Monday, November 25, 2013

Raised Up

Twenty-four-years-old, healthy and full of energy, deeply in love with his new bride. Cameron Stevens went to the YMCA last Monday for a little basketball with a couple of co-workers. Ten minutes into the game, he collapsed onto the floor. As he lay there his body seized, then his heart stopped beating.

Cameron is a youth pastor at Calvary Chapel of Everett. His senior pastor, Billy Wheeler, cradled his head in his lap during the seizure and, when Cameron's heart stopped, administered life saving measures until the medics arrived.

They rushed him to Providence where he spent the week in a medically induced coma. At one point they brought him of it, but breathing on his own was more than his body could take, and, after one day, they had to induce a coma again and restore assisted breathing.

All the while his family and close friends kept vigil by his bedside.

My friend Lisa was there. It was her best friend's son-in-law in that bed, and Lisa stopped by every day after work to sit with them, and to pray. And Pastor Billy was there too. On Friday Lisa reported on Facebook, "Billy has been at Cameron's side since this incident occurred. His spiritual vigor has been simply amazing."

"The message is that God uses tragedy in our lives to draw strength from Him," Pastor Billy told the Herald. It was the grace of God, expressed in Isaiah 41:10, that he and those praying with him clung to: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Those who kept vigil sensed that God was going to do something amazing. There was among them a conviction that the Lord would bring Cameron through this, restoring him to life and to ministry. So they prayed, trusting in God to do His good work in Cameron.

And on Saturday morning God answered the prayers of those in the hospital room and from all over the country who were praying for Cameron. Lisa posted on Facebook Pastor Billy's comment: CAMERON IS FULLY AWAKE AND SMILING A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE!!!

On Friday it was determined that it was pneumonia that caused Cameron's sudden cardiac death. He had not felt ill, just a little fatigued and stuffy headed. He experienced no other symptoms that would suggest that a game of basketball would be fatal. Once they had a correct diagnosis they could begin proper medication.

And God has raised him up! Let's pray for his complete recovery, so that he can continue ministering to young people. I hear he has a special knack relating to kids, particularly those whose lives are rough. Might his story of God's power and love touch the lives of many young people for years to come!

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Psalm 66:16-20

2 comments:

Joan Husby said...

I'd heard about Cameron but not that he's recovering. Thanks for posting this amazing story!

Lanna said...

Cameron is talking, laughing and recognizing people as of a few days ago. They had him sitting up in a chair which he walked to assisted by nurses. He is still fighting pneumonia. But it is a true miracle that he survived. He is a really neat person and loves the Lord with his whole heart. He will have quite a "God story" to tell when he fully recovers. Keep praying for him as he continues to heal.

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