She Would Have Kept Going
BINU SAMUEL
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)
I couldn’t wait to talk to her … but what would I say? What exactly do you say to someone who saved your mom’s life? “Thank you” doesn’t seem like enough.
It all began a few months ago when my parents attended a funeral in Houston, Texas. At the burial site, my mom passed out. Actually, she did more than pass out. She had no pulse because, as we later found out, she went into cardiac arrest.
An ICU nurse practitioner just happened to be standing a couple of feet away from my mom. The nurse assessed the situation and immediately began CPR. Meanwhile, several pastors and other attendees also took charge and began to pray aloud for my mom.
Within minutes, my mom began to breathe again. And within a few more minutes, she walked into the ambulance, talking and fully aware of where she was.
Thank You, Jesus!
The next day, I was given the nurse’s phone number. And the day after that, my husband and I called her.
We thanked her. We asked her to tell us her perspective of what happened. We listened. We thanked her again … and again … and maybe even again. I wasn’t trying to be extra. I just couldn’t help myself. God used her to save my mom!
Friends, have you been to Houston in the summer? It’s hot! Have you ever taken a CPR certification course? Two-inch-deep chest compressions are not easy. They require an incredible amount of arm strength and physical exertion. This precious woman didn’t even know my mom, yet as we ended the conversation, she said something that has stuck with me:
“I was not going to give up on your mom. If I needed to, I would have kept going.”
Who does this? I asked myself.
God does.
Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ exerted every ounce of physical strength He had. He hung on a cross and died … for you and me. Knowing we would sin and keep sinning, Christ still didn’t give up.
In 2 Peter 3:9b we read, “he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (NIV).
Jesus Christ has not only finished the redemptive work of the cross needed for our salvation, but as Hebrews 7:25 makes clear, He has kept going. He is our Mediator and our permanent High Priest, who “always lives to intercede” on our behalf.
Through the actions of this courageous nurse, God allowed me to see an earthly glimpse of His unwavering, “I’m not going to give up on you” love for me. And you know what? He loves you just the same. I promise.
John 3:16 tells us so: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).
So what did I say to the woman who saved my mother’s life? Here’s the short version.
“Thank you. I’d love to meet you the next time I’m in Houston. Thank you for not giving up on my mom.”
What do I say to the One who strategically placed this woman just a few feet away from my mom? To the One who gave this nurse the physical and mental strength to do what she did? To the One who allowed breath to re-enter my mom’s lungs and blood to flow through her body?
What do I say to the One who gives ME breath each and every day and has never given up on me?
Here’s the short version:
Thank You, Lord. Thank You for saving my mom. Thank You for saving me.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the countless times You have protected and saved my life. Times of protection I know about and countless other times of protection I am completely unaware of. Thank You for pursuing me, for never giving up on me and for dying on a cross for me so that I can have eternal life. Help me to live my life in a way that pleases You and makes those who don’t know You want to know You. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
