One of My Favorite Smith Wigglesworth Stories

One night when Smith Wigglesworth was praying for people at a meeting in England a young man came up to him. The young man had bandages covering his neck with a feeding tube sticking out. Wigglesworth, as usual, spoke loudly in his harsh Yorkshire accent, "What's up?" That was Wigglesworth's way of asking, "What's your story?" The young man replied very faintly in a voice just above a whisper that he had surgery on his voice box and now could only eat through a tube. The boy then meekly asked if there was anything that God could do for someone like him. Wigglesworth responded in a bellow, "Of course He can - unless He has forgotten how to make voice boxes!" He put his hands on the boy's throat and prayed. He then told the boy to go straight home and eat a meal of meat and potatoes. The young man said that would be impossible since he could only be fed through the tube and that he was completely unable to swallow. Wigglesworth put his hands on the boy and turned him around. He gave him a gentle push and said, "Go on your way and do as you are told. Be not faithless, but believing."

The next evening the young man returned. He came forward still wearing the bandages on his throat. Wigglesworth looked at him and asked, "What are you doing here? I prayed for you last night." The young man said that he wanted to tell him what happened the night before. Wigglesworth immediately turned the young man around to face the congregation and told him to tell the everyone his story. The young man said that he went home and did what was asked of him. He asked his mother to make him a meal of meat and potatoes. She of course resisted due to his health restrictions. He explained to her that the preacher told him that he must eat meat and potatoes. That convinced his mother enough to begin cooking. Once the food was finally in front of him he was terrified. It had been a very, very long time since he had eaten anything in the normal manner. He put the first bite into his mouth. He chewed...and he chewed...and he chewed. Finally he tried to swallow and succeeded. There was no pain! He ate that plate of meat and potatoes and then croaked out still in a voice barely above a whisper that he would like another plate. His mother, while shocked, made her son more food. Then he asked for yet a third plate of meat and potatoes. After devouring the third helping, he spoke to thank his mother for her cooking. As he said "Thank You" his voice was strong and loud for the first time since the surgery. The congregation was amazed at the testimony of what God had done.

Wigglesworth listened silently until the story was finished and then asked the question that was burning in his mind. "Why are you still wearing those bandages?" The young man explained that he had an appointment at the hospital the next day to have the feeding tube removed. Wigglesworth replied, "What The Lord has begun, He can complete." He gently put each of his hands on opposite sides of the feeding tube and slowly began to draw it out of the young man's throat until it was fully removed. The people in attendance were astonished. Then Wigglesworth called for the pastor of the church and some his leadership team. He told them that what they are about to see they probably had never seen anything like it before and very well may never witness anything like it again. Wigglesworth then removed the bandages revealing a gaping hole in the young man's neck. He placed his hand on the skin of his throat and while praying pushed the skin together between his fingers. He then asked The Lord to seal what was once open. When Smith removed his hand the throat was completely whole with no signs of scarring.

This account was told on an old audio recording that I have of George Stormont, a British minister that was friends with both Smith Wigglesworth and the pastor of the church where this miracle took place. This story came not from Wigglesworth, but from the pastor that witnessed the event with his leadership team.