Monday, May 12, 2025
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Heimlich
No, it wasn’t either of us. But our Sunday School teacher Greg nearly died on Wednesday.
Yesterday’s last class before the summer break concluded our yearlong study of Acts. When we finished reading through Acts 28, the last chapter, Greg pointed out that not only did Acts end abruptly with a few last comments about Paul in Rome, we also didn’t hear how Paul died. We rely on other sources for that. (Probably, he was beheaded.)
Greg asked us to talk around our tables. “How and when did you die?” Mostly he meant how did we die for Christ, or alternatively how and when did our personal sense of mission die? Either way, what sounded at first like a crazy question got us all talking … and getting somewhere.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?
After the class our prayer time was led by Greg’s wife Mindy. Their 10 years of experience as missionaries in Kenya rests easily on their shoulders, and I appreciate their leadership. Mindy asked Gershon, a visiting Haitian pastor supported by our church, to tell us what he could about the gangs who had laid siege to his church, and about his own personal bout with cancer. Gershon told us that the US government recently branded the kidnappers and killers in the gangs as “international terrorists,” along with anyone caught helping them. Plus, his cancer was in remission.
That was the good news. Then before Mindy began praying, her husband piped up. “I almost died Wednesday night,” Greg said from a corner of the room.
At a fancy business dinner, he began to chew a piece of dry meat. The speaker said something that made Greg laugh, and he choked on the meat. A few seconds later he was unconscious. Another guy at his table whacked his back and did the Heimlich squeeze. Four times, and the meat popped out. Greg regained consciousness and gradually realized that he was OK. Actually, he hadn’t realized he wasn’t OK. No time for him to be afraid. Just … gone.
The man who saved his life looked him in the eyes. Greg realized this was a man who had been a close friend but because of business differences had basically become an enemy. “All my recriminations disappeared in an instant,” Greg said. “This man saved my life.” Our relationship was transformed, we thanked God together. We will never be the same.”
I imagine Greg’s current hero and former friend then enem would have liked to whack Greg four or a few more times during some of their arguments. Greg’s a football player type, perhaps his friend is too. Anyway, the whacks did find their way into their life together, saving a life rather than further separating them.
Miles and Jasper, along with their dad sometimes, love to make up and play games which allow them a little friendly violence. Andi does what she can to keep them safe. The boys love the various levels of danger they feel when somehow they turn themselves inside out or push and shove their way to victory. No one ever admits defeat.
My brother John and I had our days of doing just that too. Occasionally we went too far. Once we were hitting baseballs into the harvested corn field across the road from our house and then tracking the balls down to hit them again. John threw me a ball and stood behind me, I threw the ball in the air and swung the bat to whack it away. Instead I hit John in the head before I could hit the ball.
We joked about it because he was basically ok. But I won’t forget that moment, 60 years ago or so. Neither will he. In harm’s way, we both survived. Over the years we’ve become our own version of a band of brothers.
Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly.
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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