By Rev. Peter J. Moore, Pastor Lakefield Baptist Church
When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son.”
This well-known and moving verse from Scripture resonated with us in a similar manner recently, as we thought of our beloved Redeemer on the cross, agonizing physically, emotionally, and no doubt spiritually, wrestling to the end with, “It is finished.“
This past Mother’s Day, we all kept a mom and her son in our prayers. One cannot truly imagine the agony of Mary, watching her young Son of 33 years humiliated in so many ways: abused and nailed to the cross. She would wince with every moan, every cry, yet through it all, Jesus ensured John knew the mission at hand. “Take care of my mom through all of this and what is approaching.”
All of us at Lakefield Baptist Church were given another glimpse of the fragility of life, the importance of celebrating every day, and the pain a mother would go through losing a son at a young age.
We are claiming victory, and that Jesus truly is Lord over death and in full control, despite the attempt to put out His fire and the future birth of His Church. Nothing would keep the Son of God down, although at the time, mom, family, and disciples agonized, as they didn’t understand the big picture until after the Resurrection.
Lakefield Baptist Church is in a picturesque area, full of beauty, immersed in small-town living. Surely, nothing terrible could happen here. Well, the church was the centre of a terrible event and a miracle that has resonated with so many in the Kawarthas.
Our church needed a new metal roof after 150 years. What a blessing to have the finances to engage in this venture for the sanctuary. An excellent team of roofers was contracted and was moving along so nicely: precision work and expertise.
Wednesday is my pastoral visiting day; therefore, I was in the area but not in the building. We closed the church for some activities as the parking lot became a busy spot.
I received an urgent and upsetting call from our administrator. A young man working on the roof, who I had chatted with when starting the project, was electrocuted on the roof after the lift touched high voltage overhead wires. The young man didn’t know until he reached out and touched the steel roof being replaced. He grounded, causing an enormous electrical surge. His heart stopped (clinically deceased). The electricity exited mostly out of his right hand (serious burns).
The unnerving message to a first responder is this, “We have a VSA at LBC.” First responders know this as “Vital Signs Absent.” (Minimal details on the full event as the incident is being investigated by the Labour Board, required by law.)
I returned to the church, yet phone calls indicated that this young man had passed away en route to Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Speaking to those on the scene, we learned that prayers began immediately through our prayer teams. Our miracle man required manual CPR on the way down from the ‘LIFT.’ The ambulance transported him, but his heart stopped twice more. Electric Shock, CPR, medicine was administered. Paramedics revived this young man twice.
Arriving at the hospital, I found his mom outside the door of her son’s trauma room. Her eyes were red from crying and so visibly upset, but the joy was this, “Her son was stable and alive!” He was even a little aggravated, as coming out of such trauma can bring about all types of emotion. I could see him, hear him and we learned that the damage done to the heart was minimal. Praise God! They flew the victim to Hamilton for burn treatment. He was sent home as the burns did not require extra work, just time to heal.
As a pastor, I was preparing to support his mom and this family through a period of lament, combined with a celebration of life. Instead, we were rejoicing! This was a Mother’s Day, modern-day resurrection. The prayers that were constant were certainly answered. Few recover from this type of electrocution. What a joy to celebrate with both mom and son. “He was dead, but alive again.”
Mom and her son were able to experience the love of God in a beautiful way. With a jump in her step, mom knew this was a Mother’s Day gift that must be celebrated every day.
We can identify with our loving God who provided the incongruent gift of grace, joy, and hope with the resurrection of Jesus, who conquered death, completing the earthly end game, that was really just the beginning in so many ways. Our “Already, not yet world.”
What an enormous thrill to give God the glory for an event where most would say, “God was all over that one! No accidents, no coincidences.”
Please pray for us as we continue to share the love of God and the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. I believe this young man and his mom will share this story one day, praising God, and thanking Him through a powerful testimony that miracles continue in 2024.
The church building required extensive electrical repairs, including in-depth safety testing. The secondary blessing was moving forward, enjoying a shiny new roof covering God’s sanctuary at Lakefield Baptist Church.
A very “Happy Mother’s Day” from LBC and the Village of Lakefield.
God Bless You – Is there a miracle waiting for you? Please don’t stop praying to see God at work in your life. It is awesome! Intercessory prayer is such a vital part of our church families. Praying for those inside and outside of the church.
We have been bathing in this answered prayer. I’m so grateful to God as I have been preaching regularly, “Look for Him. He is at work! Keep praying, His hand is everywhere. Hallelujah.”
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