Want to Keep the “New” in 2009
On December the 10th, my husband Bob was speaking at our Wednesday evening mid-week service. About 10 minutes into his sermon, he blacked out and fell to the floor. The next scripture he was preparing to read was I John 5:14-15. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” This scripture will become paramount as this testimony continues.
Immediately the congregation hovered over him and began to intercede and call upon the name of the Lord on his behalf. The ambulance arrived and rushed him to the local ER. The attending physician told us that he must be air lifted immediately to a cardiac hospital 2 hours away to see a cardiologist as soon as possible.
That particular night was very windy and we were notified that Bob must be taken by ambulance due to the wind factor. So as the ambulance began its 90 mile-an-hour ride to Nashville, I rushed home to pack the things that I thought he and I might need for some unknown period of time. I was to drive my car to Nashville as soon as possible. I was so confused.
As I walked into my home, I had an epiphany moment. The house was the same; warm & cozy. The spirit was the same; inviting and fragrant. My husband’s chair was still the same with his devotional books and journals still around it. Everything looked and felt the same, except it was not. There was a cold hard fact staring me in the face– the possibility that my husband might never come home with me again. The loneliness that I felt at that moment was unbearable.
Somehow the Holy Spirit automatically kicked in and I packed as quickly as possible as a dear friend then came to my rescue.
Bob had suffered atrial fibrillation due to various factors, especially a mitral valve leak which resulted in his heart not being able to pump a sufficient amount of oxygen filled blood to his brain causing the black out. At this particular moment, thousands of people die as the heart fires a blood clot, which can cause a massive heart attack, or a stroke can occur due to a blood clot traveling to the brain. We were blessed abundantly that none of this happened.
Over the next three days with tests being run, around the clock care, medication, and a world of prayer, God began to flex His muscles and display His mighty power. One night our nurse came into the room with a huge smile and said, “Mr. Pickett your heart has converted back to sinus arrhythmia.” That meant that his heart had converted back on it’s own to a normal state of rhythm. This is the greatest thing that could happen to a human heart in a situation such as this.
At this point, I said, “Bob, your heart has been converted twice! The first time was when you gave your heart to God and you were converted into His kingdom. This is the second time your heart has been converted. Your heart was so in tune with God that when it got out of rhythm, it just lined up with the Word of God on its own and converted itself back to normal! Praise the name of Jesus!”
With his heart converting back to its normal rhythm, further scheduled tests were canceled, and with medication and continual lab work we were allowed to come home. Bob has continued to improve daily. He had his follow-up office visit this past week and received an excellent report. Thus, as so many people prayed the scripture that Bob was about to read, I John 5:14 written above, God honored His Word, heard and answered the prayers of His people and we give God all the Glory!
What have I learned? Since the death of my mother years ago, I have tried very hard not to take life, or the life of anyone that I love for granted. I now realize that there is higher level of sensitivity, love, compassion, and a way of loving others more than myself. Once again I learned how quickly our lives can change forever and how fragile life really is.
The lives of my husband and I have truly become “new” this year! So how can we keep the “new” in our life all year? We must allow the Lord to renew us each day. If we allow Him to, He will renew our minds, our hearts, and our spirits daily. Everyday can be a “new” day, every heartbeat a “new” beginning, every smile a “new” relationship, every prayer a “new” commitment, every thought a “new” opportunity, every moment a “new” chance to give Him praise, to give Him thanks, and to glorify the giver of life…the One who makes all things “new.”
Much to my surprise, 2008 became the best year of my life and this past Christmas became the best Christmas in my life, as the Lord gave me my husband back. 2009 is not only a “NEW” year to me and to Bob, but also a promise from God of a NEW GENESIS SEASON in our lives.
2009 can also be a “new” season for you, if you only want it to!
How could I have ever known that I would write my own “guest article” this month, and testify of the goodness, mercy, and grace of my Lord and King–the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. JESUS! Remember, His name is Faithful & True!
I love you,
Charli
Ps. 90:12
