Grace under Calamity

GRACE: the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
CALAMITY: 1. a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury. 2. grievous affliction; adversity; misery.
PROVIDENCE: 1. the foreseeing care and guidance of God over the creatures of the earth.

Three words. Two emotions. I experienced them all yesterday. Independent and simultaneously.

It was to be a quick trip to the convenience store for gas. I loaded up Brandon and Nicholas and headed that way. Half way there I realized I had forgotten my phone. Should I go back and get it? No, it's just a quick trip, I won't need it.

After pumping, I went inside to pay for my purchase. I returned to the car, started it and looked back at Nicholas. His face was swollen, blood bubbling from his mouth, he did not appear to be breathing. I ran around and pulled him out of the car. Running inside the store I yelled to call 911, that my son was not breathing. I laid him on top of some Sprite cases. Blue and lifeless with his eyes rolled back, my son appeared dead. CALAMITY. I am certified to do CPR. I have practiced it countless times on dummies. I KNOW what to do. But in this moment, this surreal place in time, I froze. My training and experience failed me. This was not a dummy, this was my special son and he was lifeless. "Rescue breaths" someone shouted at me. "Compressions" another one yelled. And so I began CPR. No pulse, not breathing. God, please don't let Nicholas die. And I continued, surrounded by a team. No, not a team of medical experts, but a team of angels. People that God had providencially placed at that gas station, at that exact time, to assist and encourage me. GRACE. He's breathing! Praise God. Fire and EMS arrived. I demanded he be taken to Brenners. EMS said no, they couldn't wait that long. He would be going to Cone. Lisa? Where's Lisa? I called her and told her that I was at the Hess. She should have been here by now. She heard house, not Hess. I waited and waited. No Lisa. Finally I went to Westover to tell the secretary that if Lisa called or came by, to go to Cone Hospital. Chris Lewis...I saw his truck. I need Chris. I ran into Chris's office and yelled at him to come with me. Without hesitation, he came. Besides Christ and my wife, Chris has been my rock over the past year. He drove me to the hospital and I shared through tears the events of what had transpired. I would later learn that Chris had been invited to be in the same meeting that Lisa was in when I called her. For some reason, Chris declined, choosing not to go to that meeting. He was in his office at the exact time I needed him. PROVIDENCE.

We arrived at the hospital to find that Nicholas was not only alive, but doing very well. He stayed a few hours so they could monitor him. Apparently Nicholas's airway got compromised in the car seat which is not suited for him. He probably passed out first due to lack of oxygen and then everything else just shut down. But God is good. And God saw fit to allow Nicholas to continue to be a blessing to people on this earth. We are thankful, and praise Him for His goodness.

"Grace under Calamity." Maybe a better way to say it might be "God is in control". Thank you Jesus for your GRACE and PROVIDENCE in times of CALAMITY.