October 23, 2024
It was a scene I won’t soon forget.
Last Friday evening was our Vacation Bible School pool party. A 2-year-old boy was in the kiddie swimming pool. I was standing with his mom at the edge. She never took her eyes off her boy. “Are you having a good time?” I had just asked him. He smiled brightly and nodded his head. Suddenly he tipped back and went under water. His Mom instantly stepped down and pulled him from the pool. His toddler body was pale and lifeless.
CPR was started immediately. Whitney, a friend and nurse, began chest compressions. She called the boy’s name again and again, then began praying loudly. I stood with the boy’s mom as another nurse/friend, took over mouth-to-mouth.
It was surreal. How could this be happening? I wondered to myself. We prayed where we stood. All I could whisper was “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”
Lifeguards came running. Someone called 911.
“Come on!” Whitney yelled repeatedly as she worked, calling the toddler by name. I could see her face; she was crying. I was, too. We all were.
This little boy’s family had been through so much lately. We begged the Lord that they wouldn’t have another heartache to add. We could hear a siren in the distance.
A doctor hurried over to assist and then a physician’s assistant. “Come on!” Whitney called out, “Come on!” She continued compressions. She. Would. Not. Give. Up. And it saved his life!
The ambulance arrived. The EMTs took over.
As I stood by the little boy’s mom, I thought of how fragile life is.
Two days later, we were at the jail for Bible study. I had planned for weeks to share Psalm 116:1-9. It connected incredibly to the toddler’s story. Before the lesson, I shared the details. Several of the girls wept.
Psalm 116 gives a chilling comparison to what happened at the pool. See if you can picture it:
“I love the LORD, for He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the Name of the LORD: LORD, save me! … For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. The LORD is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, He saved me.” (I like to think of the simplehearted as hillbillies.)
The cords of death had entangled that little boy. We were overcome by sorrow and called on the Name of the Lord. He did indeed deliver him from death!
Jesus has pulled our lifeless bodies out of sin, addiction, crisis, or fill in the blank ____________. He is doing everything He can to bring us back to life and He is NOT giving up. Like Whitney, He is yelling, “Come on! Come on!” and calling our names over and over. Are the cords of death entangling you? Are you in great need? Cry out to Him! He hears your voice every single time.
At the hospital, they found that the little boy had had a seizure while in the pool. After a few days in the hospital, he is now home. We praise the Lord and are so very thankful!
