I was saved into the Charismatic movement. So my earliest experience was all about these gifts. "What gifts do you have?" "Must have some gifts." And so on.
I think they over emphasize them sometimes. Then later, I sort of rebounded back past the neutral center and got very strict about word studies. A bible church. Word and only more Word. No more goofing around and sit quietly still.
It is fascinating that you mention your wife's experience at that age. I came to faith at 18. But when I was about 6 there was an event that I will never forget. My mom left us kids alone at home. It was the 60s. No big deal!
My brother and I were in our backyard playing baseball with the neighborhood kids. There was a disputed call at 2nd base and an argument ensued. So one of the neighborhood kids picked up second base, which was a plank of wood with two nails in it on one and swung it at my brother. The nails caught him just below his eye and slit him wide open. He was bleeding very badly. While still standing there for a few seconds shocked and not knowing what to do, I looked up and my great grandmother was suddenly there. It was a small town and she lived about 10 minutes away.
She drove him to get medical help. Later on the adults were discussing this and they asked how she knew to come to our house or why did she? She said "I don't know? I just felt really strongly that I needed to go there." She was an old conservative Lutheran. She was not seeking signs or gifts or anything like that. I am not certain, but I do not think that they believe in such things??
But if you have not already done the math in your head, she HAD to have received this 'impression' and driven, or started driving, BEFORE my brother even got hit! Yeah... me too.
I am not sure if she ever fully appreciated what happened that day? All she would ever say is I left in such a hurry I forgot to turn off the water hose that she was watering the garden with when she got the impression. Returning, hours later, the garden was now a 'pond'. So she would just get embarrassed about that. And people would express amazement and ask what about the boy? And, always practical as she was, she would just say "he needed to go the doctor" and really say no more.
She witnessed a miracle, no... she PARTICIPATED in a miracle, and all she worried about was over watering the garden. LOL
But there was no way this was a mere coincidence. She said she got a strong 'impression'. (exactly how does one describe such events?) And that conservative old German Lutheran woman may not have gone around calling down fire from Heaven, but she did not tell lies!
I don't know if this is a 'gift', but it was something supernatural. And I think it would fall under the category of gifts.
She 'laid hands' on him... when picking him up and putting him into the car to drive to the doctors office! So no miraculous healing. Not even attempted. But everything we needed to take care of the situation was provided. And in a timely manner.
If it were up to me, I might trade gifts for escaping the ramifications of that ominous biblical passage. But it is not up to me.
God bless.
