A story that "what FAITH Makes"
When
I was 16 I had a part time job working at Brick Lane market in London on a
Sunday morning. I used to get home about 3pm to the aroma of a roast dinner
sizzling in the oven. One Sunday I came in to discover the house empty, the
oven switched off and the roast half cooked on the side. After a few moments of
puzzlement our neighbour knocked on the door and told me that Dad had had a
massive heart attack and was in intensive care. I was to stay with her until my
mum contacted us. When Mum came home she explained that Dad’s life was hanging
in the balance - the next 24hrs were vital. I felt numb; all I could think was
that I should be feeling more. The trouble was that Dad was a strict and
distant figure that I barely knew and was frightened of. Everyone kept offering
empty platitudes but all I could think was ’you don’t know if he’s going to be
ok, why are you pretending you do?’. I felt empty and very alone .
Dad did pull through and ten years later I found the gospel. This gave me a
much deeper understanding of the family and made me appreciate my parents more.
I began to develop a better relationship with my dad and started to actually
get to know him. Gradually I learnt to respect and like him. He continued to
have heart problems and ended up with a quadruple by-pass.
A few years latter I received a frantic early morning phone call from my mum.
Dad had had a huge attack and was dead on the bedroom floor. The ambulance crew
were trying to revive him without any success. I jumped into the car and raced
to my parent’s house. As I drove I prayed ’please give my dad a little longer,
I’m just getting to know him and I can’t stand to lose him yet.’ I felt a deep
calm descend upon me and I knew that my prayer had been heard. As I arrived the
ambulance drove off with my dad on board - after 35 attempts they had managed
to revive him. As I followed the ambulance I felt a great calm and reassuring
feeling - I knew it would be OK. As we waited in the relatives room the doctor
came out and spoke to us. He told us that although dad was alive he had less
than a 1% chance of making it. The arrhythmia attack that he’d been having for
the past four hours was so bad that the doctor had never heard of anyone
pulling through from it. My brother and mum were distraught but I felt like I
was cocooned in a deliciously warm embrace. I tried to convey to them that I
knew he would be fine but I knew that my words sounded as empty as the people
that tried to comfort me all those years before. I continued to pray for my dad
and for my mum and brother. After another three hours the doctor came back and
said that a miracle had occurred - dad had pulled through. Whilst he recovered
on the ward Dad had a trail of doctors visiting him to see the miracle man. I
wasn’t surprised by his recovery - I knew he’d pull through. I am so grateful
to have such a loving Heavenly Father who answers my prayers.
