Exactly one year ago today I was about to undergo major surgery for the third time in three days, the second time that day. Following my initial surgery on November 9, 2011, to remove the lower lobe of my right lung which contained a malignant mass, internal bleeding had become critical. Months later I would learn from my pulmonologist that my son James, a physician assistant, had saved my life by calling attention to my rapidly deteriorating condition from blood loss.
Before the ordeal was over I received more than ten units of blood and suffered through a fearful condition known as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) along with a variety of other serious pulmonary and cardiac complications. As my life hung in the balances for several days after that surgery, the medical staff of the intensive care unit labored around the clock to try to save me and minimize permanent physical damage to vital organs. So doubtful was the outcome at that point that my two sons who were with me called the third one who was in Cambodia and told him that he needed to fly home immediately.
While the fight against physical challenges was intensely under way, another battle was waging in the spiritual realm. Through media, such as this blog, email and Facebook, the Lord raised up a network of people from all over the world to pray specifically for me, including our immediate and our extended family, our churches, our friends and theirs and their churches. The blog was receiving regular hits from many different countries daily.
I am forever grateful and so humbled to realize how blessed I have been to have had all those who were concerned about me and involved in the physical and the spiritual processes that carried me through. I am especially grateful to my sons for all they have done for me and for their spiritual support and intercessory prayers. I cannot say enough about the 24 x 7 attention, loving care and spiritual strength that I have received from my beloved wife Sherril who has borne the heaviest load of all yet without complaint. God has graciously blessed us and brought us all closer together as a family through this experience. Above all, I am most grateful to Jesus Christ and the Father for hearing those who prayed and for granting me the mercies and the grace to lift me up from the dark valley I was walking through. Just this past week I had the experience of seeing someone from our church who had come to pray for me during this those dark days but had not seen me since. She exclaimed, “You’re a walking miracle!” So I am.
As I have explained in The Parallel Journey, I was totally unaware of what was happening to my body, but was transported into another realm where near-death experiences seem to occur. I will not rehash what has already been written about that “adventure”, as I call it, except to say that I was clearly given a challenge through it to share the truth that the spiritual realm is real and for eternity and that everyone needs a Savior (Jesus) to rescue them from entering the gates of Hell.
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is our victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
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