When I was a kid, I read this book entitled, "Something Big has been here." It was a book about context clues and mostly likely written to establish some sort of foundation for the scientific method in children. In the story a group of kids follow some huge footprints and find an adventure. While I remember almost nothing else of the story, the concept has stuck with me.
My Dad has always been my best friend. I remember praying at the age of 15, "Jesus give me half the wisdom of my father. Actually give me a double portion!" haha, I was ambitious. But my Dad is worth imitating, he is great.
"We don't know if he will ever recover, and if he does, he won't be the man you remember. Your family needs to start making preparations."
It was a normal day, Dad was outside in the yard. He came in took a shower and ate. "I think I am getting sick," he said. Its funny how a watershed moment can be so subtle. There was a silent current tearing away at the foundation of the lives we had all built. We didn't know, but life was changing and changing fast. Over the next 3 days, Dad fought hard against the "flu". One night he looked at my mom with a puzzled look and said, "I can't get this stupid blanket programed." "What honey? That doesn't make sense," she said. He just looked at her as if he realized he had no idea what he was saying. "Its time to go to the doctor."
"His kidneys are full of debris, they are shutting down. His white blood cell count is so far off we don't get it. His fever won't come down, we can't break it. This isn't good. A man of his age with a fever this high is very dangerous." -Doctor-
Over the course of 2 weeks i watched my father deteriorate to the point that he didn't remember us. He had moments where he seemed to glimpse clarity only to have it retreat to the back of his mind. Looking at the face of your father, while he looks at a man he doesn't know, shakes something. Something so deep and intricate that no aspect or avenue of life escapes. Down to the smallest mundane tasks of each day, a tremble is felt. I don't know how to explain it really, only that it hurts. It hurts funny, and strange. "He will never be the man you remember." I hated those words like I have never hated. I was lost right in the middle of everything I had ever known.
I went to school full time and worked a part time job at blockbuster video. 4 nights a week I closed the store and left around 12 am. For those 2 or so weeks, life felt funny. Not even sad, just off. I didn't live at home, so i felt like my dad was at home, but he wasn't. I would go visit him in the hospital, those were rough. Finally he slipped into a coma. Yep…a coma. The say this is how it ends. We learned he was bitten by a tick and got some rare blood disease. This was the cause. That day in the yard spreading pine straw for my mom's garden cost him dearly.
I was devastated. I couldn't believe it. My Daddy had always been who I went to…now what.
I took his keys to the church, and when i would leave work I drove to the sanctuary where he was technically the pastor. I would lock myself in the church until the sun came up, then i would go home and shower and go to class.
I went from screaming at God to pleading with God, to claiming in His name. I was everywhere! Somewhere around the 3rd night, I was praying, and I don't know how to explain it, but God came in the room with me. He just did. "Give him to me." And over the course of the next hour I gave my Daddy to my Heavenly Father. I told him that I didn't know who to talk to if he took him, but if he saw fit to, that I wouldn't stop praising, or praying. I told him I don't understand it, and it hurts so bad, but You, not me. "I am going to heal Him Matt." In an instant my prayers changed. Again I don't know to explain it. But in the wee hours of the morning in a small church in Macon Georgia, my grief was gone. And expectancy took its place.
I fasted for 3 days. The last day was a Sunday. The guest speaker came to me and said, "Go pray for your Father, anoint his head with this oil." I said "okay," and thought to myself, I am going to eat first because I am very hungry. "NO, go pray before you do anything," said the guest speaker. No lie. He answered my thought. Strangest thing to happen to me that day, until later.
I get to the hospital, my father is in ICU (Intensive Care Unit). He has been in a coma for some days now. The ICU is closed until 5, and its 1pm. The next series of events are somewhat fantastic, I understand the skepticism as my brain also works this way. But I will not spare you any detail nor exaggerate, as you will see there is no need.
I approach the front desk, "I am here to see Mr. Bell, I believe he is in ICU." The lady at the front desk says, "That is on the second floor, take the elevator to your left." The elevator is all the way at the end of the hall. As I walk my mind is buzzing. I am certain that the roof is about to explode off and I am going to see God. As I get closer to the elevator, "BING" the door opens and nobody gets out, and nobody is standing there. Coincidence, no worries. I press 2nd floor. The elevator door opens and ICU is right there with a big sign that says that visiting hours are done until 5. I look at the ceiling and say, "If you didn't bring me here to watch me get stopped I need you to work this out." BAM the doors to ICU open. Nobody comes out. And its one of those badge swipe deals. I just start walking down this hallway. There is another locked door at the end. I just say, "same thing" and it opens. I am pretty sure at this point i am either in a movie or on the verge of getting arrested for breaking into ICU. As the second door opens I see a nurse who I fully expect to kick me out. "You here to see Mr. Bell?" she says. As a matter of fact I am. She leads me to him. I haven't seen him like this. He has feeding tubes, and wires everywhere. He looks to have not brushed his teeth in months. She shakes him violently and yells to him that his son is here and he needs to wake up. He refuses. She says, "I am sorry he has been like this for some time now." To which I respond, "its okay." She leaves.
I am now in a small curtained off area. I break down crying because he looks so bad. He had all the markings of a dead or dying man. I wasn't sure what to say, so I said this, "With the power of all the prayers that have been prayed for you, and with all the faith of those who have prayed, in the name of Jesus Christ be healed." I placed a drop of oil on his head the moment I said be healed. I would love to say I did it with some pizzaz and flare, but I did it more like you would if you stuck a car key into a socket. Very tentatively. It was like I had paddled him with a defibrillator. He gasped for air and began to tear off the wires like something out of an X-men film. The nurses came in and began to do their jobs. My sweet Daddy looked at me and said, "Hey Matt, where's your mom? How long you been here?" I must have looked like a deer in tank lights, cause he was smiling big. "Not long," I stammered. 4 days later he was home from the hospital.
That day I followed some really big footprints. I want to follow those again, we will do greater than these, lets see it. SOMETHING BIG HAS BEEN HERE.
