#212 - SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - THE MIRACLE

Rarely do I post a serious piece on my blog.  However, I believe it is time to let you know what happened to me on Monday, October 9, 1995.  On my way home from work I was in a serious accident that should have taken my life. 

The following is the testimony that I gave in church, at the pulpit, the Sunday following the miracle.............................I have not changed a word of it, but I have added a post script.

Sights and sounds were not there,

Silence and darkness was everywhere.

It was the energy of positive prayer,

That held me close to life.

These were not the prayers of strangers,

although some I did not know;

But brothers and sisters in Christ,

fellow souls,

bound closely to me by a golden thread of God's love

that passed from them...

through Christ...

to me.

My heavenly Father chose each and every one who helped me,

either by prayer or deed

to be His earthly instruments

to hold me hear on earth.

I am here today to give God the glory for the miraculous event that occurred in my life and publicly testify as to His amazing grace.

I am relating what was TOLD to me as I remember little about that entire day.  The miraculous events were as follows:

      FIRST:  Within a few minutes after the accident a nurse from St. John's Hospital came upon the scene.  She phoned from her car to get immediated help and then attended to me.

     SECOND:  My car was complete demolished and in the shape of a large C.  My seat and the passenger seat had been crushed together and I was smashed up against the passenger door.  I was trapped in the tangled wreckage.  According to the patrolman, he had dreaded approaching the car as he was sure that no one could have survived.  He could not believe that I wasn't killed immediately.

     THIRD:  It was thought, by the people at the scene, that I was some sort of a health care professional by the way I assisted in my rescue.  I gave calm, clear information (names, phone numbers, medical information).  I even told of internal bleeding and pointed to the abdominal area adjacent to the spleen.

This is what prompted the call to life flight rather than an ambulance to a local hospital.  You see, a major artery passes through the spleen.  Every minute lost was a minute closer to bleeding to death!

The Lamar Fire Department had been called to extract me.  I don't know how long it took them to get there as they were about 20 miles away.  I had to be cut from the wreckage, and Life Flight was waiting there to whisk me away as soon as possible.

     FOURTH:  It was a busy emergency night at St. Johns.  Area surgeons had been called in to assist.  They drew names from a cup (lots) to see on whom they would work.  One of he most prestigious surgeons in Joplin drew my name.  It was his expertise that got to the problem quickly and saved my severely damaged liver.

     FIFTH:  Consider this, I was no longer driving my small white Escort.  A little over a month before my accident my mother gave me a larger, more sturdy vehicle (Oldsmobile Callis).  I have had a small vehicle for almost ten years.

     SIXTH:  The week before my accident I began to consider the effects of side impact accidents, and was actually considering a bicycle helmet and placing a firm pillow at m left side.  I even laughed about my apparent paranoia with my carpool partner.  I commented on how ridiculous I would look and that people would think I was nuts.  I gave in to my paranoia and started stuffing my purse and coat on my left side.

     SEVENTH:  The car was a shredded mess.  Glass and twisted meal was everywhere.  However, there was not one gash, cut, or abrasion on my body.  I only had two small bruises around the area of the left hip.  However, I was in critical condition from the crushing blow;
            1.  My spleen was totally destroyed and I was hemorrhaging...
            2.  My liver was severely lacerated and was hemorrhaging...
            3.  I had a concussion, broken shoulder blade, cracked ribs, and a dislocated collar bone...
            4.  The muscles in my back and neck were a mixed assortment of sprains and strains.
                  The edge of one vertebrae was chipped off...
         
Now, as to what I DO recall:

There was no pain, no anxiety, no fear.  I do not recall talking to anyone and heard only voice giving information.  I did not know until later that this voice was coming from me.

Then sometime during my unconsciousness the ATTACK began.  At first I didn't know what was happening.  I sensed things were not right because the vision before me was turning to darkness to multiple tones of grey contrasted only by many different sizes of black spots.  I felt uncomfortable, puzzled.  It was like looking into a haze that was being blown in front of my face.  But, then it turned in my direction and I knew what it was. The dark one was making his presence known.

The black spots began to move faster, 

And took on many strange ominous shapes.

Some like cinders and ashes,

Some like large birds, bats and snakes.

Then from the mist of this chaos,

Came not a light, but a dark so clear.

A distorted horned intruder,

Was rushing increasingly near.

The specter was grotesque and loathsome,

With hate burning in his eyes.

As it kept rushing headlong toward me,  

It rapidly increased in size.

I threw my defenses up against him,

yelled rebuke and cast him aside.

Then covered my self with the Lord,

And the attack began to subside.

The darkness was sucked back to nowhere,

Which is where it seemed to begin.

And the light in the air around me,

Glowed with the presence of Him.

The color of blue wrapped around me, 

With brilliant white clouds spiraling down.

Descending on me with such glory,

That I was completely spellbound.

Feelings of well being enveloped me,

An I heard a melodious sound.

Like that of a good piece of crystal,

As one runs a moist finger around.

As the clouds floated slowly toward me,

A change began to take place.

They turned into beautiful angels,

With peace and love on each face.

When I awoke days after the surgery I asked for a pen and paper and began to write down the vision before I forgot.  I would drift back into sleep only to awake and write more and then rewrite.  The above is what I wrote.  I kept telling myself,  "I must remember.  I must write it down.  I must tell."  

But, this is not the end of my story.  Since I moved into the house that I know God chose for me, a little over a year ago.  I have been asking myself why did He move me?  What did He want me to do.  I knew that something was about to happen  I even voiced this at an evening service.  I knew I was placed there for a reason and I prayed for Him to reveal what my service to Him would be.  I excitedly awaited His answer. 

The answer came in the hospital, right in the middle of one of my writing frenzies.  It was a clear as the crystal like sound of the angels.

            

"I MOVED YOU NOT FOR WHAT YOU COULD DO FOR ME, 

BUT, 

FOR WHAT I HAD TO DO FOR YOU."

I tingled, I shook, I cried, I was confused, I was awed!

What did it mean?  Was I moved there because the accident had to occur at that precise spot for events to unfold as they did?  Was I moved so that I could have closer fellowship with this community of saints so they could help me with their prayers.  Or, was I moved for something yet in the future?  I don't know!

If there is one thing I've learned about God it is that I will not understand until He is ready for me to know.  

You see God is not human, we are.  We keep trying to explain and understand his actions (or lack of action) by human standards, as that is all we know.  But, God is so much more than we can know, understand, or imagine.

Keep talking to Him in prayer.  Keep listening and watching for His hand in all that is around you.  Keep reading His word with a mind prepared to be enlightened by new revelations.  All the answers are there...IN...  HIS... TIME......

P. S. THE FOLLOWING OCCURED ABOUT A YEAR LATER:
There was another automobile accident at that exact location.  Again a woman was struck on the driver's side of her autimobile and trapped in her car.  I still lived only a short distance from this interesection and I heard the emergency crew scream by.  Knowing immediately what had probably happened I jumped in my car and went to the scene.  When I arrived, I jumped out of my car and went to within 20 feet, dropped to my knees and started praying for this stranger.  It was my turn to send that golden thread of God's love that passed from me through Christ to her.   Other people were scattered around doing the same thing.

I found out later that (even though severely injured) she too survived.

Prayer, a reverent petition made to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, as promised, works!  Again, often not in a way that we can understand, but sometimes we are blessed to see the answered prayer unfold.

Matthew 21:22 (NIV) 

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

kt 9/2011