Bridgeway Christian Church

In my freshman English classes I am teaching the students how to write a personal narrative. A personal narrative is basically a true story that has personal significance. I wrote two example paragraphs of my own personal narrative yesterday and had an epiphany: God's gentle whisper was the driving force behind my story.
 
In the spring of 2008 I played indoor soccer with a few colleagues from work and their friends. One of my teammates was a young man named Anglin, who worked with a youth group at a church in Stockton. Anglin and I became fast friends. We both loved soccer, Jesus, youth, and life! After the season we kept in touch and encouraged each other in youth ministry.
 
One random day in July, Anglin invited me to a pool party with his youth group in Stockton. I didn't want to go. I didn't know anyone, it was a Friday night, I had a tough work week and I just wanted to stay home. I was thinking of how to tell him "no" when a gentle whisper said I should go. I fought it.

After trying to justify why I couldn't go, I found myself calling Anglin and saying yes. Begrudingly, I went.
 
We arrived at the house in Stockton and it was full of 15-20 middle school and high schoolers. There were also 5-6 adults including the youth pastor. They were a spirited bunch and seemed to really enjoy one another's company. There was a balcony above the pool that the kids were using as a diving board. Yikes!
 
After meeting everyone and hanging out for awhile I decided to take of my shoes and put my feet in the jacuzzi (heelloo, who wouldn't?!). I was chatting with Anglin and some of the kids when I heard screaming. The youth pastor was screaming "He's not breathing! He's not breathing." I looked over and saw a teen lying on the grass with the youth pastor kneeling over him.   His lips were blue and he was unconcious. The youth pastor was looking in his mouth screaming "He's choking! He's not breathing!" I ran over and went into auto-pilot. I thought to myself "If he's choking he needs THIS." I put my hands above his belly button and shoved in and up, like I've been taught (I was a pool lifeguard for 10 years). The young man, Martin, coughed-up water and opened his eyes. He was very lathargic and couldn't speak to us coherently. The paramedics showed up and took Martin to the hospital. They called it a "wet drowning".  Martin was in the hospital for 7 days because of the water in his lungs. He got an infection and they wanted to make sure he was ok. As far as I have heard, Martin is a healthy, happy teenager.
 
I do not know what would've happened to Martin if I hadn't been there. It's probable God may have used someone else. But that day, he chose to use me. His gentle, nudging whisper sent me to a pool party in Stockton. To a young boy named Martin who changed my life. I don't ever want to ignore God's whisper again. If He calls, I want to go. You never know, someone's life could be at stake.
 
~Lori Sipkovich