He says he felt God's healing touch — His recovery astounded doctors
Christopher Gunderson's life was dominated by a debilitating condition from birth, chronic pseudo-obstruction syndrome, which rendered him unable to absorb nutrients through normal digestion.
At a 2011 prayer event, a significant turning point occurred when Christopher felt an unexplainable sensation after being prayed over by ministry leader Bruce Van Natta, leading to stunning improvements in his health, The Christian Post reported.
From the moment of his birth, Christopher faced immense challenges. His stomach was virtually paralyzed, a condition known as complete gastroparesis, preventing the normal movement of food into his small intestine. His parents and doctors went through numerous studies and diagnostic tests to confirm this diagnosis.
Gunderson lived with severe daily complications, including painful bile backflows causing heartburn. He frequently had to drain the bile throughout the day and night to manage the discomfort, a procedure that became a regular part of his life for 16 years.
A Life Dependent on Medical Tubes
Reliance on medical technology became the norm for Christopher. Two critical tubes were installed; one decompressed his stomach while another connected to his small intestine to supply necessary nutrition. These measures, however, came with their risks, leading to repeated infections and critical health crises that made his future uncertain.
Gunderson grew up in a Christian household but maintained a healthy skepticism towards modern miracles, despite his religious background. This perspective began to shift dramatically after encountering Bruce Van Natta at a church event in 2011. Van Natta, who had experienced his miraculous recovery, shared his story, which resonated deeply with Christopher's mother.
She felt a divine prompting to talk to Van Natta about her son. Responding to this feeling, she approached him and shared Christopher’s longstanding health struggles.
A Prayer That Changed Everything
The pivotal moment came when Van Natta prayed for Christopher. During the prayer, Christopher experienced a powerful sensation that he described as an electric shock that seemed to jumpstart his stomach functionality. “I felt this lightning bolt electric shock go from my right shoulder down through my abdomen, and I felt like God jumpstarted my stomach back up with a shock,” he recalls.
This profound experience was not merely emotional but had immediate physical manifestations. For the first time in his life, Gunderson ate an entire meal without the aid of feeding tubes, and without the pain that had been so integral to his daily existence. Remarkably, he continued to experience improvement over the following days and weeks.
Not only could Christopher eat normally, but his overall health began to stabilize significantly. Eventually, he was able to completely wean off the feeding tubes that had been so essential for his survival for over a decade and a half.
Medical Mystery and Renewed Faith
The medical community, while pleased with the outcome, could not definitively explain Christopher's sudden and dramatic recovery. His story, however, has been a testament to his renewed faith and deepened personal relationship with God. He previously viewed God as a distant figure, but his experiences changed that perception to a more personal and communicative relationship.
“Before my tubes, I saw God as this higher being that’s just kind of up there, and not having a deep, meaningful relationship with us. And now, I have this inner dialogue with Him,” Gunderson explained. This new perspective has not only transformed his health but also his spiritual life.
Christopher is adamant about sharing his miraculous experience to inspire others. “If you heal me, I will not be quiet about it. I’ll tell anyone and everyone about this testimony, about this miracle that you did for me,” he promised during the prayer that changed his life.