Day 150 - That's Just Our God, Showing Off - Part 1

I was going to wait until Sunday, June 27, to write about this but Sunday's are so busy with church and naps.

I first named this post "The Day He Almost Died" but that's not the case at all. Martin did come close to death in human terms but it's not like God was surprised by all of this. So I appropriately changed the title.

Five years. Five years since Martin collapsed during physical training in the Police Department. Five years since he was rushed to the hospital with a 109.7 body temperature. I only want to give the background not to dwell on the despair or hopelessness we all felt that night or the dream that was lost that day but the way God preordained it before time began and how it all played out just to His liking. The way He showed off. Our God, oh how He loves to show off!

It was hot. Humidity was so high that it was hard to breathe outside. The temperature was in the high 80's. There was a mist of rain most of the day but not a cool, soothing rain, more like a hot shower mist. I spent all day praying for Martin. He had been sworn in as a Sheriff's officer a few weeks before and had been working at the Sheriff's Department leading up to that day but this was his first day at the Academy. He was very nervous but so excited. A dream he had since he was a little boy was coming true!

We had given up a lot for him to become a police officer. He had turned down a promotion that exceeds how much he is making at his current job today. He was 26 years old, we had no mortgage, no children and it seemed like the perfect time to follow his dream. It was a huge leap of faith. We both sought God about it. There wasn't a right or wrong choice. Nothing sinful about either one. It finally came down to: Which choice would we depend on God more? We both agreed that leaving his current job, turning down his promotion offer and taking the Sheriff's officer position was in fact how we could step out on faith and trust God to provide and it was Martin's heart's desire.

I got the call around 4:30. The Sergeant at the academy was letting me know that Martin had passed out and was taken to the hospital. He said they had to close their gates and his car would be locked away for the night so someone needed to pick him up. Shore Memorial Hospital is where they took him. Not knowing where on earth that was (other than obviously close to the shore) I asked if I should leave now or wait a bit. He told me he wasn't sure and that he would call me back. I called Martin's mom to let her know. I wasn't alarmed, I was more annoyed. "I bet he didn't drink enough water and passed out! He probably had to get an I.V. and will be sitting up drinking a diet coke when we go in!" Those were pretty much my exact words.

My mother-in-law said she would like to drive me so I waited for the Sergeant to call me back before we left. He called back about 45 minutes later and said we could leave now, he would probably be ready and that some of the other cadets had taken his wallet, keys and ID down to meet me. So off we went, not having any idea what we would find when we got there. Knowing now that God was protecting my heart and comforting me through the work of the Holy Spirit without my knowledge.

More tomorrow. This post is way too long.

Click here for
Part 2

Click here for
Part 3