Near Death Experiences

I have had four times in my life where I almost died.

Which I think really helped me form my perspective on life and what matters most.

It helped me know from a young age that there must be a God, and that I must have some amazing guardian angels. lol

It also made me think about the greatest questions of life like, "Why am I here?" "Why am I still here?"  "What did God save me for?"

It made me realize how fleeting our lives are and how frail our bodies are!  In one moment, it could all be over.  ONE MOMENT.  So crazy.  So we need to make the time we DO have REALLY count.

The first instance was when I was 8.  I fell of my bike at a height of about 10 feet up onto solid concrete.  And, I fell on my face. 

I was riding my bike in a storm drain, half pipe type thing with my brother.  He rode his bike down a not so steep part.  I was like, "I can do that too!"  And I rode my bike right off a 10 or 12 foot cliff basically.  I landed on my face and got a huge gash in my gum that had to get stitches.  I had scratches all over my face and lost tons of blood. 

Out of no where a white truck pulled up, which my mom is convinced to this day was an angel.  Who knows what would have happened if that truck hadn't come RIGHT then. 

I got stitched up, and I was OK.  The white truck man saved the day!

The second occurrence was when I was 10.  My appendix ruptured.  I was sick for three days and I thought it was just the flu.  But it was actually that my body was infected with poison for three days.

Finally my mom asked, "Where does it hurt?"  I pointed to the exact area where my appendix was and she panicked and rushed me the E.R.  I could barely walk.  I don't even remember them putting my IV in; I was so out of it.  The doctor had said if my mom had waited one more day I would have been dead.

The third occurrence was one day at the beach when I was 14.  The waves were at about 15 feet that day and my friend, who was on the swim team, got me to go out in the water with her. 

Pretty soon I got hit with a huge wave, and every time I tried to come up for air more and more waves kept pushing me under.  The undercurrent tossed me so much I didn't know what was up and what was down. 

I panicked.  I was terrified.  I remember telling God in that moment, "Ok this is it.  I'm coming home Lord." 

But my youth pastor saw that I was drowning and came out to rescue me. 

He yelled at me, "HOLD ONTO ME."  So I clung onto him like a crab and he sunk down like a rock in the sand so I stopped getting tossed by the waves. 

After the set of waves was over, I crawled onto the beach with the least amount of strength I have ever had. 

I was so scared and so terrified.  It's a wonder I ever went in the water again.

I have a fourth moment that wasn't as bad as those three but it was still a bit crazy. 

I was living in Hawaii for the summer with my aunt.  One day I decided to go out boogie boarding by myself, which of course everyone knows is a bad idea. 

I took the only board they had and it didn't have a string or a tie on it. 

I entered the water at a slightly dangerous part where lava rocks were and went swimming out.  Somehow, in a huge wave, I lost my board!  It just slipped out from underneath me! 

I panicked and didn't know how I was going to get out of the water. 

Eventually a wave threw me back onto the lava rocks that I had entered on.  I got pretty cut up. It was, again, a pretty crazy experience. 

Yet I still love boogie boarding and going out in the waves, lol, I don't know why. :)  I find it to be the most fun and thrilling thing in the world!  They say, "Your greatest passion comes from your greatest pain or fear." 

I have always been kind of afraid of the ocean, and I suppose that is what draws me to it.  I don't like having something I am afraid of.  I very much like to conquer any fear that might come up for me.  The ocean also was my biggest pain, as it almost killed me on these two occasions.  And so that fear and pain turned into passion. 

Likewise my difficult childhood was one of my greatest pains.  Thus, my passion to work with kids and make their lives a bit, or a lot, better then my life was as a child.    

What's your greatest pain?  What's your greatest fear? 

And what are you passionate about? 

Are they connected?    

I thought of all this because I went to see the movie "Chasing Mavericks" today with my best friend.  Phenomenal movie!  If you have not seen it, go see it! lol It is VERY inspiring!  It inspired me to want to learn to surf. lol

It mainly is inspiring in that it challenges you, in that whatever you are afriad of, GO do that!  Do it afraid! :)

May God bless you all!  Grace and peace be with you! :)