitated the directions given by the preacher by placing one hand on top of the television while maintaining an intense attitude. On the other hand, he placed his other hand on his own lower abdomen, considering that it couldn’t hurt to get a little bit of an extra healing.
When Martha saw that her husband was holding his hands in an unusual position, she frowned slightly and showed a hint of frustration. “Ernest, he’s not talking about raising the dead; he’s talking about healing the sick,” she reprimanded him in a voice that was gentle but little amused.
The sound of their mutual laughter could be heard across the living room, and the tension in the space began to ease as they took comfort in the unwavering love they shared and the sense of humor that had helped them get through the years. The preacher’s assurances of a miracle healing may have piqued their interest, but the consolation they found in laughing and being with one another in that moment was the most effective soother for their spirits.