Was it coincidence or part of the wonderful ways of God that these two men should enter the hospital on the same day? They bore the same name, they occupied in civil life similar positions, and they were scheduled for the same operation. Outwardly their lives were much the same, but inwardly the difference was infinite. What was the difference? One was a believer in the Lord Jesus and the other was simply a man of the world. On the same morning they were operated on and were returned to their beds in the same ward. From this point we learn how God began to speak to both these men.
As the effects of the anesthetic began to wear off, the agony of suffering took its place. The voice of the Christian was heard in prayer for strength and grace for himself and for his fellow-sufferer in the other bed. This was a complete revelation to the worldly one, and he questioned in his heart: "How is it possible that this man should pray for me? I cannot pray for myself! Yet he forgets his own suffering in thinking of mine.”
The days passed by and each man gradually grew stronger. Their intercourse became more confidential, and many, many times God's way of salvation was the subject of conversation. The Christian yearned for the conversion of his new friend. When they were permitted to get up and sit in a wheel chair, the Christian made his way to the piano in the center of the ward. He had a pleasing tenor voice and soon everyone was listening as he sang a well known hymn:
"There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,
Where the blest Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.”
He was too weak to sing all the song, but many eyes were wet with tears as his voice expressed what he felt in the words:
"We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear,
But we believe it was for us,
He hung and suffered there.”
The hymn and his previous testimony entered into the heart of his fellow sufferer. When they were at last discharged from the hospital they parted with sincere regret, promising to keep in touch.
The days that followed were often days of suffering for them both, but the Christian had Christ for his strength and comfort. His friend endured his pain stoically, but recalled again and again the solemn and serious talks in the ward. He remembered gratefully the Christian's prayers for him and realized in his own soul that he was moving toward the light.
A couple of weeks later after a very uncomfortable day and a restless night, in the light of early morning, a sense of God's love flooded his soul. He waked his wife as he cried out, "I believe it was for me He hung and suffered there.”
It was indeed glad news the Christian received in a letter from his friend telling of his conversion. As soon as he could he went to see this newborn soul, to rejoice with him in their oneness now in Christ.