At Heaven's Edge , livre ebook

Harvest House Publishers, Inc. - Rodgers Andrea Jo

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114 pages

English

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Veteran EMT Andrea Rodgers has helped hundreds of people in their most vulnerable moments. Some of the victims faced their mortality head-on and cried out to God for help. Many experienced fleeting but life-changing connections with their first responders. Often these crises became unexpected sources of inspiration. Now Rodgers shares brief, real-life stories of heroic courage in the face of fear. In times of intense suffering, she has repeatedly witnessed signs of God's quiet intervention and healing presence. A man is resuscitated after Rodgers was able to repair a defibrillator--with her teeth! Several bystanders help rescue a young girl who is accidently buried alive in sand. Rodgers also experienced some lighthearted moments, including the time she arrived at the scene of a crime only to find herself in the middle of a mystery dinner theater. Experience the miracles, the life-and-death drama as you look at life from heaven's edge.

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
Date de parution	01 octobre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736964609
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0646€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Cover by Writely Designed, Enumclaw, Washington
Cover photo CandyBoxImages / PhotoDune
Names and minor details have been changed in the real-life stories shared in this book to protect the privacy of the individuals mentioned.
AT HEAVEN S EDGE
Copyright 2015 Andrea Jo Rodgers
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rodgers, Andrea, 1970-
At heaven s edge / Andrea Rodgers.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-7369-6459-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6460-9 (eBook)
1. Emergency medical services-Anecdotes. 2. Rodgers, Andrea, 1970--Anecdotes. 3. Rodgers, Andrea, 1970--Religion. 4. Emergency medical technicians-United States-Anecdotes. 5. Near-death experiences-Religious aspects-Christianity-Anecdotes. 6. Accident victims-United States-Anecdotes. I Title.
RA645.5.R64A3 2015
616.02 5-dc23
2014038260
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
Dedicated to the loving memory of my parents, Andrew and Annemarie.
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to my husband, Rick, my sister, Thea, and my friends Katy and Colleen for their time and encouragement. Thanks to Reverend David Cotton and Bishop David O Connell for their support and prayers, and to my literary agent, Leslie Stobbe, for his wisdom and guidance. Also, thank you to the staff at Harvest House Publishers and especially my editor, Kathleen Kerr, for her professional assistance.
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface
The Elevator Accident
Buried Alive!
Our Heroic Men in Blue
Manna from Heaven
The Son s Hero
Charades
Please Call a Priest
Too Late for 911
Man in the Little Black Box
Late for School
A Day in the Life of a Mobster
Seizing in the Rain
The Loving Send-Off
Thanksgiving
The Bite
Guardian Angel in Action
Getting Too Worked Up
The Attempted Murder
Baby, Baby
The Birthday Cruise
The Nursing Home Strikes Again
The Train Tragedy
Fire!
Keeping Up with Kids
Choking!
Hunting for a Cure
In the Blink of an Eye
A Little Dose of Sugar
Saving Mr. O Leary
About the Author
About the Publisher
Preface
911 emergencies catch us at our most vulnerable. In our darkest, most frightening moments, when we are forced to face our mortality head-on, many of us turn to the Lord. In these times of crisis, He hears our pleas for help. Sometimes, the assistance may be a direct intervention from God. Other times, He may help us indirectly through the efforts of first responders. During these times, the volunteer EMS community is blessed to be able to serve as instruments of Jesus. In these moments of despair, we often unexpectedly find inspiration.
The Elevator Accident
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the L ORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
DEUTERONOMY 31:6
T he force of the crash nearly knocked my young son, John, and me off our feet. The elevator jerked violently and I grabbed for the wall to steady myself. A loud noise, reminiscent of the time I rode on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls, filled the air. But why in the world am I hearing the sound of gushing water? I felt my heart begin to thump unnaturally in my chest and instinctively tightened my grip on John s hand.
It was ten o clock in the morning on a beautiful October day-my seventh wedding anniversary, to be exact. Outside, the warm early autumn sun kissed the colorful golden and crimson leaves. In sharp contrast to the outdoors, the elevator was quickly morphing into a chamber of terrors for John and me.
The morning started with an ordinary visit to John s eye doctor, Dr. Mendel. John, a two-year-old toddler, had gotten glasses six weeks earlier because he is farsighted. Today was a follow-up visit to see how he was doing. The visit didn t take more than a half hour. The receptionist, Louise, handed me an appointment card on my way out. We ll see John again in four weeks, Mrs. Rodgers.
Smiling, I put the card in my pocket and waved goodbye. I was already planning the rest of my day off: picnicking at the playground by our home, reading together at the library, apple picking at a local farm. Later that evening, my husband, Rick, and I wanted to rewatch our wedding video, one of our favorite anniversary traditions. This is going to be a picture-perfect anniversary.
When we stepped out into the hallway, I decided on the spur of the moment to take the elevator. Usually I prefer the stairs, but I figured an elevator ride would be a fun adventure for John. Just like most toddlers, he was eager to discover new and exciting things.
Do you want to take the elevator? I asked him, although I already knew what his answer would be.
Yes, yes, John answered, a 1000-megawatt smile lighting up his trusting face. Wriggling with excitement, he rushed ahead into the elevator.
Press the button with the one on it, I said to him, holding his small hand in my own.
One, John said softly, pressing the button with me.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, it dimly registered that the ride seemed to be taking a little bit longer than it should have. I brushed the thought aside. But within seconds, the elevator crashed and made a terrifying grinding metallic noise unlike anything I had ever heard before in my life. A sick feeling erupted in the pit of my stomach. What s going on? What s happening to us? I want to get out now!
Suddenly, I realized why the noise I was hearing sounded like running water. It was running water! To my horror, it began rushing under the bottom of the elevator door with a vengeance. I absolutely cannot believe this is happening to us!
For a split second, I stared in shocked disbelief. Then my brain clicked into gear and I hoisted John into my arms as the water rushed up and over his ankles. I frantically pressed the door open button a dozen times. When that didn t work, I began pushing at the door in a desperate attempt to open it. Help me, Lord. Tell me what to do! Please get us out of here!
Have you ever had an experience that lasts a few moments but seems to go on for a lifetime? When your mind desperately tries to grasp exactly what is going on?
I began screaming, but the scream sounded oddly disconnected from my body. My mind flashed to Rick. He is my rock, my true love, my best friend. Next, my mind swept to my sweet daughter, Anna. Will I ever see them again?
The water quickly rose above my knees. At that moment, I was forced to face my mortality. My heart was thumping so hard in my chest that I felt like it could explode at any moment. Are we going to die? I don t want to die. I m not ready to die! We re both too young to die! Dear Lord, please save us!
John s terrified silence stood in stark contrast to my screams for help. The water continued rising higher and higher. If I hadn t lifted John up, the water would now be over his head. If the water keeps coming in, will we float up to the ceiling? Will we be able to get out that way? Will I be able to tread water while holding on to John? Or will we both go under? Are we going to drown?
I ve been a volunteer on my town s first aid squad for 26 years and have answered over 6500 calls for help. This was the very first time that the tables were turned. Rather than responding to a 911 emergency, I was the 911 emergency.
Water continued to rush underneath the elevator doors. I pressed the alarm button over and over again but didn t hear any sort of audible alarm. Is the button working? Does anyone know that John and I are trapped in this elevator?
Help! I screamed as loudly as I could. I don t want to die in this elevator! I don t want my husband to be a widower! I don t want my daughter to grow up without John and me! But as the water continued to rise, I feared that John and I would surely drown .
And then, in that incredibly dark moment, God answered my prayer. Miraculously, the elevator doors slowly opened! Our guardian angels are working overtime to rescue us!
With John still in my arms, I staggered out of the elevator into a dark basement filled with water. I could hear water running all around us, the sound echoing eerily off the cement walls. Dim light filtered through a small basement window. Across the room, I thought I could make out the outline of a door. Please, please let that be a way out of here! I was crying so hard that it made it even harder to see. Clutching John tightly to me, I waded through the water. I yanked the door open and, to my relief, saw a flight of stairs directly in front of me. I staggered up the stairs, sobbing uncontrollably. At the time John weighed about 35 pounds, but there was no way I was going to let go of my precious child. I clung to him as though he was my life preserver.
John, in sharp contrast to me, was ominously silent. His tiny arms clung around my neck. His eyes were wide open, fear reflecting in their depths. I wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, but I couldn t get any words out. Jesus saved us. We re going to live!
I w