Branham Stories
Aunt Jemima – The Shunnamite Woman of Our Day
In Memphis one day... You've heard me tell it, I guess. I just thought of it. I was coming, singing that little song. The airplane had stopped. A storm come up the night before. And I was coming from over at--at Dallas, Texas, and it stopped at Memphis. Storm brought it down. They put me up in the big hotel, told me next morning they'd call me, seven o'clock. And I was going to mail some mail real early, about five o'clock. I didn't sleep too much. And on the road down the Holy Spirit said, "Turn and go back the other way."
I walked a little farther, and there was some reels and guns and things setting in a shop, a big old Irish cop standing there. I walked over to this reels, and looking up and down, I thought, "He's quit looking at me." I said, "Lord, was that You?" Don't you believe sons of God are led by the Spirit of God? Said, "Turn and go back the other way." I just started and went back. And I went across, went way down in south Memphis there, got amongst where the colored people live. And I was going along there, thought, "My," looked at my watch, "It's time for the plane to leave." Something just kept saying, "Go on, on." The sun was up big, you know.
I was going along there, and directly I looked, and hanging out over a little gate... And there stood a typical colored sister, looked like one of these Aunt Jemimas, her big fat cheeks hanging there. Tears was running down her cheeks; she said, "Good morning, parson."
I said, "Good morning." I said, "Auntie, how did you know I was a parson?" Now, down in the south that's what a minister's called. I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?"
She said, "Aw, I knew you was." Said, "There's one thing I just missed." Said, "You was supposed to have on a little gray suit, and a little hat put on the side of your head," said, "but where's that briefcase you had?" I'd just set it down.
I said, "Left in the hotel."
She said, "I knowed you was coming."
I said, "My name's Branham. Did you know?"
Said, "No, sir, Parson Branham, I don't know you." She said, "But did you ever hear in the Bible about that Shunammite woman?"
I said, "Yes."
Said, "You know, she--she had a baby. She was too old to have a baby, and yet she had one." And said that "Elijah, that prophet, went and told her about that baby 'cause she was kind to this prophet."
I said, "Yes, I know the story very well, auntie."
She said, "Well, I is that kind of woman." And she said, "I prayed to the Lord, me and my husband, to give us a child. I said I'd raise him like she did." And said, "He gave us a fine boy." And said, "But my boy took the wrong road." Said, "He got out amongst sinners and so forth, and went the way of the sin." And said, "He's laying in there dying. He's caught a venereal disease." And said, "He's in there dying." And said, "We didn't know it, we Christians here." And said, "It went so long till it turned into syphilitic." And said, "He's a--he's dying."
And said, "The doctor come and said that they couldn't do nothing for him. His blood was four-plus and they'd give him Salvarsan, 606, and mercury, and everything, but it didn't do no good. And it was--it was too far advanced: done eat holes in his heart." And said. "He's dying." And she said, "I just couldn't, parson, stand to see my baby die."
Said, "His father went on to work this morning." And said, "All night long I was up, and I prayed. I said, 'Lord God,' said, 'You're the same God was back in the days of Elijah.' And said, 'Now, I--I--I is the kind of a woman she was, and You give me my baby here.' And said, 'He's took the wrong road, Lord. But I've washed over boards and tried to serve You, and went to Your church, and listened to Your parsons.' And said, 'I--I tried and done everything I was told to do.'" She said, "'I don't want to see my baby die like that.'" She said, "'If...' And I said, 'Lord, what can I do?'"
And said, "I fell asleep, and I dreamed I seen you coming down the street. And when I woke up He said, 'Go out there and stand by the gate.'" And her back was still wet. She had a man's shirt tied around her head. And as I looked down there, I looked at her, I thought. "My."
She said, "Won't you come in?"
Oh, my. I opened that old gate back, a little old plowpoint hanging there for a gate weight. You know what they are. And then went on the inside. I been in kings' palaces, you know, but never was I any more welcome then I was in that little colored house that morning, little old floor, and that little old iron bedstead there, poor. But laying on the bed was a great big, fine-looking boy. Looked to be about a hundred and ninety pounds, just strong, husky. And he had the sheet in his hand, or the little thing over him, going, "Uh, uh, uh."
I said, "Good morning, sir."
"Oh," she said, "parson, he hasn't knowed nothing for three or four days." Said, "He--he thinks that--he thinks he's out in the ocean or some big place." Said, "He--he talked about it being dark. And he's in a boat, and he can't find his way back." And said, "That's what breaks my heart." Said, "If I could just hear him say he was saved."
I said, "Auntie, I pray for the sick."
She wasn't interested in that. She wanted to see that boy saved. That's what she wanted to see, that boy saved. She knew she would see him again on the other side then. She said, "Now, he's took the wrong road. Won't you pray for him?"
I said, "Well, let's pray." I said, "Well, let's pray."
So we got down, and I said, "Auntie, you pray first." Oh, my. When that dear old saint went to praying, you... It wasn't something new with her. She talked to Him like she'd talked to Him before. Yes, she did. I just felt chills run all over me like that. I thought, "O God, how did You ever lead me down here like this?" I thought, "O God, You're so wonderful."
I'd watch her, and I raised up, and watched her. And she'd, tears running down. She said, "Lord, here I am." Said, "I prayed, and You give me a dream and said this parson was coming. And waited right there." I believe God works on both ends of the line. That's...?... Said, "I waited right here till he come." And said, "Now, here he is." Said, "Lord, if I could just hear my baby say 'I--I'm saved,'" said, "it'll be all right." And she prayed, and then she stopped praying, said, "Amen." She said, "Would you pray, parson?"
I said, "Yes ma'am, sister." I put my hands over on his feet, cold.
She raised over and wiped the tears off her cheeks, like that. She kissed him on the cheek. No matter if he was in disgrace, she said, "Mama's baby." Now, see, that--that... No matter what he was, it's still her baby. See? No matter... See, that's it. You think of a mother's love. Now, but God said, "A mother might forget her baby, but I can't forget you." See? "Your name's engraved on the palms of my hands." He loves you, don't worry. If you're taking His Word, just keep on.
She knelt back down. And I put my hands on his feet. He kept saying, "Uh, uh, it's dark in here." Said, "Uh, uh, dark in here. Oh, mama."
I said, "Can't you talk to him?"
Said, "No, he don't know where he's at." Said, "He's just been going like that for days."
I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't understand that why that plane come down. Now, I'm too late. I won't catch it. And here You had me come down this way. And this sister standing out here, this little humble house. I come here just to... I don't know why I'm here, Lord. I just kept on following..."
He said, "Oh, mama. Oh, mama."
And I said, I listened a little bit, she said, "Yes, honey."
Said, "Mama, it's getting light in the room."
A little while... About a year after that I was going through to Phoenix. I come on a train. You know how sandwiches are on train; they're so high, and little bitty things. So we pulled into Memphis, and I jumped off, get me a sack full of hamburgers to last me till I got about to Phoenix. And so... We'd be that day and that night. And I could get them there for about fifteen cents apiece, you know. And was I go get me a sack full of hamburgers... And I went to get me... Run down like that. And I heard somebody or another, "Hello there, Parson Branham." I looked right over, a little redcap standing over there. I said, "Hello, there. How are you, brother?" Kept on going.
He said, "Wait a minute." Said, "Don't you know me?"
And I said, "No, I don't believe I do, brother."
He said, "You 'member one time," said, "you come down to my house," and said, "my mama was standing out at that gate waiting down over here, or something?"
I said, "You're not that boy?"
Said, "Yes, I am." He said, "I--I not... I's healed." Said, "The--the--the doctor done said I's well." And said, "Not only that, but I'm saved now."
What is it? Listen, friends. God works on both ends of the line. That same God Who could say to that woman, that Shunammite, the same God Who could speak and say to that woman at the well, "Go, get your husband." That same woman could touch His garment to turn Him around in that midst of that people; He's God.
Let me show you something. I have... I've noticed some colored people back there in the back, I believe, and two, three brethren setting here. I don't say this now. See?.. But look, any grace of God (not to the potentates and monarchs), but to a poor, illiterate colored woman living in a little haunt down there, the grace of God that could hold that plane down there...
And listen, after I left that house I went out and caught a cab to go back. I was about two and a half hours late. And I said, "Drive me on over to the cab station." No from cab--not cab station, but airport. I said, "I've got to catch a plane when I can." Now, it was back there right after the war and you couldn't hardly get a plane. When I walked in, got inside, said, "Last call, Louisville, Kentucky."
What was it? God, for the faith of that woman that maybe didn't know her ABC's... Yet she knowed her ABC's: Always Believe Christ. See? For that woman, poor, illiterate woman, hardly knowed where the next meal was coming from. But her sincerity to the God that she loved could ground that plane, and hold that plane until the prayer of faith was prayed over her boy; and could take a man and move him so I couldn't go up in the plane; the Spirit of God turning you around. No matter how you try to go, it turns you back. You get God in you, brother, you can't walk that other road; something turns you around. Held that plane there for that... That's the same God that's in this building tonight. You believe it? Put on the full armor of God. You believe Him?"
