Early in my two and a half year stint in the Finance Division of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), I fell ill. I experienced fever, some nausea and abdominal pain that increased in intensity.

This was three or four years into the revival that I experienced. I had read books and heard sermons on divine healing. I prayed and had faith that I would be healed supernaturally by God’s power. I was believing God despite the symptoms that refused to subside. In fact, the symptoms became worse. I began to vomit.

My dear mother had been telling me to go to the clinic from the beginning, but I simply refused, telling her that it was not that serious and that it would go away. However, she could see I was not improving, and the last straw was when I began to vomit. She insisted I see a doctor, and I finally relented.

We went together to a clinic at Jalan Teck Whye. The doctor saw me and immediately called for an ambulance. He said I needed an emergency operation. I was sent to Singapore General Hospital. There, I underwent an appendicitis operation. I stayed there for a few days.

A nurse told me that I was mumbling in some strange language. I forgot whether it was before the operation or after the operation. I was definitely speaking in tongues.   

Till today, I see the two-inch scar on the right-hand side of my abdomen. It is an ugly scar. I probably contributed to the suturing skill of a surgical trainee in the hospital.

I was an army private and recovered in a C-class ward. Mindef paid the medical bills. Of course, it had to! I was doing my obligatory National Service.

I am grateful to my mother for her love and wisdom; to the doctors, surgeons and nurses for probably saving my life.

Ultimately, it was God who saved me. I thank God for the precious lesson that was etched in my body and soul: God is God, and I am not. Always be open to how God wants to heal us: whether supernaturally by an instantaneous or gradual healing, or a combination of medical means and God’s grace.

In my case, I wanted a supernatural healing, but God knew I needed surgery.

POSTSCRIPT (30/10/25): I had an idea and posted on Google: “speaking in tongues and anaesthesia” and this is what the AI overview stated: “This refers to a rare phenomenon called Foreign Language Syndrome (FLS) where a patient spontaneously begins to speak a language they previously learned but can no longer recall, following a procedure under anaesthesia. This is distinct from the religious practice of glossolalia and is often temporary, resolving on its own within about 24 hours. The exact cause is unclear, but it is associated with the use of anaesthetics and the post-operative state.”

I found this interesting because I was unsure whether what happened was before or after the operation. This confirmed I had a post-operation experience. But was it the FLS phenomenon or speaking in tongues? I was confident it was speaking in tongues because the nurse said that I also called “Jesus, Jesus”.

Could it be, and I am speculating here, that speaking in tongues is an unconscious language ability innate in humans but activated by the power of the Holy Spirit?

I would love to hear your comments.