Saved From Lightning
I had taken my son for a motorcycle ride on
Sabbath to spend time with him. Unfortunately family
situation was not what it should have been, so time was
limited. We left phoenix and headed toward Prescott, Arizona
via the old road. When we reached the top of Yarnell hill
the weather turned wet and started to rain. We did not have
wet weather gear so we turned around and went back down the
mountain and headed back toward Phoenix via wickenberg.
Just as we were entering town there occurred a static
discharge, lightning without thunder. I was the subject of
that lightning. The lightning coursed up my body burning
holes on my shoulder and exited through every button on my
motorcycle helmet. Both of my tympanic membranes (eardrums)
were blown out. There was a hole the size of a quarter
burned through the insulation in my helmet where the
lightning had arced between the nerve and the metal button
several inches away. My grip tightened on the throttle of
the motorcycle and we sped up. I slumped forward with my
feet dragging on the ground. The people who picked us up
said that motorcycle was all over the road. Gasoline was
boiling out of the gas tank.
My son at fourteen was a prisoner on the back of the bike
that he could not control. Eventually the motorcycle slowed
down, stopped and fell over. Why didn't we crash? With
gasoline boiling out of the tank, why didn't it explode? The
temperature was quite worm. The motorcycle was hot. It was a
perfect environment for a gas explosion. But it didn't. My
guardian angel must have been in control. Praise the Lord,
His mercies endure forever.
As we passed one of the streets a pickup truck was waiting
for us to go by. Those people had planned to go on their
hunting outing at 2 pm. It was at least 2:30, & they usually
were never went late. that day they were late. One of the
people in the truck was a paramedic. When the lightning
struck it stopped my heart and collapsed my lungs. I was in
trouble and didn't know a thing about it. Those people in
the truck followed the motorcycle till it stopped and
proceeded to give me CPR which I needed. They put me into
the back of their truck and took me four or five blocks to
the hospital ER. The door to the ER was locked and it took
what seemed to them forever until the nurse came to open the
door.
They told me that they just about broke the door getting
attention. Eventually the nurse came to the ER and got me
stabilized, then called the air ambulance out of Phoenix.
The folks that picked me up said that the chopper personnel
commented upon reviewing my chart that, "this guy is gone,
why did you bother us?" During the flight to phoenix I was
told that my heart stopped several more times. While in the
ER at St Josephs hospital I remember being at a doorway of
what I think was a bathroom. The male nurse astonished to
see me out of bed yelled across the room, "Richard, get back
into bed". I was intent on going into that room and do not
remember coming out.
I was lapsing in and out of 7 degree coma. It was thought
that I might remain a vegetable, but after a week and a half
I regained consciousness and didn't have the slightest idea
as to why I was there. the story of what had happened was
gradually pieced together. Some skeptics may say it was only
chance that it happened that way. If it had been just chance
I would have been picked up and to the mortuary rather than
the hospital. For sure I would not be telling this story. I
have made some bad mistakes since then, the Lord knew I
would, but he saved me anyway. Praise His Holy name..
If we don't prevent Him by wrong stubborn
choices He will save to the uttermost. My purpose in life is
to claim his mercy shun sin, and allow Christ to live out
his life in me. Perhaps when we are inside those heavenly
wall our guardian angels will tell us the rest of the story
about what we could not have known. To who ever this story
reaches if it helps them understand a little better the love
of God for us poor mortal sinners t'will be worth the time
it took to tell.
Richard & Helene <rnhdb@qnet.com>
(Received on Sunday January 27, 2002)
