March 8, 2022 I died…

March 8, 2024

I’ve thought about this day countless times over the past 2 years. It’s time for me to reflect back and share my experience…

It was a Tuesday and I was on my way to take aerial photos of a home in Wears Valley. When I was driving through Maryville my heart started racing and it felt like my chest was going to explode. I called Catherine and thankfully she answered. 

She was working in Crossville that day and rarely answers her phone during work as she’s typically very busy seeing patients. She just happened to be between patients and about to see her next patient. I told her I was dying. 

She didn’t understand what I was saying. She was trying to process what was going on. She was asking me where I was, what’s going on. I didn’t know what was happening but I knew something was wrong and it felt like death was fast approaching. She told her coworkers she had a family emergency and she had to leave immediately. She left her office in Crossville and started racing towards me. I told her she would never make it in time. 

She was begging me to pull over and stop somewhere, anywhere where there were people so I could get help. I didn’t want to stop. I felt like it was my time. I can’t really explain that but I just had this feeling my time was coming to an end. Part of me was thinking about stupid things like small things around the house I had put off for “some day” and I was sad I wasn’t going to get that done. I thought about my family most of all and that I was not going to get to see them again. I was relieved Catherine was with me on the phone so I could at least spend my last few minutes with her and tell her goodbye. She was not ready to say goodbye and she was praying, speaking the word of God over me.

I could tell I was driving erratically, going slow and having a hard time staying in my lane. She finally convinced me to stop and I pulled into a restaurant in Wears Valley. I was able to read the sign and tell her where I was. I believe we got disconnected and she called the store to tell them I was in the parking lot in distress. They called 911 and came out to help me. By this time my body was shutting down and I was collapsing in the driver’s seat. I could hear people outside my truck yelling and trying to open my doors. My left hand was at the door handle and I barely had enough strength to open the door just before my body shut down. My body went limp, I dropped the phone, my eyes and mouth closed. Did I just die? 

I couldn’t move but I was thinking about how peaceful it was. In the last minute or so I didn’t have any discomfort. In my mind I was wondering what was about to happen next… but I could still hear the people around me trying to help me and I was wondering how long I’ll be able to hear them. I could hear a lady who had picked up my phone and was telling Catherine I wasn’t responding… I could hear Catherine screaming and crying on the phone. I just kept thinking this is so strange. I wondered how long it would be before my soul leaves my body. A man pushed my lifeless body up against my seat and held my head up. I could hear Catherine asking someone to see if I have a pulse. I then heard the man say I can feel a faint heartbeat…

For the first time, I thought… maybe I’m not dead…

I still could not open my eyes, mouth or respond in any way. After what seemed like forever I could hear the ambulance. By the time they arrived I was somewhat awake but kept going in and out of consciousness. They had to pull me out of my truck, placed me on a stretcher and cut my sweatshirt off. They were preparing to shock me. Thankfully they didn’t have to.

On the ride to the hospital they kept giving me smelling salts and rubbing that spot on your chest to keep me awake. I arrived at LeConte Medical Center and was rushed into the ER. I remember seeing the Dr looking down at me, starting to evaluate me and a room full of nurses getting ready to help me.

The Dr was asking me what happened, what I’m experiencing, etc. I was fairly alert at this point and I remember telling him “I think I just died and came back to life.” If you want to clear out an ER those must be the magic words! lol I’m sure they all thought ok get this guy to the psych ward! 

Thankfully they continued evaluating me and testing me for all kinds of things… Eventually they determined I had sepsis. As I was sitting in the ER, talking to Catherine who had arrived by this point I began to experience my body shutting down again. It felt like I was dying, again… I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to die. I wasn’t prepared for death. I was scared.

Catherine prayed with me and walked me through the sinner’s prayer right there on the hospital bed in the ER. I knew I needed to recommit my life to Jesus RIGHT NOW! She and I wanted there to be no doubt I was ready. I had been saved originally in 2001 but lots of things had happened in my life since then and I knew I was not in God’s will. That had to change and now was the time.

I ended up being admitted and spent 2 or 3 days there. I had more tests done on me in those days then I had had my entire life! After I was feeling better I was released to go home and within a few days I was passing out multiple times at home and being rushed back to the ER by ambulance. I was in the ER 4 times within 2 weeks, admitted for multiple days twice. They could not solve the multiple system failures issues I was experiencing. They didn’t know exactly what was causing everything and had me signed up to see every sort of “ologist” imaginable. 

I was beyond frustrated with the ERs and decided to go find a local Dr to try to help me. At one of my visits about a month later I saw a wonderful FNP who told me she believed I had long Covid. There was no real test at the time that could confirm it but she recognized my symptoms because she also had long Covid and had gone through many of the same things! Catherine spent countless hours researching this to see what protocols were out there at that point. We started me on Ivermectin and a number of other vitamins and natural supplements and within 3 days I went from not being able to work to almost back to normal! Praise the Lord! 

There’s so much more to this story and maybe I’ll share more details later but on March 8, 2022 I did indeed die, I died to my old ways and recommitted my life to Jesus. I pray God’s will be done in my life! I pray I never take God for granted ever again! Every day I get to be around family and friends is a blessing to me. Every day I wake up is a blessing! Every moment I get to spend with Catherine I cherish. Am I now perfect? Absolutely not! I’m forgiven. I’ve turned from my sins and I’m focused on Jesus. 

What happened to me on March 8, 2022 was such a blessing. I needed a wake up call! I was a lazy Christian. I hadn’t been to church consistently for YEARS. I wasn’t reading the Bible. I wasn’t studying his Word. I was just going through the motions of day to day ho hum. I was caught up in the World… living for the moment… taking for granted all the blessings God has given me! I’ve been so blessed my entire life. God has always been there but I have not always appreciated the things He has provided me. As I’ve looked back over my life I see His hands guiding me along, trying to push me in the right directions. I’ve been stubborn and failed more times than I care to remember. I pray I will never again resist His promptings. I pray whatever I do that God receives the glory. I pray I can bless others in all that I do. I pray that I’m more like Jesus and less like me. 

Today has been a very special day for me. I started another journey 2 years ago just before all this happened and I have been immensely blessed recently with this path. I can’t describe the joy I feel. It’s overwhelming and I’m so thankful for those who have supported me along the way. To God be the glory!

There’s been so many God ordained events that have occurred in my life but I especially recognize them over the last 2 years. I met one of my neighbors THE WEEKEND BEFORE this event who moved down the street from me 2 YEARS PRIOR! Turns out that neighbor is a Pastor of the very church I was a member of since 2007 but that I hadn’t been to since 2008! He became the Pastor in 2020 right when Covid broke out. Pastor John Huhn has discipled me, answered so many of my questions about God, the Bible, you name it, helped me learn how to study the Bible, been a mentor, been such a blessing. I’m proud to call him my friend! On June 5, 2022 he rebaptized me. 

It’s not been all rainbows the past 2 years. We’ve faced many challenges but I have had a peace about them knowing that God was going to do amazing things with whatever we go through. He has and He does! 

1 Timothy 1 12-14

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3 8-11

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christand become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I don’t claim to know everything about God, the Bible, being more like Jesus but if you don’t know Jesus I’m happy to talk to you offline. We are not promised tomorrow. Don’t delay. We are only here for a short while but eternity is forever. I want to be in heaven and I pray we’ll be friends in heaven too.