"This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." (John 11:4) "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)
These are Jesus Christ's very words when his very good friend Lazarus was very sick, and ultimately died. He knew a greater reason why such a situation was happening. He wept. But he had greater confidence in His Heavenly Father's plan - this is not to end in death, but for the glory of God. Jesus Christ knew that Lazarus will be brought back to life, for in that particular event, God is going to reveal something of great importance, not just back then, but even for you and me today.
"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..."
We all face death... but Jesus Christ will reveal Himself that day as Our Resurrection and Our Life.
This is a promise He gives to anyone who believes "in Him" - so He asks that question again, "Do you believe this?"
He truly brought Lazarus back to life that day!
I believe there was more than just delight in the hearts of those who witnessed it that day....
Conviction and belief is most fitting, don't you think?
Lazarus, for sure, still faced physical death again in his life.
I am not sure if he still died ahead of his siblings Mary and Martha...
But one thing must be different in their responses this time.
At first, they were helpless and hopeless - but after knowing and "believing" Jesus Christ for who He has revealed himself to be, in the life of Lazarus, and to each person who believes, there is now peace to know that "he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..."
Jesus Christ gives us who believe, life eternal.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son Jesus Christ, that who ever believes in Him, will not perish, but will have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Modern day mysteries, are at times best regarded as miraculous witnesses to the reality of who Jesus Christ is. I pray accounts like the following will not just amaze us, but lead us to greater consideration of the truth revealed, and draw us closer to Jesus Christ, believing in Him as our resurrection and life.
My good friend, Dr. Richard T. Mata, is a pediatrician. (rchardmata@yahoo.com)
I woke up today seeing his featured testimony on facebook...and I quote..
"Time to time in our line of work we find ourselves in a position of witnessing the patients' transition...the feared transition to the next life...
One particular event happened and it totally changed my point of view...
This was on my pediatric training years... I was the chief resident at that time...
We had this suki patient, an 8 year old boy who is almost admitted every month for blood transfusion or treatment of infection. He has leukemia . The disease got in to him big that it has even taken his eye sight for about 2 years already at that time. But mind you this boy is smart! He just can communicate with anybody regardless of his situation and he has already known who we are based on our voice. Boasting aside I'm his favorite when it comes to inserting his dextrose!
One particular admission he was very anemic around a hemoglobin of 5. He was in for blood transfusion. Though he looks pale he was still talkative .
At around 1 am in a silent non-busy, non-toxic night, his mother asked the nurses to look at him for a while cause she will look for blood and buy food.
As I was so excited to rest my head for awhile in the quarters...suddenly a code blue was announced at the Pedia ward! We all ran!
"What happened" I asked
Our leukemia patient suddenly stopped breathing and when we checked there was no heart beat.
We proceeded with CPR , I initiated chest pumping and inserted endotracheal tube...loaded successively 5 doses of epinephrine via IV, but still the heart was zero!
I asked the nurses if the mother is back because not even one watcher was there!
"No doc the mother ain't back yet and we don't have a way to call her!"
"Then we need to continue the CPR until she's back regardless if we don't have any heart beat!" I replied
I don't want her to see him dead when she comes back without her seeing us trying to resuscitate him!
Due to exhaustion of the chest pumping, me and the other doctors/interns on duty took turnsI
Give more epinephrine ! I said
"But we have given a lot already" ( it was about the 10nth dose). The nurse replied.
"Well what is your fear of overdose the patient is dying as well. We need to get a heart beat at least so we can say to the mother that he is still alive but most likely it's only due to the medicines and its just gonna fade. That would be better than saying your son is dead directly!" So we did!
At the 12 th epinephrine dose, finally we had a heart beat!
At this same time the nurse called my attention and signaled " the mother is coming shes at the corridor"
I made one deep inhale and exhale as she comes in the room...
The mother came back about an hour since we started pumping.
"Your son suddenly stopped breathing we have been doing CPR, just now when you came back a heart beat was heard but most likely its just due to the medicines and I have given a lot already. "
I can not describe the sadness on the mothers face but she seemed strong and ready knowing his son has leaukima and she knows this time will come. She also knew something was wrong already when she saw the crowd outside the room.
I asked her... "If the medicines' effect fades and the heartbeat disappears, must I give another drug to bring it back or not?"
"Doc I'm ready for this... I think we can let him go if thats what he wants". she replied.
So we had her sign a waver of No Heroic Measures (NHM). That means we will not resume CPR and drugs once the heart beat dies down.
As she was signing the form it seemed that I saw the patient's hand to move from at the corner of my eyes. No it cant be...It could have been the nurses who were currently doing the ambubagging and fixing the bed.
I gave it another look....my God..it was really moving like trying to make a fist!
This is not possible...we have no heart beat for more than 45 mins!
The hand movement was followed by arm, then head movement until his head is moving left and right as though he wanted the endotracheal tube removed.
By protocol I must not remove the tube yet but he needs to be connected to a ventilator for at least a day or more and do gradual weaning of oxygen prior to removal!
But I decided to pull it out that hour cause it seemed he is already awake and wants to say something!
"I'll remove the tube now but be ready cause I might bring it back again if he can't tolerate without it," I told the team.
I removed it gradually and when it was out...the boy shouted , "Mamaaaaaaaaa"and started to cry..."I am here..,I am here... her mother immediately replied as she inserted her way through us and hugged him."
His voice echoed in the whole ward...everybody was stunned...everybody was silent...the use to be all knowing professional doctors and nurses now looks bewildered!
Our minds could not comprehend what have just transpired. We are just looking at each other. We didn't even jumped for joy which is the need of the situation seeing the patient came back to life!
As he was crying, I continued checking his vital signs, his heart , his lungs , his eyes... Still mesmerized !
Now the question is, is his brain still functional? I need to ask him something...
Of all the question... This is what I asked him ...
"Where did you go? "
Everybody was as though in a stand still waiting for the reply ...the nurses, the interns, the clerks, the residents, the utility and yes... the sawsawero at sawsawerang watchers ng ibang patients.
We were all shocked because he answered fluently as though nothing happened... but what really freezed us was his answer...
"when my mother left me, 2 very ugly faced persons entered the room and snatched me (remember this boy is blind for 2 years already). We then flew and they brought me to their palace and they imprisoned me there! I was so scared, it was so dark... I was calling my mother but she wasn't there! But suddenly Jesus Christ came and he opened the prison and rescued me and carried me back here!"
I was stunned all the more ... I was left to nothing except to make a short prayer with them, thanking God for helping our patient.
As I thanked the whole team... the mother approached me and said..."thank you Doc for not giving up on my son"!
"It's our job...it's our job...but thank God", I replied, tapping her back.
As I walk back to the quarters ... I was still with a blank face... I'm no longer sleepy even.
As I lay my head for a rest, I said..."thank you Lord...after what I have just witnessed...I will never be the same".
He is the God who rescues you! Praise be to the Almighty!"
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