| Three Knocks |
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Recently I was in the hospital. Interesting experience actually. I was in the emergency room for approximately 8 hours throwing up, running a fever, and barely able to see. After the shift change my new nurse came in and started asking me how i felt. I said terrible and started explaining how I felt and in the middle of it she stopped me and said "are you diabetic?" I said no, not that I know of. She says I think you are now if you werent before. And went and got a blood testing machine and tested my blood. My blood sugar was 485 and I was in full end stages of DKA and hypokalemia.
About 10 pm after arriving at the hospital at 8 am I was finally told that I was going to be admitted and put on a 20 unit an hour insulin drip. I was in a pretty good amount of pain. Just before 1 am the pain because so intense that I could not handle it any more. I called for my nurse and she said that she would try to get ahold of the doctor and get pain meds ordered. At 2 am I began to pray "Lord I just can not take the pain anymore please make the pain cease or take me home" It felt like someone was twisting my entire body around in knots I was having muscle spasms everywhere. I continued to say the prayer over and over at 2:40 I heard a knock on my room door and someone say "Chris" and I said I am here. It was strange like i knew the voice but I could not put a face with it, the way He said my name was similar to a parent scolding a child and trying to get them to quit doing what they are doing. No one opened the door, so I began to pray the same prayer again at 3:20 am someone knocked on my door and a little more perturbed sounding said "Chris" and I said I am right here. No one came in again so I began to pray once more at 4:00 am I heard someone knock on my door and now sounding downright angry call my name "Chris" and I said im over here, the door shook, I do not know if it opened or not and everything went black.
I began to dream or something like a dream. What I saw was what seemed to be a foreshadowing of:
Mat 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
This is just a scary thought and scary scene. I could see it with clarity it was like I was off to the side watching it happen. Person after person was told I did not know you. The people being told this, was people I knew. When I dream I rarely see faces this time I did. It was my wife, my dad, my sister, my aunts, my uncles, my friends and members of our church that I was close to and some I was not as close to. I do not think I will ever forget the scene, it is like someone permanently burned it into my mind. I really want to describe everything as I saw it but I just do not know how, some of the things were just so unique there are no words that can even begin to explain in detail. All I can say is wow.
I woke up screaming, crying, well just basically freaking out. I think every nurse on the floor was in my room. They were like calm down, calm down, its ok. I was sweating from head to toe there were alarms beepers and all this noise and alarms going off I wasnt exactly sure where I was or why I was there. I remember looking at the clock 4:40 am. The nurse said the pain meds are on their way up but we can not give them to you with your pulse so high and your blood pressure through the roof you are going to have to calm down first. I think I was given a sedative and then pain meds a few minutes later.
My lingering question is "who knocked on the door"? Was it God or was it someone else? The message to me was pretty clear reguardless of who knocked. My work is far from done. I have not arrived. Some of the people I know that there is a question if they have accepted Christ will be lost if I and others continue to do nothing, maybe better said Just going through the motions when it comes to them. What am I going to do from today forward about it.
I believe the experience has made me more agressive for Christ. I now ask more often where someone is in their faith and do not fear the possible rejection for asking.
I shared this for one reason and one reason only. I know where I was the last week of febuary 2009. I have been open about it. Now I ask you, where are you with your walk with Christ. Be honest, have you really sold out and gave it all to the Lord or are you still playing games with your and others salvation. I think Romans says it best:
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
but we can not use that for an excuse for not taking action. Truly our actions today may determine is someone goes to heaven or hell tomorrow. So I ask you once again are you sold out or on the fence. If you are on the fence there is no shame, you can not change the past but you can change your and those you associate with futures. So what does it take to become part of God's family through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well its pretty simple actually.
1. admit that you are a sinner and ask God for forgiveness for your sins.
2. believe that Jesus Christ died for your, as well as everybodies sins. Have 100% faith that Jesus alone can save you from your sins.
3. Confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior
You can lead a family and friends to Christ exactly the same way. Each of us as well as our family and friends do not have to stay lost but its gonna take a little guts and faith on our parts to reach out to those who we know. The christian life is a journey not a destination. Plug into a local church for spiritual guidance, leaders of local congregations will have and be able to explain how to continue living a christian life as well as how to lead others to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Those of you reading this in the Huntington, WV. area please know that I would be more than happy to speak with you about salvation and the salvation of others my church contact information on the following link:
http://www.mychurch.org/HuntingtonSalvationArmy/about
may God Bless You and keep you.
Chris
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