Today, actually less than 30 minutes ago, an incident took place at the end of my driveway.
My girls called me and said there was a car parked at the end of the driveway and it looked like someone was laying on the ground. I saw the car so I put on my shoes and went out. Sure enough, there was a woman in hysterics with another woman holding her. An older man was lying on the ground unconscious as another man was doing chest compressions while on the phone with a 911 operator.
I went to the man's head and put my sweater under it - he was lying on my gravel driveway. I told the guy doing chest compressions that I had a cold and shouldn't give him mouth to mouth. We were going to switch, me do the compressions and he do mouth to mouth but we never did - he kept talking to the 911 person. As I think about this now, what a dumb thing to even think. Here's a guy lying on the ground unconscious, most likely dead, and I'm worried about passing on my cold to him.
Not very long after other vehicles stopped. There was an off duty fireman and a lady who took over doing CPR. You could hear the guys ribs breaking with the compressions. During this whole time the man's wife is sobbing uncontrollably, begging him to breathe. I then noticed a little girl. She was their grand daughter, and she was with them in the vehicle when this whole thing started. She was bravely trying to console her grandmother. I felt useless, and totally and utterly powerless.
I started to pray - what else could I do? - but I didn't know how to, I didn't know what to say Was this guy saved? If so, then his passing would not be a bad thing. He would immediately be with his Lord and would be more alive than I was. What if he was not saved?
If he was not saved then...what can be done? There is no longer any hope for him. Just like that. So sudden. That quickly. Having a nap in the car and then...judgement. God is your judge. God is your enemy. You appear before Him, not in robes washed white because of the forgiveness of sin that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, but in the filth and corruption of all your sin. I looked in his unseeing eyes and wondered how to pray, what to say. As with all things, he is in the hands of God. And God is merciful, and God is just.
The ambulances arrived and they did their work on him, hooking him up to the defibrillator and shocking him. When they took him away he was still unconscious. Will he regain consciousness? If not, will he be welcomed into heaven? Or is it too late for him? How do you pray in a situation like this?
