Faith

I have a really hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time, especially when I am working. I can take several tasks and prioritize, but once I decide which one is the most pressing and go to work, it can be hard for me to adjust. Sometimes I wonder what God would say to my lack of availability to Him once my mind is occupied. I am constantly praying about being more available for those moments in life that He is trying to interrupt what I am doing, especially for someone else’s benefit. I woke up this morning with 5K on my mind. I had a list of things I had to do to get ready for this fundraiser.

At the top of the list was a 6 AM trip to Kroger to pick up a few things that I needed, then swing by House of the Harvest to pick up a few more things that I needed. When I got to HOH at about 6:15, the crowd was already waiting outside. Breakfast was being cooked and everyone was waiting for the door to open. As I went in, I started to get all my things together. I was in work mode with very little available space in my mind.

I picked up a few things and then started across the parking lot to set out the cones before I went on my way. As I walked toward the storage shed, a lady came walking out toward me. In my head I am already thinking what she is going to ask for, “Diapers, extra chicken maybe?, pet food? Detergent?” Who knows? But I am already thinking, I don't have time for it before she even gets to me. Shame on me.

She calls my name. I don't even know hers. “Mr. Adam, my son is in the car. He wants you to come pray for him. He is about to slip into another one of those seizures and I was going to take him home but he said for me to just get you and if you could pray with him, it would be ok.”

Wow. A lot of emotions going on right now. Humbled. Ashamed. Embarrassed. Disappointed. Can’t really put it into words to be honest. Her son has bad seizures. Really bad seizures. We talked about it for a long time just a few weeks ago when he had one at HOH one morning. He fell to the ground convulsing. It lasted almost a minute and then he was unconscious for several more. When he would finally come to, he would have no idea where he was or who was talking to him. That would last a few more minutes and then, after about ten or twelve minutes, everything would be back to normal. And this happens multiple times per day. Can’t afford the medicine that might make it better. And it’s pretty high risk at that, is my understanding. It’s a pretty hopeless situation...it appears.

I walked out to the car to find him half-way out of the vehicle and already unconscious. I see her concern. She says to me, “When those convulsions start he is going to fall out on the pavement and I can’t stop him. He is going to get hurt.” Not sure I can stop him either. I try to talk to him. Call his name several times. No response.

So I put my hands on him and begin to pray. I prayed for several minutes it seemed. At one point, he appeared to just go to sleep right there in the car. That was when his mother said, “Now he will start convulsing. He is going to fall.” I didn’t know what to do. I just kept praying.

Those convulsions never did start. After about two minutes, his eyes opened. He wasn’t verbally responsive for just a few more minutes. Then, all of a sudden, he sat up, looked at his mother as if he didn’t know what happened, and asked for some water. “Gladly,” was my response.

Honestly, I can’t really put into words how that situation impacted me. The first time he had a seizure, he fell almost entirely into my arms. There wasn’t much I could do about it and I didn’t really know how to respond other than making sure he wasn’t banging his head on the pavement. Watching God completely prevent that from happening this time was an amazing thing, but I’ve learned to expect God to calm the storm.

What was an even more amazing thing was being able to witness the faith of this man. I’m not sure how I would feel toward God if I had multiple seizures every day. I can’t imagine that being very easy. I found it interesting that his mom stated what he knew. He just needed prayer. He knew there was only One who could answer his call and he believed He would. Sounds a lot like some of those old familiar Bible stories. It was Jesus who often asked, “Do you believe?”

The answer this morning was, “Yes I do. I most definitely do.”

“Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’” John 11:40