It Just So Happened: A Story of Life, Death, Family and Faith

It Just So Happened…
A Story of Life, Death, Family and Faith

 On Tuesday afternoon I sat poolside and watched my nephew help my four-year old niece overcome her fear of the dreaded four foot deep-end of the pool. His tactic was simple and straight forward…just take one step at a time. When her fear overcame her and panic was written all over her face, my nephew calmly, yet firmly said these words: “You trusted me in shallow part, now trust me in the deep part.” With the faith of a child, she simply trusted. And soon she was in the “deep-end.”

As he said those words my mind began to wander. Just three days earlier his entire family wanted to spend the day at a hometown baseball game watching the St. Joseph Mustangs. It was “Frozen” Night, so his sisters would be able to see their favorite Disney Princess make a live appearance at the game. It just so happened that the family, and more specifically my sister, Bria, was there mostly at the prompting of my mom, who took her newest granddaughter, 2 week old Molly while the rest of the family went to the game. Though the Mustangs season is nearing it’s end, it just so happened that this was my sisters first game of the year. It just so happened that the fireworks show after the game was sponsored by Heartland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph’s only hospital. It just so happened that this night was healthcare night., which meant there were nurses, doctors and other medical personnel in the stand. It just so happened to be a record-breaking night of attendance at the game, with over 5,500 people in the stands. And it just so happened that on this night, Bria would find herself in the right place at the right time.

 In the third inning of the Mustangs match-up with the Clarinda A’s Bria stood up to leave the game and head to the car. She had been having some chest discomfort, but she credited it to anxiety. Seconds later she fell to the floor of the bleachers. Her body began convulsing and confusion rippled through the stands. Fear was etched on the faces of those around her. Her eyes opened just long enough to make eye contact with her husband, Terry. And then…she was gone.  The cold empty stare in her eyes told everyone in the stands that life was gone and death was taking up residence in her body.  But the only problem with death’s plan on that Saturday night were those four little words…it just so happened. Because you see, it just so happened that the doctors and nurses around her knew CPR. As they administered chest compressions and rescue breaths they supplied oxygen to her brain. It just so happened that there was a cardiac cath. tech sitting just a few rows away who just so happened to get free tickets to the game that night. It just so happened that a fan sitting nearby had a son who had a history of heart problems. It just so happened that they had a pediatric AED which they used on Bria. It just so happened that each of these people played a crucial role in saving the life of my sister. The CPR kept her body supplied with oxygen. The cardiac cath. tech knew exactly how deep to go when he was doing her chest compressions (even needing to break six ribs in the process). The pediatric AED shocked her heart just enough to start it again. Less than an hour later, three stents were placed into the broken artery of Bria’s heart, which had been almost completely blocked off.

While at the game, it just so happened that my neice’s former tee-ball coach was sitting a few rows ahead. It just so happened to be the first game he had attended all year. He grabbed the kids just as they watched their mom go down. It just so happened that he shielded and comforted them during the scariest hour of their life.

As the doctors explained it, Bria’s heart attack was caused by an abnormality in her heart. Having delivered her fourth baby just a few weeks earlier, her body was still in recovery. This was her most difficult pregnancy. There was a lot of stress placed on her body as well as her heart.   That stress caused this particular artery to tear in a fashion similar to the pattern of the red stripe on a candy cane.   And it just so happened that it all happened in a ballpark on a Saturday night when she happened to be surrounded by all the right people.

All of this brings us face to face with the question at hand. Did it all just so happen? Was this the result of a magical aligning of the stars? Was this pure coincidence? Or is there something more? Was there something or someone behind the scenes, arranging each and every piece of the puzzle in order for everyone to see the magnificent picture it creates? This is a picture that points us to the One behind the scenes. The one who perfectly orchestrated every detail. This picture just so happens to point us the Great One, the Magnificent One, the Healer, the Great Physician, the Great I AM…Jesus.

Jesus has supplied every piece of the puzzle for us. Our job is to simply put it all together. The Bible is full of stories of people who just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. Pharaoh’s daughter just so happened to be by the river when the newborn Moses came drifting by. Joseph just so happened to be in the right pit, then the right prison and then the right palace.   The Samaritan woman just so happened to be sitting at the well when Jesus went to draw water. Mary just so happened to deliver Jesus exactly as the many prophecies declared she would. And though the Bible is a closed book, God is still writing stories everyday. He’s still arranging the parts of our life, each and every detail. Even the minute ones that seem to have no real significance to us, like going to our first local baseball game.   And the story He has given my sister is one that is making an eternal impact.

Because her heart attack happened in such a public place, in such a dramatic way and with all the right people in all the right places, people have taken notice. When God moves in ways like this, you can’t miss Him. Today a community and family who should be mourning the death of this young lady is now celebrating her life and giving glory to God because of it.

The journey which lies ahead for Bria and her family is a long one. They must now discover what their new “normal” will look like. They must reprioritize their life, placing an emphasis on the things that really matter and forgetting the things that don’t. But most importantly, they must forge ahead in faith. When the dust all settles, the realization of what just happened will be overwhelming and frightening. . But they won’t need to face this fear alone. They just need to look to Jesus who has already conquered their fear for them. They simply need to remember to trust him completely when he says to them, “You trusted me in the shallow part, now trust me in the deep part.”   To this end I pray, and ask you to join me.

To God Be The Glory.