Rev. John Hicks
Guest Columnist
My brothers and I learned the Heimlich Maneuver in scouts. If someone is choking, you get behind them and wrap your arms around the person’s waist. You make a fist with one hand, grabbing it with the other, and positioning it below the rib cage and above the navel. You then make a series of quick thrusts pulling inward and upward to dislodge the object in their throat.
It’s been years, but I still remember seeing my dad actually perform the Heimlich Maneuver on a person at a restaurant. The person started choking, had their hands on their throat, and was turning red in the face. My dad got up behind them, did the thrust, and the food particle blocking their ability to breathe spewed out.
Can you imagine what might have happened when that person started choking on the piece of food if someone stood up and asked, “Is there a doctor in the house? We need a doctor right now!”
With the person choking and turning several shades of color and no doctor being present, the EMT’s are called. But even that might not work out well for the person in need. By the time he’s connected with the specialist, to the person who knows the most about it, it could very well be too late. The best scenario is for someone who is on scene to address the need until a trained professional can take over if needed.
Tragically, when someone's spiritual survival is involved, this doesn’t always happen. To reference what Jesus shared to His followers, “The fields are ripe for harvest, but the workers are few.” (Luke 10:2) Instead of treating the spiritual need of a person, the tendency for many is to wait and hope they might get connected to a specialist like a pastor or church professional.
Life is short, eternity is forever. Everybody is going to spend eternity somewhere. God wants us to be with Him in heaven.
All of us have the power to help someone live eternally in heaven. The life-saving of people who don't live as followers of Christ isn't just in the hands of some religious professionals. It's in our hands. If someone is choking to death at a restaurant, we need to know how to rescue them. Their life might be lost if we wait for someone else to get to them. The rescue is in our hands because we're there; we're close. We can’t always depend on a specialist being on the scene. As Christ followers, we are called to bring help to those around us in need, not just wait for them to come for help.
Everybody is going to spend eternity somewhere. We might help make the difference where. I like what one person shared, “My purpose in life is to get to heaven and bring as many people as possible with me.” May we all be so like-minded!
“..in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:13 NIV