Testimony of God's Work in Our District

Continued..where the Monday Memo let’s off…

““may I tell you what the bible tells us about how to get right with God and have peace with him?” He said/nodded yes, and gripping his hand I talked about our sin, the impossibility of getting rid of it by any means on our own, God’s unbelievably merciful offer to let Jesus be our substitute if we will put our complete trust in him to be our savior, and that the Holy Spirit responds to our trust by uniting us to Jesus, putting us “into Christ” and “Christ into us” ( Rom 6, John 14) I asked if he wanted me to pray for him, and he nodded yes. I prayed his story, what I knew of it, back to God, acknowledging sin and wrong doing, rebellion, going his own way. Using his name I said that “Jim” knows he needs forgiveness and mercy. As he talks to you about his sin, Lord be faithful and hear him. As you hold out your hand to Jim, help him to repent and turn to you to be washed clean and receive your life to live in him. “ I also prayed for healing, for Jim’s fear, and asked the Lord would comfort Jim, give him peace, make Jim aware of his presence.

That was on a Friday afternoon. I didn’t have enough help that weekend, so I was on call on Sunday and was called in to the CCU for another Covid patient who had died and the family wanted a chaplain to come. As I was gowning up for that one, I asked how Jim was doing and the answer came that he was about to be intubated (put on a ventilator which requires the patient to be sedated because it is so uncomfortable). I decided to take a few minutes to see Jim again before going to the family I had been called for. Jim was struggling to breathe, very very afraid, he nodded yes when I asked if he had asked the Lord for forgiveness and mercy and new life. I reviewed the promises and assurances we have that when we believe we become the children of God. I asked the Holy Spirit to fill Jim and I asked Jesus to heal him I left and the respiratory team came and put him on the ventilator. He died, about 3 weeks later."