Every morning, my owner takes me across to see Nanna who lives in an annexe on the other side of the house. He helps her to get out of bed and get dressed, and then gives her some breakfast. And I usually sit on a door and offer some parrot supervision. But the other day, our little routine came to a shuddering halt. Because 94 year old Nanna let out a dreadful moan, and then collapsed into deep unconsciousness. Her face and mouth contorted into a strange shape. This was clearly more than a faint. And my owner immediately feared the worst……..
He quickly dialled “999.” And I listened in to the conversation that followed.
“Is the patient conscious?”
“No.”
“Is the patient breathing?”
“I’m not sure. If they are, it’s very shallow!”
On hearing this, the operator’s voice took on a new intensity. “Sir, if there’s defibrillator in your village, I’d advise you to get it now.”
“I’m on my own in the house and supporting my mother. I don’t think I should leave her.”
Well, actually, my owner wasn’t really alone in the house. Yes, I was present, but I’m not including myself here. No, you see, in the midst of the crisis, he sensed God’s presence. And he was convinced that he was in the process of handing over Nanna to God’s safe keeping. Nanna has a number of underlying health problems, so resuscitation wouldn’t necessarily have been in her best interests. Running off and leaving her to get a defibrillator wouldn’t be fair. This was the moment of Nanna’s “hand-over”….
A full five minutes had passed when Nanna let out a tiny moan. She was still deeply unconscious, but suddenly this was a sign of life. The minutes passed. The operator continued to give words of advice and encouragement, until eventually, after around 10 minutes had passed, an ambulance arrived. And then, quite astonishingly, Nanna began to regain consciousness. For my owner, it was rather like witnessing a kind of resurrection. It turned out that she hadn’t had a stroke; nor had her heart valves finally given up. The long black-out was a mystery, but possibly some form of prolonged fit. Well, Nanna slept for the rest of that day, and has since returned to being her old self.
Looking back on these events, you could say that it put my owner’s faith very much to the test. Because it would have been a much worse situation had he not sensed the presence of God and the Holy Spirit alongside him in that room. And had he not believed that Nanna was destined for Heaven….
This little drama showed how important it is for us to have built a relationship with God, long before a crisis comes our way. So that we don’t feel totally on our own. So that we don’t feel that death is the end of everything. And so that we don’t feel all is lost....
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as our “comforter.” (John 14:16). Most dictionaries define the word “comforter” as meaning “to give strength and hope to, to cheer; to ease the grief or trouble of, to console.” Whenever a crisis comes our way, and whenever we need strength, encouragement, consolation or hope, we will always receive it through the Holy Spirit. So long as we’ve allowed the Holy Spirit inside us first. In the words of Andrew Wommack:
“Wherever you go, whatever you do, God himself will be with you.” (“The New You and the Holy Spirit” Andrew Wommack).
I don’t know how long my morning visits to Nanna will carry on for. But I’ll enjoy them every day, and be grateful while they last. And when the time finally comes for her to go to Heaven, my owner and I will simply hand everything over to God………..
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever, - the (Holy) Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
Comments