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Blessing Through Tragedy
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Bob Johnston
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Nov 07, 2003 04:06 PST
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Blessing Through Tragedy
On August 16, 1999 we received the phone call that everyone fears. My
brother Jim, had fallen from a tree, the distance equivalent to a 7 1/2
story building, and was being rushed to Jonesboro Arkansas for emergency
surgery. Upon arriving at the hospital the paramedics, whom we knew
well, living in a small town, came up to us and told us a remarkable
story that blessed us even though the situation was grim.
They told us that on the helicopter ride, they had lost Jim for several
minutes and that he didn’t lose consciousness after the fall. He was
praying when his heart stopped, and when they brought him back several
minutes later, he was still praying the same prayer!
The paramedics said they knew that Jim had been somewhere else praying
while gone, that they felt he had been in the presence of God that few
minutes .The doctors came out and told us that Jim was very critical.
They didn’t understand how he had even survived the fall and they only
gave him an hour to live, if that long.
Jim had been a devout Christian for 26 yrs ,never looking back after he
accepted the Lord and many of his denomination called him a fanatic.
PTL!! We stayed at the hospital for 9 1/2 days praying for Jim. There
were so many people there, friends, family, etc, that they gave us a
waiting room all to ourselves. At any time during those 9 1/2 days, any
hour, if someone came in, someone was praying. The doctor listened to
all the stories people told him about things Jim had done for the Lord
and he began to believe that Jim was going to survive also. This doctor
stayed some days 22 hours, working on Jim. The y never let him come to
because they said the pain would be too intense, that all of his organs
were crushed. But we knew he could hear us because he would squeeze my
hand when I asked him if he wanted me to pray.
Gangrene began to set in on Jim's hands and feet and in a few hours it
had gone from his fingers and toes, to his knees and wrists. They began
to talk about amputation. My other brothers kept saying that Jim would
rat her be with the Lord. We had been praying all along God's Will in
this, so we increased our prayers.
We heard over the intercom when they called a code blue on him and
rushed to I.C.U. They lost Jim 6 times in less than an hour and brought
him back. The doctor came and asked us what we wanted them to do
because, though my name was the one on his right to life form, he had
stated that he didn’t want to be on life support if his brain was dead.
That was the only organ that wasn’t dead, so his form didn’t apply.
We told them that we knew where Jim was going, where he had been headed
for 26 years; home to be with the Lord. So the next time his heart
stopped, they let him go on home to be with Jesus and our loved ones who
had gone on before.
The most precious thing we learned after this was that one of the
paramedics had accepted the Lord after seeing Jim die in that helicopter
ride and come back praying the same prayer. He said that the most
awesome feeling came over everyone in that helicopter and they all knew
that Jim had been somewhere else praying!
This was such an awesome testimony to me that this wonderful brother,
just doing what he always did, praying had helped this man find God. He
would be so blessed by knowing this and, I think he does know.
We miss him but know that we will be together again one day. I praise
the Lord for giving us this peace and comfort in His promises to us.
By DJ French 8/12/03
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/l/lighthouse4j/
When life isn't a bed of roses, remember who wore the thorns.
God bless you DJ
Also remember, amateurs built the Ark; professionals built the Titanic.
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May you be blessed today
Bob Johnston
Sand Dollar Publisher
Minneapolis
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