Dan's Story and the Divine Director

Jon, Dan and Andrew had just come down their first run of the day, down the bunny hill on their snowboard. They got in line for the ski lift.  Dan had no indications that he was going to collapse. He just went down.  Well, in front of him, was a retired Sheriff's Deputy, Shane.  At first, he thought that Dan was goofing around, but when he looked at Dan, he saw that his eyes were open, gazing, and that Dan was dying.  He kicked off his skis, and rushed over.  Jon had unzipped Dan's coat--we still laugh--because Jon figured somebody was going to start cutting Dan's clothes off, Jon didn't want them cutting off the coat, because Jon had bought it for Dan.  :)  So, Shane rushed over, and started CPR on Dan.  Dan's heart had stopped. Shane used his pocketknife and cut off Dan's shirts. (Later when we met Shane at a press conference he brought this knife as a prop). Joe, the General Manager from Afton, came running out with the AED.  They put it on, and the AED told them to shock Dan.  It did, and Shane says that he gave Dan a couple more breaths, and he thinks he slapped Dan, and was yelling at him to wake up.  Shane says that Dan moaned, and he asked Dan if he was ok, and Dan said, "I'm ok."  (Dan does not remember this.)  They got Dan on the ambulance, and it was finally in there that he remembers anything.  He told me that he thought he was kind of fighting them off, and saying he wanted to go home.  We did find out later that he was asking to go home.

Here are some of the miracles:  1) the boys were originally going to a different ski resort.  I don't know if the other one has AED's or not (not all of them do)  2) Dan could very well have collapsed coming down the hill or on a ski lift--I still shudder to think of either scenario's.  Things would not have been as pleasant.  3)  Dan collapsed right near someone who knew CPR and who wasn't afraid to help out  4) Afton Alps had an AED, and Dan collapsed right outside the General Manager's office window, and he had an AED right there with him  5) The ambulance was already on its way, even before Dan collapsed, as they thought someone was having a heart attack, but they weren't, so they diverted the ambulance for Dan.

(The above was taken mostly from my wife's blog, manyinthemanse.blogspot.com. Why re-invent the wheel?)

To see the video and to read more of Dan's story click on this link. http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_24824435/afton-alps-skier-17-saved-by-quick-moves

Yesterday we were invited by the American Red Cross so Dan could participate in a video honoring Shane as a hero. It was a great experience.  Everyone was so nice and touched by Dan and his story.  The experience reminded me of a story.

A man approaches a beach And sees a woman in the water with a huge shark fin Bearing down on her. Panicked he yells, "Shark! Shark!" But the people 
sitting on the beach in chairs don't move.  Nobody does anything. Thinking they can't hear him, he sprints toward the beach, keeps hollering, and wildly waves his arms. As he gets closer to the beach he sees a man sitting in a chair with the word, "director" written on it. He had come upon the scene of a movie 
shoot. What had looked to him like danger and chaos was all under the control 
of the director.

It is often the same for us. We look at what is happening in our lives and in the world around us and we see chaos and danger and we are tempted to panic.  By the way, a couple of months after Dan's episode we had a house fire.  As I write this we are staying in a rental house. As someone has observed, "There are 
three days a week that we have no control over- yesterday, today, and tomorrow." But we have to remember it is all under the control of a divine director. He wrote the script, He's calling the shots, and He's directing every scene and detail so it will all come out as He planned.I invite you to put your trust in Him like a drowning man does to the person who comes to rescue him.

Pray something like this. Lord Jesus thank You that Your providence allows us trouble and heart ache but that You never take Your eyes off of us. Everything you do results in our good. And Lord You come to us in the darkest hour and You see us through. You always have and You always will. Dear God I know that you love me and I know that you want to save me. Jesus you died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust in you. I do trust in you Lord Jesus. This very moment come into my heart. Forgive my sin, cleanse me, save me and begin now to make me the person you want me to be. And Lord Jesus because you died for me I will 
live for you .