Hope

Proverbs 10:28
The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Hope is so very important, isn't it?

I experienced a miracle first hand yesterday and wanted to share with you what happened.

I had already had quite a long day when I headed out the door to meet up at the church for a quick meeting and then off for an hour walk with some friends. Shortly after arriving at the church I found my friend, Kathy, in distress. She had just received news that her husband had been in a motorcycle accident. While she was in a meeting with the youth group staff, she received a call and ignored it. It was the sheriff. When she returned the call, he did not answer, so she called her husband Rich's cell phone. A woman answered and told her that Rich had been life flighted to the hospital and that he was in a CATT Scan. Ten minutes later we were on the road to the hospital with another friend, Donna. I decided to stop in town for gas. That is when Lisa called and said that she had just heard the news and had passed us on the road, did we want her to come with us? She met us at the gas station, where I quickly realized that I had lost my gas cap key. We loaded up in Lisa's car and headed to Portland Emanuel Hospital. This was about 45 miles from our town. As we drove up to the hospital we talked about how this could be a way for Rich to see God's hand in his life. See, Kathy has been a youth volunteer for over 15 years. She loves the Lord and lives her life for him. Rich, has never accepted the Lord. Many people have been praying for his salvation, including my husband, who prayed that morning that God would grant Kathy the desires of her heart and bring her husband into a relationship with Him. When we arrived at the hospital we were met by a social worker who took us through several winding hallways to the ICU. She gave us more of a tour of the building then explaining the details of what happened. When we arrived she had us wait several minutes before someone else came to escort Kathy and I to see Rich. All the while, each of us had hope, we had already decided that Rich was going to be okay and that he would find salvation through all this. When we entered Rich's room, he turned to us and smiled. He was alive, he was alert, he was smiling. I got as much information as I could, watched Kathy as she checked out her husband, like a brand new mother inspects a newborn. I commented how someone was watching over him and he gently replied that he understood what I was saying. Kathy exclaimed that she knew who it was and he giggled a bit. I left to tell the others what was going on while Rich and Kathy awkwardly celebrated his miracle. Several hours later we learned that Rich had been thrown 35 feet. He didn't remember much, he was in and out of consciousness. He didn't have any broken bones or external bleeding. He had a bruise on his head, his thigh and toes. They were keeping him for observation as he had a little bleeding in his brain. He is going to be okay. Today we found out that a lady had been following him and he looked down or away for a split second and came up on a curve where he didn't have enough time to correct it and he slid. She works for a hospital and instantly came to his aide. His airway was cut off. Had she not been there, he would have suffocated. Life Flight responded and took him to the best hospital for head trauma in Oregon, where he is today. He survived the impossible, will be released sometime in the next few days as long as the bleeding is under control. I would love to say that he has accepted the gift of eternal life and his salvation is no longer in question. That hasn't happened YET.

So I want to ask a selfish request today, will you please pray for Rich. Do you know someone that needs prayer today to be in a personal relationship with God? Pray for them boldly.

I think this verse goes along well with yesterday. Perish is not anything I want my friends and family to do.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your protection that you placed on Rich. I thank you for your miracles. I pray that people would continue to minister to him today. I pray that we would all continue to minister to those around us. Whether we are planting the seed, watering it, or harvesting it. We praise you today that Rich has a chance to come to you, that his salvation will no longer be in question.

Please continue to pray for Barbara today.