RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE

I hope that my readers will not think I am stuck in a rut when I send out consecutive stories that are remarkably alike. The subjects of both concern strong young men aged 28, and both subjects of fatal accidents.


I was in my study at the church when a call came for me to rush to Bell Memorial Hospital, (now K. U. Medical Center) on the Kansas side of the state line.


The victim of the accident was coming home from a night class in south Missouri when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver whose vehicle lights out. The crash was fatal to both drivers.


The man I went to see was conscious but unable to speak because of a spreader in his mouth and other equipment. Two young doctors and numerous nurses were attempting to save his life. The room was a large one so that there was plenty of room. However, I assured the medical people I would not get in their way in my attempt to help the patient. One of the doctors replied that "He's in your hands if you can help, because we're not able to save him." They had already given him over forty units of blood, but his crushed body was unable to retain it.


I asked the dying man, "Orville, are you saved?"


He shook his head to give me a negative answer. Other questions followed, such as do you want to be saved? Are you praying to be saved?"


It was a tense time. His parents whom I knew were in an adjacent room struck almost dumb with sorrow. I heard his wife cry out to the doctors, "He can't die. He's not saved!" When I had access to the patient, I kept up encouraging him to pray, and when the medical staff were not busy him I was in the corner of the room on my knees, pleading for his salvation.


One thing I thought exceedingly strange. The dying man's right arm was crushed, but he kept raising his left hand to look at his wrist. We discovered that he wanted to know what time it was. With almost no time left he wanted to know the time!


This running interview with a man who could not talk went on, with its intermissions, for about an hour. We will come to the point. At the last we questioned, "Orville, have you confessed your sins and trusted Jesus to save you?" There was a nod in the affirmative! Again, one more question, "Are you saved?" And once more there was as firm an answer as he could give, a nod of affirmation.


We closed with a prayer of gratitude and Orville Good was in the hands of God!