Doing some research on the occult, I came across an interesting story about the late Willie Rushton (co-founder of the satirical magazine Private Eye).
"Rushton died of a heart attack at Cromwell Hospital, Kensington, in 1996, aged 59. Remarkably, he had predicted this ten years earlier, presumably in jest, on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. In the first episode of series 13, which aired on July 26th, 1986, Chairman Humphrey Littleton asked the panelists to"gaze into their crystal balls" and make predictions for 1996. Rushton said, "I'm sorry you introduced this round, because I just spotted a memorial service for myself in Westminster Abbey."
Source Wikipedia.
Ten years can seem like an eternity when speaking as Rushton did, be it in 'jest' or no. Back in July 1995 the writer's mother was very ill, and I remember being upset and helpless in her hospital room. Though not yet a believer, I obviously had a notion that there is a God, and from memory prayed something like this: "God, if you are up there and can hear me, please give my mother another ten years..please!" This was a real heartfelt prayer. Several weeks later, mother made a good recovery and was soon back to normal life, but yes, you've probably guessed it, and to cut the story short, she died exactly ten years later.
The two cases above are obviously very different; what Rushton uttered that day in 'jest' pronouncing on himself a public curse, was just plain stupid; and that only to draw a few cheap laughs from the audience! In my case, thinking mother was about to die, I thanked God for those extra years. After her death that prayer came to my mind, and I thought maybe if I'd asked for fifteen or twenty years-but where does it end? Back in 1995 in that hospital room, ten years hence seemed like an eternity!
Truly a man's life "is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14.
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