As a child I thought of my parents as infallible and immortal. I remember the first time I saw my mom drop something in the kitchen. I was shocked. Moms don’t drop wet plates! Dad’s don’t get heart attacks! But they do. They unfortunately do.

Well, we found out on Monday that my dad had a heart attack. I realized at that time how much and how often I take my dad for granted. I learned in my car accident that life is fleeting.

Here is an excerpt from a mom’s email: Tom had a hiatal hernia attack on July 11th, that had many similar symptoms as a heart attack, but wasn’t one. He continued to feel really lousy for a couple of weeks after that. He recently had an EKG to check his heart, and it indicates that at some time AFTER July 11th, Tom did have a heart attack, which resulted in damage to the upper two chambers of his heart. He is going into the Heart Hospital Thursday Aug 7 for a Cardiac Catheterization, where they will explore the arteries of the heart and assess and fix any damage they find.

The doctors say that this is a routine operation and that even though the mortality rate is one in ten my dad’s chances are much better since he is young.

This has been a hard week for my family.

• William got a 102 degree fever
• John is recovering from his own surgery
• My Mom has Migraines
• My Dad just had a heart attack.

Updates

• Thursday 11:26am My dad is about to go in for his operation.
• Thursday 1:46pm My Dad has now gone in for his operation in good spirits.
• Thursday 3:01pm The doctors found some blockages and will operate. My dad will need to stay in the hospital overnight.
• Thursday 3:30pm My dad received two stints. One for a major artery that was 100% blocked and one for a diagonal artery. His heart made its own bypass so there is no significant damage there. His blood pressure is now a lot lower than it was before the operation. He does not need open heart surgery praise God! He is going to need to take a blood thinner for about a year though.
• Thursday 7:38pm We were able to speak with the doctor and get the prognosis. My dad had a mild to moderate heart attack. My dad has damage in other parts of his heart that were not bad enough for a stint. He is now sleeping in his hospital room. My mom is exhausted and trying to rest. It sounds like my dad will be pretty restricted for the next several days.
• Friday 10:05am My dad is feeling much better this morning. He says that he can feel more blood going through his heart and they think he will be able to go home today. It turns out that 25% of the blood flow to my dad’s heart had been blocked.
• Wednesday 10:09am My Dad got back home on Friday and wants everyone to know how thankful he is for your prayers and encouragement. He has never been so prayed for in his life and he is honored by all of you.

Check back here for live updates on his status.

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The van after the wreck.

Why did God spare me and Mark when He did not spare Kristi in her car wreck last week?I pondered this question as I read my Bible this morning. I read a character overview of the Apostle James. Not the James that wrote the book of James, but James the member of the inner circle with Peter and John. We don’t talk about James much because He died only 12 chapters after Jesus rose to heaven.

I’m sure the disciples wondered why James died so soon as well. James has fewer mistakes and blunders recorded than Peter. Why did God send an angel to get Peter out of jail (Acts 12) and not James (Acts 12)? Jesus spent just as much time investing in James as he did with Peter and John, more than all the other apostles. James saw Jesus transfigured. I bet many of the believers would have much rather had James alive than Peter. Peter was brash and often spoke first and thought second. What a waste of James’ life!

Its hard to understand that the Chess Master rarely consults His pieces on where to move them. Those who play chess know that sacrificing a piece can sometimes set up a great move. We don’t know why God let James live so short and the other Apostles so much longer. Paul does go out to the gentiles a chapter later, maybe there is a connection.

It would be easy to be angry at God if we had His perspective and could see His mistakes. But, if we could see as He does, we wouldn’t find any errors. We would only see how His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts. I am sure a queen would think it a mistake to be sacrificed for a pawn. But the Chess Master knows what he is doing.

Interestingly, Peter wondered these same things. In John 21 Jesus told Peter how he would die. Peter looked over at John and asked “What about him Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain until I return what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

If you are reading this you have been spared from death just like me and just like Mark. It’s ok to ask questions. But, I think God’s answer to us would the same as his answer to Peter, “As for you, follow me.” We must follow Jesus! When the Bible says to preach the Word in season and out of season we need to do it! When it says to love our neighbor as ourself and to think of others as more important than ourselves, we must do it! Kristi gave her life to making disciples as Christ commanded. WE MUST DO THE SAME! We can’t depend on Peter, James and Kristi to do the work of the Kingdom for us. They have finished their race and have passed the baton to us.

Have you given your life to making disciples? Are you getting close enough to God that you have part of Him to give away? Are you reaching out of your comfort zone to the lost and feeding the lambs that Jesus has brought to you? Watching and paying others to make disciples is like paying someone else to go to the bathroom. It looks the same and makes the same sounds but it has no effect.

Here is an easy way to answer those questions. What do you spend money on? What do you spend your time at? If the majority of our money and time go to pursue our own pleasure then we have made gods of ourselves. Kristi and James both spent their money and time investing in others, in making disciples. We must follow Christ by doing the same. The torch of God’s work shined brightly in the hands of Christians like Peter, James and Kristi. Now the course is set, the blocks are down the contestants are ready. The official is raising his gun. It’s our turn to run. Bang.

The front of the van

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