Meet Roger Barrett. He came to our office for the first time just this week, and I had no idea he was about to change my life.
Roger was diagnosed with bladder cancer back in 2009. The doctors told him they could treat it, but if it spread beyond the bladder, there wouldn’t be much they could do. Sadly, by 2010, the cancer had spread. The news was heartbreaking. He was told he had only five years to live. Still, Roger chose to fight and went through every treatment offered, but the side effects became severe. The infections were so bad that his doctors had to stop the treatments altogether.
That December, with his health in decline, Roger carried on with his favorite tradition. Every year, he decorates his home with more than 150,000 lights to share the real meaning of Christmas. He opens his doors to anyone who wants to visit, offering hotdogs and marshmallows for free around a fire pit.
One Saturday night, as Roger was helping park cars in his backyard, a couple arrived. They stood out from the crowd. The woman wore an elegant white coat and the man wore a suit. They stayed for over two hours, enjoying the lights. As they were leaving, they told Roger, “This is the most beautiful Christmas display we have ever seen. We saw Jesus more than once tonight.” Roger smiled and said, “Yes sir, that’s exactly what it’s about.”
The man then asked about Roger’s electric bill. Roger told him it usually ran between 750 and 800 dollars. The man looked at him and said, “You have some health issues too, don’t you?” Surprised, Roger admitted, “Yes, I do. I have bladder cancer, and the doctors have given me five years.” The man asked if they could pray for him. Roger agreed.
As they prayed, Roger never felt them touch him, but he said it was like floating, his feet swinging gently back and forth. When they finished, the man told him, “Do not think about that cancer again. God told me He has His hand on you. And do not stop doing this light display. God told me He is going to take care of it.”
Roger was amazed by their kindness and hurried to tell his wife. But when he described the couple, she looked puzzled. “Honey, no couple like that was here tonight,” she said. None of the other guests remembered seeing them either.
A few days later, Roger went to the hospital for a biopsy. The very next morning, his phone rang. It was his doctor. “Are you sitting down, Roger?” he asked. Roger braced himself. The doctor continued, “I don’t have the answers, but you are cancer free.”
Roger was speechless and handed the phone to his wife. The doctors ran more tests, but every result came back clear. There was no cancer left.
Weeks later, the utility bill arrived. His wife opened it and said, “This has to be a mistake. Our total bill for all three meters is only 187 dollars.” Roger smiled and said, “There is no mistake. God took care of it.”