Update from Jerry and Holly

Our 45th anniversary – so very thankful to be together ❤️

Dear Friends,

Holly and I wish to deeply thank everyone who has prayed for us during these difficult days. We truly feel that the prayers of God’s people are what kept me breathing. I was completely crushed and incapacitated. I had no ability to fight for myself. God’s people fought on my behalf when they prayed.

When I sensed I was at the end I could only utter one prayer over and over again. I kept repeating the name,” Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy upon me.”

While I was repeating the Savior’s name I heard one of the medical team say, “Doctor this man’s going down!” Then they paddled me with a tremendous electrical shock. I woke up three days later from a coma. When I awoke, it took me a while to understand what was going on. Then they brought Holly to me. Only then did I realize I was sent back from the farthest edge by the Lord. It was incredible to think I was still here.

The doctors have canceled my schedule and told me I must rest, take walks and have no stress. They will examine me again September 8th. Then I start cardio rehab.

After a wonderful time with all of our children and grandchildren Holly and I are here in Colorado for all of August. We walk in the mornings, read scripture together, pray together and do a lot of daydreaming looking at this enormous Colorado sky and mountains! There are also the stars at night!

One thing I will always remember is the head nurse in the intensive care unit. The next day after my coma she said to me,”Jerry, you really have no way of knowing that this was the perfect storm for you to survive. Holly dialed 911. You had the best EMT crew keep you alive until you got here. Then the best interventionist cardiologist in this entire area is standing there when your ambulance pulled in. Then several other doctors stopped what they were doing and you had four doctors working on you. Then I was assigned to you while you were in a coma. And don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m the best there is! All of this never, never happens! Jerry, no one knew who you were when that ambulance pulled in, but it seems like the moment you arrived, you have had ‘preferred status’!

When the nurse said that I was “ unknown”, but had preferred status looked at my buddy Dan, who had conned his way into the IC unit to sit with me and fast for three days until I woke up! We smiled and then we broke out into a laugh because we KNEW what had happened. It was the prayers of God’s people that gave me preferred status when I was helpless and knew nothing of it!

When Moses was an infant the Pharaoh wished to destroy him. Moses’ mother could not hide him, so she had to put him in a basket and watch him float down the crocodile-infested Nile River and pray for a miracle. It would have been a heartbreaking scene. That helpless little baby in a basket. But the Lord had other plans. The daughter of Pharaoh found Moses and took him in. I have taught a lesson for many years about this story in the Bible. I call it, “Baby in a Basket”.

One of the things I have learned through all of this is that I am just a baby in a basket.

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Some of Holly and my favorite scriptures from our readings this summer are:

Psalms 103

Praise the Lord oh my soul, all my inmost being, praise His Holy name.

Praise the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits-

who forgives all your sins and heals all of your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion”

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you

I will uphold you with my righteous hand