“I met John Bruetsch back in Two Thousand Nine when I first went to Harrisburg PA. He was the master user of Roadnet, which was one of the Routing systems I was looking to implement for our company. John is a big man that stands above Six Feet and a good weight over Two Hundred or more pounds. He also at the time worked as a firefighter, as most of the firemen in those areas are volunteers. Me and John hit it off immediately, and over the next Four years we spent a lot of time together. One night we went to dinner with his wife Julie, and the customer service manager at John's favorite steakhouse, and it was so good! We were all sitting talking, and I looked across at John and he looked like he was choking, I asked him if everything was OK and he put his hands to his throat shaking his bead, No! I immediately jumped up and went around and tried to wrap my arms around his stomach; I used the chair as leverage as I could, and finally got a good grip to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him. A piece of steak got dislodged and he started breathing normally again. It was the longest 30 seconds I could remember, which we laughed at afterwards, more of me being awkward trying to save him.
John Chapter Three has so many nuggets to ponder on, and I'm not talking the cheap McDonald's kind. It is filled with so much love and so much grace and has the verse that sums up the whole Gospel of God, John Three Sixteen. First Jesus is talking to Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews and a Pharisee. It begins with us needing to be born again in Christ. It continues with God loving us so much, He gave his only begotten Son for our salvation. It says, in verse seventeen,
"Jesus didn't come to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." (ESV)
Did you catch that? MIGHT! Wait what? When I saw John choking, I didn't hesitate to jump up and attempt to help, I didn't stop and pray and hope all would be good. (Please don't misinterpret this for not praying as if you've been reading what I have been writing, you know my thoughts on prayer.) I acted and saw a friend in need of saving and I took action.
Jesus did the same for us; where He saw a world in hurt, and in need of salvation, that He died because of His love for me and you. Salvation is there for all who chose to follow Jesus, and who ask Him to be re-born in their heart, so that we are filled in His Spirit, to a new life. He will pull us out of our darkness, but we can't hope or think it MIGHT happen. We need to ask and come boldly to the throne of grace. Paul writes in Romans Ten,
“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”” (ESV)
The writer of Hebrews writes in chapter four,
“For we do not have a High priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (ESV)
John gets to celebrate another Birthday; and although we don't talk as much as we used to, I know I love him as a brother and am thankful to still have him here as a friend. As awkward as it was for me to try and save his life, and knowing how awkward it is to share the real gospel with people, how much more awkward will it be standing before Jesus saying I never knew you, because we chose death over life? We chose to play being a “Christian,” and not really abiding and walking in Him.
So my question is what are you choking on in life that is causing you pain, grief, fear, panic, doubt, and on the verge of breathing your last breath? Jesus desires to give you the “Heimlich” to save you, but you have to choose to follow and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. He already breathed His last breath to die on a cross so that you might be saved, but you have to repent and be saved under the Might of His grace." Jose Barajas
P.S. A year later, I saved John’s life again from choking, and though we have laughed about it many times since, salvation is not a laughing matter!
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