This fall I was asked to speak at a retreat in the beautiful Northwoods. Among the guests at the retreat was a well-known Christian author, Gary Smalley. I was thrilled to be able to speak to him personally for the first time. His book, The Key to Your Child’s Heart, as been a favorite of mine for over twenty years. Over and over again I have thought of the message of that book when I was tempted to me irritable or short or angry with the children. It was a happy experience for me to be able to shake his hand and tell him how much his book had been a help to our family.
One afternoon Gary was persuaded to treat us with a talk. Gary’s talk was about the heart. He began by telling of his near-death experience while on a hunting trip. He had a serious heart attack and thought he would die before he was able to get out for medical attention. He said that he had a perfect calm in his soul about going to be with the Lord. Gary has a wonderful sense of humor. When he thought he was dying he said;
“Lying there on the ground I really thought I was going to die. I just looked up into the sky and said; ‘see you in a minute, Lord.'”
Obviously, Gary lived to tell about it. My hope for each of you who read this is that you would have the confidence of David who said; “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”
Somehow, the perfect calm that Gary talks about does not translate in the written word. I experienced that “perfect peace” twenty six years ago this month as the doctors gave my Dad no hope of saving me when he carried me into the emergency room. After three weeks, I finally came around and was actually perturbed with the doctors for saving me. OH WHAT A PEACE!!!!!
Charlene