(If you haven’t yet read the intro, click the link above.)
July 23, 2011
Dear Father,
I hope everything is going well for you. I truly enjoyed the Men’s Gathering the other night. I will try to make it a scheduled monthly event. I must say that I get recharged and renewed through fellowship, adoration, and confession. It is truly inspirational. I know that God is right here with us, for I can feel His presence, and it energizes me. I feel a chill each time He moves within me. God is good!
I am writing this letter regarding the story I told you after confession. I am not a good writer, so please bear with me.
Father, my story goes like this:
I was born in Erie in 1965. I had a normal childhood for three years. Then, in 1968, I came down with a bad case of measles, which caused my Type I diabetes. Little did I know at that time that it would change my life forever. As you may know, diabetics need to live very scheduled lives: waking up every morning at the same time, taking insulin, going to bed at the same time, eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks at specific times, and eating the proper foods. For several years, life was good, with very few issues, if any at all.
Jumping ahead to my late teens: by then, my parents had me on a good daily routine. Knowing that exercise is great for diabetics, I couldn’t get enough of it. One Saturday morning, I went to the gym and worked out for a couple of hours. Then I went to work for six hours that day. My job was sometimes very labor-intensive, but I enjoyed it. Finally, five o’clock came around and work was over for the day. I headed home for dinner and some R&R.
Well, Mom, Dad, and my big brother always had dinner ready every day between 5:00 and 5:30—but not this day. When I saw that no one was home, I decided to take a short nap, figuring Mom and Dad would be back soon. That night, however, they came home a little late. With my adrenaline still pumping from a busy day—and maybe a little too much insulin or a lack of food—I went into a very deep sleep. Extremely low blood sugar can cause an insulin reaction, coma, or even death. In my case, I must have gone straight to death or near death, because what I experienced next changed my life forever.
I like to call this “The Day I Met God.”
Suddenly, everything around me was bright white. Although I wasn’t sure where I was, it was absolutely beautiful. Then I felt the presence of God and realized that I was in Heaven. With humility and the greatest reverence, I asked if I could ask a question. God said, “Yes.” Nervous, I paused and thought, What does a teenage boy want to know and respectfully ask God? I asked, “Is the Bible real?”
As quickly as a lightning bolt, I saw what I believed to be the entire Bible in my mind—not as text in a book, but unfolding as actual events as they happened, from Genesis to Revelation. It took only a few seconds. I was in total awe. I thought, I’ve just seen everything in the Bible! Wow!
Instantly, everything returned to being bright white. I felt at ease, yet immensely aware that I was with God. After another pause, still mindful of reverence, I asked, “Can I ask another question?” He said, “Yes.”
I asked, “Can I see creation?” Again, as fast as lightning, I saw the creation of everything in the universe—not generalized as in Genesis, but in great detail. I saw the creation of the universe: the sun, moon, and planets. I saw God holding a handful of stars and placing each one in the sky. I saw everything from the beginning of human existence to my birth, and finally to the present moment of me lying on the couch. I was shown everything, including all things good and evil.
For an extended time, I saw images of war. It looked to me as though it could have been World War II or even World War I. Once again, I was in total awe. I sensed that He did not care for wars; an instant sadness rushed over me.
I learned so much in the 30 minutes I was out. There was no more room in my mind for anything else, and it felt really good to have all that knowledge. With that, I had one final question: “What can I do for You?” Instantly, I was shown every sin I had committed, and I was completely humbled. Then I thought, This must be my Judgment Day! Again I thought, Oh no, this is Judgment Day. I instantly felt nervous and ashamed.
Suddenly, I felt a tug, and everything went black. I was sad—I liked the white. I felt a stronger tug, and then it became a tug-of-war between the black and the white. I wanted to stay in the peaceful comfort of the white, but the black kept pulling me into it. I remember thinking, Who is going to win—the black or the white?
Then I heard my mom’s voice calling to me, “Jerry, wake up.”
“JP, wake up!”
I honestly did not want to leave the place of white, where there was no pain, no lack of sleep, no arguing, and no time. Why would I want to come back? It felt good where I was. I can’t possibly do justice to or fully explain how I felt—it is truly beyond human imagination.
I didn’t have a choice, though. I slowly woke up, and although I had been in a diabetic coma with a near-death experience, I was groggy for only a few moments. Thanks to God, a loving family, and modern medicine, I was back with my mom, dad, and brother—and given a second chance.
Until the next chapter…
Your Brother in Christ,
