I was going through old pictures and thinking about my grandson. This is the little guy when he was a baby.
When he was born, we were still living in Yellowknife, and our daughter was staying with us. Early one morning, we awoke to a terrible scream as my daughter shouted for my wife. She brought baby into our room and he was a sickly grey and his breathing was very shallow and erratic. This is a baby who was always active and bright. I still get bad flashbacks to that moment.
We called an ambulance and baby was rushed to the hospital. The outlook was bleak. The doctor was saying that he probably had brain damage and may not recover. They were planning on flying him down to Edmonton for further assessments.
While he was in emergency, I drifted in and out of the area. I sat in the waiting room and prayed my heart out. I put out a prayer request to everyone. I even offered God my own salvation if he would bring our grandson back to us. (I don’t think God does that kind of deal making – how can I bargain with something He has freely given to me?)
The doctors/nurses had done everything and baby was just lying on the table (one of those baby tables with the heat lamp). His eyes would flutter open and closed unresponsively and his arms and legs were limp. We weren’t sure if the lights inside his head were still on. With all the commotion he would normally be awake, being fussy or even crying.
As I stood beside the table, I took his hand and put my hand on his head. Silently, I prayed a simple and short prayer – I cried out to God by his covenant name, I claimed his promises and I prayed that in the name of Jesus that our grandson would be healed. My daughter came alongside me and my wife asked me to pray again. I repeated my prayer aloud.
Within about two seconds of my prayer his eyes popped open; they were focused and alert! He immediately made his usual noises and within the hour he was smiling, moving his arms and legs and yes even giving some good wails.
Four years later, our grandson is full of life, mischievous, and sharp as a tack. It’s like we never went through that terrible day.
One time Jesus was being harassed by a group of people who denied the power of God. In his response, he said of our Heavenly Father, “He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” I have seen this God of the living in my life and the lives of others but never so profoundly as the day he showed up to bring my grandson back to life.
How has He showed up in your life?
cultural atheist 