Several years ago, famous hypnotist Dr. Jim Wand was invited to speak to the students at Naperville, IL High School.
One student (Sophia Hart) was uneasy about having a hypnotist come to her school, fearing that it would expose over 600 students to the influences of the enemy. She shared her concerns with her father. The night before the event they asked the LORD God Almighty to confound the plans of the enemy.
On the morning of February 17th, the class of 2006 reported to the gymnasium instead of their first hour classes. They arrived ready to take the traditional senior class pictures and witness two hours of the entertainment, courtesy of hypnotist Dr. Jim Wand. One of those two things did not take place.
The night before, Jim Wand was taken to the emergency room in Madison, Wisconsin after experiencing what he thought was a heart attack. He was unable to perform in Naperville the next day. The students were informed of this near the end of first period, after the class picture had been taken.
“I was scared of the reception of the seniors to the news,” said Senior Board Sponsor Karen Quinn, who was the bearer of the bad news to them.
Quinn, as well as Senior Dean Jeff Farson requested that the seniors report to the remainder of their classes for the day, including 2nd and 3rd period which they had been previously excused from for the assembly. Farson told the students that their behavior following this setback would determine whether the assembly would be rescheduled. Nevertheless, throughout the day, 560 seniors left the school.
The school decided that the hypnotist event would not be rescheduled. The main reason was that most of the senior class left school that day after they were asked to stay, according to Quinn.
“I was disappointed because I’ve been through this assembly so many times and it’s a bonding experience for the class that they will never have.”
Many students were called out by their parents so they were technically excused. However, the administrative board, which includes all the disciplinary and student activities deans, the principal and assistant principals, and the athletic director, decided that the seniors had not acted in a way that merited the assembly to be rescheduled.
“We have to justify it to the teachers, and we can’t say we were going to pull the seniors out again after almost 600 kids were out of school,” said Student Activities Dean Jennifer Baumgartner.
They didn’t give up.
Additional attempts were made to have the hypnotist come outside of the school day such as at Senior Celebration (which is an all-night lock in for seniors that took place the weekend of April 22nd). Sophia kept praying that the Lord would intervene.
Quinn said that it was difficult to make other arrangements with Wand, who is a renowned hypnotist who travels all over the country. In fact, plans for the original senior assembly event had been made a year in advance.
“We tried to figure out other things such as having the assembly for only the kids who stayed but it would be virtually impossible to go through all the attendance records to figure that out,” Quinn said.
So it was cancelled for good.
To this day, Sophia praises the Lord God of heaven for answering her prayer to confound the enemy.
Let us pray that the Lord God of the universe would frustrate the plans of the enemy in our Church, including pro-LGBTQ+ graduation ceremonies. He is listening.
Father, I pray that you will scatter every plan and purpose against the SDA Church in Jesus’ name. These evil schemes are an attack against You—Who called us out of darkness, and gave us hope. Lord, I pray that you will be our fortress and our mighty Rock where we may dwell in Jesus’ name. Father, I pray that you will turn the schemes of evil people back on them.
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“Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city” (Psalm 55:9).