me a single puff of artificial
respiration before crying out,
“God, I promise I will never
do another bad thing in my
entire life if Mitch will just
wake up!”
I was completely powerless
to do anything about what
was happening around
me. And then something
different, something dark
and frightening began to
happen. I knew that I was
going to die.
I Idon’t know how to
describe it, but it felt as if I
were lying on a conveyor
belt that started to pull me
away from life. I knew that
my death, my exit from
mortality, was imminent and
I desperately wanted to live,
but I was powerless against
this dark force that seemed
to be smothering me.
44 Solutions
I thought that if I could just
say a prayer, just call on God
in even the simplest way, my
life would be spared. But I
was unable to formulate a
prayer even in my mind. This
dark, oppressive presence
not only bound my tongue
but prevented my mind from
uttering a plea for help.
And then, when it was
clear to me that my life was
about to be snuffed out,
at least my mortal life, God
reached out to me. I heard
His voice. It was mild and
loving and calm, not any
kind of booming, Cecil B.
DeMille voice. The message
was an expression of God’s
unconditional love for me,
followed by the words, “Ask
in confidence.”
Knowing that God was
aware of my circumstance
and that He loved and
cared about me somehow
freed me from the dark
force that had previously
bound my tongue. I was
able to formulate a very
simple prayer in my mind.
One word: “Father!” And
immediately I was released
from the dark force of
death that had previously
dominated me.