- The Right Place @ The
Right Time
- Or
- Was That Heaven Passing
By?
Only the
few remnant fans of the old “Rocky & Bullwinkle” show could appreciate a
title like the one above. As well as revealing age and previous past times of
days long-gone-by, some questions are simply rhetorical.
Today
I write with great caution, desiring to firmly walk a tight rope between “giving
God all the Glory,” and avoiding at all cost the exploitation of God’s
infinite grace and mercy for personal recognition or gain. Therefore I will “tread
lightly” in relating this awesome testimony for the sake of all born-again,
Spirit-filled believers everywhere doing the works of Jesus in the hidden,
secret places called “everyday life” without recognition from anyone save
Heaven itself.
Just
Another Day In The Kingdom
September
23, 2008 was just another day at the Bremen Food Bank in West GA. It has become
a haven of “third world miracles in a first world nation” for us for over a
year now. Now, every 4th Tuesday of the month we are privileged to
minister to less fortunate folks who come for supplemental groceries. Our time
for “devotionals” is limited to around 35 minutes. We share a brief, simple
message on the goodness of God and minister to the sick, usually through words
of knowledge, but not limited to that.
This
isn’t in any way a “church service” so bear that in mind. There isn’t
any choir, organ “prelude”, or 3 verses of “Just As I Am” at the close.
It is desperate people in need of desperate help. Many of whom have never even
seen a church from the inside. (Unfortunately, often that works to our
advantage!)
Rebecca
Downer sat less than 3 feet away from me on the front row that particular
Tuesday. A single mom attempting to provide for her daughters alone, while
combating the lingering results of a former stroke that hinders her speech from
coinciding with what her mind is attempting to say.
Becky,
as she prefers to be called, watched in awe as a woman, totally deaf in her left
ear, began to hear. It was more than just a “healing”, it was a creative
miracle as the lady testified her eardrum had been removed by surgery. Becky
continued to watch intensely as the next miracle took place from a woman who had
damaged her L-6 lumbar in an accident. The pain, which had been intense,
immediately left.
At
that point I noticed a nurse who volunteers at the Food Bank as well, got up
from three seats over and stood in front of Becky and asked her, “Are you
alright?” I knelt down in front of Becky as her eyes rolled back in her head.
Sixteen former years of firefighter/emergency medical tech training kicked in. I
called for administration to summon 911 help immediately.
As I continued attempts to
communicate with Becky it was obvious she was in serious condition. Within a
couple of minutes of in-and-out of consciousness, she let out a long heavy moan,
and her head fell to her chest. The nurse and I both confirmed she was “asystole”
– without palpable heartbeat, and without respirations. In essence, she
died.
By
The Book
This is
where legalist, skeptics, and non-believers alike, can all jump in and pull the
old, “Well, if she wasn’t pronounced dead by a Doctor it doesn’t count”
or, the “text book definition of clinical death says, blah, blah, blah.” So,
if you fall into that category feel free at this point to drop this report in
your “trash bin.” If, however, you are mildly interested, please continue.
(smiley face, smiley face)
Again,
we made sure 911 was contacted and more advanced paramedics were on the way. We
called for some assistance to help remove her body to the lobby to be more
accessible to emergency help when they arrived. At that point, I placed my hand
on Becky’s chest and said with authority, “IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS!”
Becky’s head came up off
her chest with a deep inhalation of air. The nurse standing next to me which had
witnessed all of this exclaimed matter-of-factly, “She just came back from
somewhere!” Still, looming in and out of consciousness we stayed with her
until the ambulance arrived.
Two days later we followed
up with her at the hospital. Upon entering her room it was obvious she was
delighted to see us grinning from ear to ear. With her daughters present in the
room with her she was reluctant to talk about her ordeal in front of them. After
going through a barrage of hospital test, she was being released, not having
found anything wrong with her physically. After a brief visit I told her I would
catch up with her later.
Two weeks to the day all of
this happened I stood and talked with Becky and her oldest daughter in the Food
Bank parking lot. When she saw me she started dancing the “twist” while her
face beamed a smile that told it all. While she couldn’t put into words what
had happened to her, she was very adamant to me that she indeed died. Full of
emotions she slapped her chest while indicating to me, “But, you brought me
back.”
So that we are all on the
same page let’s be real here, Jesus alone is the Savior, Healer, and
Deliverer. Nevertheless, He creates Divine appointments that through us, all of
us, we can display the Kingdom of God – Come! Here, now for all to see.
The
demonstration of the power of God, in His love and mercy, that Tuesday preached
more volumes than all the sermons I could ever muster. We owe the world more
than a formula of “how to do church.” We owe them an encounter with the
living God.
Meaning:
It's always the right place and the right time.
Becky
D. After her "brush with death!"
Becky's told us over and
over, "Everything is different now." How can you put into
perspective the difference between here and now, and eternity?
