Almost a year ago I woke up in a hospital room in Lubbock, Texas. I had been in an induced coma for over two weeks after suffering a massive stroke. It took me a few days to get my mind right, but I was unable to walk. I found out later that I had not been expected to live. I was told that it was thought if I did live that I would be a vegetable. My outlook had been quite grim.
I think in the eyes of many I was as good as dead. My friends and my family were mortally terrified, but when I woke up my thoughts were inundated with only one thing. It was the story about a man who had died during biblical times. Lazarus. All I could think about was Lazarus.
Lazarus was Mary and Martha’s brother, and those three siblings were especially close to Jesus. The bible simply says, “Lazarus died.” There was no back story, no reason why. Jesus’ close friend had been allowed to die. Word was sent to Jesus, but the Bible says that he tarried two more days where he was at.
Jesus’ close friend had died and yet he delayed. Why would he do such a thing? The Bible says that Jesus arrived on the fourth day after his friend’s death. Martha was quite upset as could be expected. She told Jesus “Teacher if you had been here this would not have happened”. Jesus said, “Lazarus was only sleeping, and this would not end in death”.
Jesus asked to be taken to the tomb where Lazarus was buried. Martha told Jesus that surely, he didn’t want to go to the tomb because after four days Lazarus’s body would surely have a foul smell. Jesus insisted. When they arrived at the tomb Jesus called out to Lazarus and he walked out of the tomb shedding his burial clothes. One of the many miracles performed by Jesus and recorded in the Bible, but the question remains as to why would he let his close friend die?
Jesus had been with the disciples when he received word that Lazarus died. Jesus tarried in order to give the disciples more faith. He tarried in order to give Mary and Martha more faith, but why such a harsh lesson for them all? Jesus did it to prove to them that he and he alone controlled life and death in the palm of his hand.
Even now, over two-thousand years later, it seems rather harsh, but there was great necessity in it. It taught the disciples, Mary, Martha and continues to teach the world over today that Jesus is the son of God, and he is in control of all things. I’ve had a front row seat to the power of Jesus this last year.
I was as good as dead. I slept in a coma for over two weeks. Folks all over this country feared the worst, BUT Jesus had me in the palm of his hand. Jesus called me out. I woke up. I started to walk again. I made it back home again. People were in awe of the mighty power of Jesus.
I have watched many things happen this last year. I’ve seen multitudes of people affected by what happened to me. I watched my mama come out of severe depression after thirty-five years in the depths of despair and anger. I watched her experience joy and peace in the last six months of her life.
God used my stroke to change her and change her it did. Years of prayers were answered in and through what I experienced. I’ve seen others affected by my experience as well. This whole experience has given me an even greater testimony and God has used it already to encourage others going through a similar experience.
I want all to know that I wouldn’t change the last year of my life for anything. Obviously, it has been a profound experience for me, but my experience has far reaching effects for others also. I’m thankful for all I’ve witnessed, and I am certainly thankful for all the good that has happened in my and in the lives of others.
I have had many people ask me if I would ever go back to Texas again. I’ve had a longstanding love affair with Texas, with the quail, with the friends I have there and the new friends I made during my recovery there. Those folks in Texas looked after me in the best possible way. How could I possibly walk away from all of that?
Jesus called me out by name and my life was restarted. I stand in awe of the awesome power of Jesus. I went from almost dead back to living life like I always have. Thankful does not begin to describe how I feel. With all that being said, when this article is printed next week, I will be once again, Somewhere in Texas……
