Sometimes God uses us in really amazing ways. I was used by God just recently. And trust me, I was worse than Jonah. I ran and ran. God won the battle with me and this is the story.
It was a Monday last year in late September. My husband has an i-phone and every day I marvel that a person more unsuitable to this type of technology was persuaded to think he could master this device. Shows how branding and advertising really pay off!
To get to the story. His phone was giving him a really hard time. I suspected a software upgrade was required knowing the intricacies of an i-product. Anyway the whole of the Monday he yelled into his phone. I suffered this throughout the day. Eventually, I said " Sweetie, please go into town and get it fixed." We live in Lanseria in Johannesburg and the closest mall is Fourways. If you know anything about Fourways Mall, it is a nightmare. The road from our house to the mall is around 24 kilometres and 6 kilometres were under construction for the past two years.
So off he went. After about 2 hours I got a frantic phone call. (He had used my car). "What is your car registration number?" I gave it to him. "I have lost the car" he said. "The parking is chaos and under construction and I have been walking around for the last hour and I can't find it"
Now there are 6 brand spanking new parking levels and none of which are marked and none are signposted and no entrances are yet marked. It is still under construction.
"Call the security guards and they can help you" I suggested. Around 7 pm that night he arrived home and he was in a truly foul mood. And, you guessed it, the phone was still not working. That is a story for another day. He had got it fixed and obviously they had not done a very good job and it was in actual fact worse than ever.
Tuesday he yelled into the phone. Actually he couldn't hear anyone and they could not hear him. Wednesday was unbearable. He yelled and yelled.
On Thursday morning I woke up to no electricity. This is a very rare occurrence where we live. I was not in the best of moods as I had listened to yelling for three days solidly and now I could not do my work. This was really the last straw. I did all the tasks that did not require any electricity. (Walk the dogs, make breakfast on a gas stove, make beds, dust, mop etc).
By nine am the electricity was back on and I could get onto my computer and work and I also had curtains to finish for my daughter who was expecting her first child. So I worked solidly with my husband yelling around the house.
We have lived here for 5 years and we have never had two power failures in one day. Just does not happen. By three pm with my nerves frayed. I had finished my work on my computer and I was just settling down to do my work on my sewing machine. My husband appeared behind me. "Please come with me to town". He said.
"I need to sew and finish these curtains." I said. Just as I said that the power went out again.
"Well" said my darling husband. "Now will you please go with me". "All right" I reluctantly agreed.
We loaded washing into the car that I had done during the week for my other daughter whose husband had an accident and broke his neck a few years ago. She and her husband are always so cheery that I love to help them in these small ways.
The ride to Fourways Mall would always be around 50 minutes to one hour because of the road works. We flew to the Mall in under 20 minutes. As we turned into the road for the Mall, my husband asked. "Shall we drop off the washing first". "No" I said. "Go straight to the Mall and we can drop off the washing afterwards".
We turned into the Mall and he went to the same entrance where he had parked on the Monday. In the far distance, I saw an elderly lady pushing a trolley. She was walking extremely slowly. I admired the beautiful way she held herself and she was beautifully dressed. Then my attention was drawn back to assist in looking for a parking bay.
"The old lady has fallen" Yelled my husband. I looked forward and she had indeed fallen straight backwards and was lying immobile on the road. Two security guards rushed up. grabbed her by her arms and started dragging her along the road. I jumped out of the car and raced up to them. "Leave her" I yelled. They put her back down on the road. I reached her and she was clearly dead. Her eyes were open and her mouth her pallor was dreadful. She was a deathly grey colour.
My husband who had pulled the car alongside got out and looked down as she lay there. "She is gone he said." I knelt down and felt for a pulse, Nothing. I put my ear on her face to feel for breath or listen to any rattling sounds. Nothing. I dont know what made me do it. I pulled her head back gently, pinched her nose and gave her a deep breath. I then started pressing down on her chest doing compressions. I was counting. At about 20 compressions, I breathed again. Still nothing. I carried on. By this time a crowd had gathered around. They were all watching. I saw one man in the crowd filming me as I came up to give her another breath. "Stop him" I asked my husband. He walked over and spoke to the man.
Another man sidled in on his haunches. "Give me her jewellery and I will look after it" he said. "Sir," I said. "Go away if you can't help me".
I gave her CPR for about 15 minutes. She was completely unresponsive. My husband kept telling me that she had gone. Suddenly a light came on in her eyes and she gave a very gentle little sigh. "I have her back" I said. I carried on the compressions as her heart was still very fluttery. I was then asking about the paramedics. Nothing. I could hear sirens but they were a long way away.
A little lady came along to me and said" I am the hairdresser from the shop above, can I help" I asked her to look for the lady's cell phone in her handbag which was next to me. "Take it up outside" as there was no signal in the parkade. "Look for any number that she dials a lot and call it." Ask for her details. My husband was nowhere to be seen and I presumed that he had gone out to get a signal to call the paramedics.
I continued with the compressions. When I felt her heartbeat settle down, I turned her into the recovery position. I had been talking to her all the time. I continued talking to her but she was unresponsive for about another 10 minutes. I remember saying things like "don't worry sweetheart, you are going to be all right". I had kept talking. Now with her eyes closed I saw the tears on her cheeks. She whispered:
"where am I, am I at the airport?"
" No" I replied, "you are in a parking lot."
"In Canada" she asked.
"No" I replied " In Fourways Mall. What is your name?" I asked her.
"Andre" she whispered. She opened her eyes and stared into mine. I continued talking to her softly telling her the ambulance was on its way. I could hear sirens blaring.
By this time my husband was back and I asked him to get me something out of the car to put under her head which was at a very strange angle to the ground. He got me some of my daughter's washing.
Then finally the paramedics and ambulance arrived. I immediately got up and told them that she had had no vital signs for approximately 15 minutes and that I had continued CPR for the entire time. I told them that she had collapsed about 45 minutes before. They nodded and took over. They put her on a defibrillator and oxygen. My husband and I moved off and went to our car. We waited and watched from a distance.
A young woman who had been watching the whole thing came over and grabbed me and gave me a huge hug. "I have never seen anything like that. Are you professionally trained" she asked. "No" I said and did not elaborate. "You saved her life. It is a miracle." She stood there with her arms around me crying. I really felt small.
God was the only way that Andre had survived this. Yes I knew what to do, but if God did not have a plan for her life, I could not have saved her.
The paramedics were busy with her for a long time. In the meantime her cousin who had been called by the hairdresser arrived. Also a really lovely person. I asked her where they were going to take Andre. She told me that they were taking her to Fourways Life.
My husband and I left and went upstairs and got a cup of coffee. I was emotional, filthy from the parkade and I was doubtful that Andre would make it. So very sad. I phoned the hospital the next day and asked if she had survived. Yes was the answer. I asked if I could visit her and they told me she was in ICU but that I was welcome.
I went to visit Andre in the hospital that day. When I walked in she said to the Doctors and nurses. "This is my Angel I was telling you about. She saved my life."
Now I really felt small. " No Andre I said, I am flesh and blood and worse than Jonah and the whale. I did not want to go to town, but God even put the lights out to make me go and be at your side."
We both smiled. "You are my angel" she insisted.
Tragically Andre passed away now 5 months after the incident. However, she did spend wonderful quality time with her family who all flew in and spent Christmas with her. Her sons got really special time with their Mom.
I visited Andre a number of times in Fourways Life and in Milpark Hospital where she underwent major heart surgery. She was a truly beautiful soul and I will always think of her with love in my heart.
Andre I know you are with God. I love You.
Your flesh and blood angel Bev.
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