It was March 5th, 1972, around 5 PM in Alexandria, Louisiana, on South MacArthur Drive near Ransbottom Drive. My Dad had a load of roofing shingles on his truck for delivery, and although the load was secured with chains, it had shifted. Dad was walking around the load inspecting it, when the chain gave way and around 2500 lbs of roofing shingles fell on top of him – crushing him.

Jerry Morgan and I frantically pulled away the roofing materials to find my dad lifeless.

The Fire dept was right across the street from where the accident happened, and the paramedics were there ASAP. They did what they could, but Dad had not taken a breath in over 8 minutes. The paramedics were shaking their heads. I will never forget the immediate response from Jerry. He raised Dad’s head in his hands, and we both began to travail to God for Dad.

Now folks, God heard the prayers!

The bubble of blood that was covering my Dad mouth burst as he began to breath again. By that time, the ambulance had arrived to carry Dad to Cabrini Hospital. They x-rayed Dad and discovered that his brain had been snapped away from the spinal column, and he had seven fractures in his skull on the right side that was almost 1/4″ wide and several inches long(You can still see where the fracture was even today). There was a hole under his right ear, which was hanging almost completely off. Spinal fluid was leaking out his nose and ears.

They said that Dad was in excellent shape and that was probably the only reason he lived. But I knew that the only reason Dad was alive was because of the prayers that went up fervently before God just a short time before!

Cabrini was not equipped, at that time, to handle the type of injury Dad had sustained. So, they sent for an ambulance to transport him to Schumpert Hospital in Shreveport, LA. However, because they had no doctor to handle the type of injury sustained, they sent him to Doctors Hospital in Shreveport, LA to see Dr. Falladay. Upon his arrival at Doctor’s Hospital, they said, “He is already dead!”

They were rolling Dad, dead on arrival, out into the hallway with a sheet over him, when Bro. GA Mangun arrived. Bro. GA stopped them and said, “I know this man, and he would want me to be with him and PRAY!” Bro. GA laid his hands on Dad and prayed, right there in the hospital hall. Dad immediately came back to life and told Bro Mangun, “Get me out of this hospital and take me home!”

They carried Dad to the ICU unit where they could watch him. He looked like freak. The muscles in his face were paralyzed so his eyes, face, mouth, and jaw were all drooping. He had black eyes, bandages on his head, and the doctors would not give him any medication due to his type of injuries. Dr. Falladay said to us, “Should he live, he will only be a vegetable. More than likely, he will never leave the hospital alive.”

They also told Dad that he would never walk again. Well, they have security cameras watching the rooms, and we were in the waiting area to get in to see Dad when the alarms went off. Doctors and nurses were running down the hall – right to Dad’s room! We thought it was over!

When they got there, Dad was standing in the doorway with his hand propped up on the wall. They said, “Mr Sanders, what are you doing?” Dad replied, “Well y’all said I would never walk again, and I wanted to show you that I can walk!” The family’s faith was regenerated!

After 30 days in Doctor’s Hospital, the staff lined the halls and entrance way, congratulating Dad as he was rolled out of the hospital going home! They said, “We never thought this would happen!”

Today(2012), Dad is 76 yrs old and continues to Pastor in Flatwoods, LA. He has pastored there for 36 years so far!

Don’t say God won’t or God can’t! He can do anything! With God all things are possible for them that will only believe!

–Michael Sanders