On February 10, 2007, I survived a near-fatal heart attack. I had just finished exercising and began to feel a strange burning sensation in my upper chest. I told my wife that I feel like I’ve swallowed a chemical of some sort. After waiting it out for a short while and not improving, my wife thought it was best to call for an ambulance to have me looked at.

The ambulance came and brought me to the hospital where I was monitored and given some medications. Tests confirmed that I was having a heart attack. The immediate plan was to make me as comfortable as I could be while waiting to be transferred to another hospital where they could perform an angiogram to determine the extent of the attack.

My family had come into the room to pray for me. As soon as they started to pray, my eyes rolled up and body contorted as I went into cardiac arrest. The ER nurses were summoned and my family was ushered out of the room. I needed to be shocked by the defibrillation paddles; not once, but twice to bring me back to life.

Shortly after, the doctors were able to get clearance to send me to the other hospital where I was given an emergency heart catheterization and stent to open an almost completely blocked artery.

I remained hospitalized for three days and then sent home to make a complete recovery. My doctors have been amazed at the lack of damage my heart sustained because of the attack.

The hand of God was on every aspect of this episode. The timing of every step was critical to my survival and healing. From the quick response of the EMTs; to the availability and skill of the ER nurses; to the miraculous speed of the transfer to the other hospital; to my rapid recovery; God’s guiding hands were involved. I thank Him every day for the additional time I get to spend with my wife and family, and for the chance to continue my ministry. One of my favorite scriptures has become 1 Corinthians 2:5, which says, “…so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” We have surely seen the power of God and are witnesses of His great mercy.