Curt heard a chorus of yes sirs in his helmet.
"We'll be there in five. Standby," Major Anderson said.
~~~
One-hundred and twenty feet above Kevin and only sixty feet above the black outcropping of rock from which Kevin had fallen, the Blackhawk hovered as Sergeant Zimmer and a Stokes basket were lowered by cable within four feet of comatose Kevin.
Sergeant Zimmer immediately checked Kevin's vital signs and lifted each eyelid to check pupil dilation and hemorrhaging. He next fitted a cervical collar around Kevin's neck and requested more slack in the hoist from the crew chief. Gaining the slack, Sergeant Zimmer moved the Stokes next to Kevin and gently but efficiently maneuvered Kevin into the basket and strapped him in securely. Sergeant Zimmer then signaled the crew chief to reel up the basket containing Kevin. Several minutes later, Kevin safely onboard, the crew chief once again lowered the cable and Sergeant Zimmer hooked himself to it and gave the signal to hoist him aboard.
Once Sergeant Zimmer was onboard, Major Anderson swung the nose of the Blackhawk in a southwesterly direction while applying maximum power. The pitch of the turbines increased dramatically as the helicopter tilted in slight nose-down attitude and began to climb rapidly to clear the nearby nine-thousand foot saddle between it and Albuquerque and the medical help that Kevin so desperately needed.
Curt looked at unconscious and too pale Kevin. Curt closed his eyes and silently prayed for his friend.
~~~
Curt's prayer was interrupted by the crew chief saying, "You and your friend are lucky, young man. We're out of Santa Fe but we were on a training mission to the Grants area and had just cut south of the Jemez Pueblo when we got the request to divert, otherwise it might have taken a crew an hour or more to get to you."
"Thank you, sir. Where… where are we headed?"
"Sergeant Zimmer talked to the pilot after he checked your friend and recommended the University of New Mexico Trauma Center. It's the only Level One trauma center in the State."
The crew chief did not have to say more; Curt understood that the destination meant that Kevin's condition was indeed serious.
"May I make a cell phone call while we're in the air?" asked Curt.
Major Anderson cut in, "Probably not a good idea, son. You'd have to take your helmet off and I think the noise would be too great for you to hear or for the called party to hear. Know what I mean, son?"
Curt replied, "Yes, sir. I understand."
"We'll be at the hospital landing pad in twenty-six minutes. You can call then. Okay, son?"
"Yes, sir."
~~~
It was only during the flight to the hospital trauma center in the Blackhawk that Curt, adrenaline wearing off, realized the heel of his left boot was missing and his left ankle was throbbing with pain.
~~~
Exactly twenty-six minutes later, the Blackhawk was settling down on the rooftop helipad at the University of New Mexico Trauma Center.
As the Blackhawk's turbines spun down and the main rotor slowed, Curt unbuckled and jumped to the ground, momentarily forgetting his painful left ankle only to be reminded in an instant by the shock of his left foot contacting the ground.
Zimmer and the crew chief along with the trauma center medical staff quickly maneuvered the Stokes basket containing Kevin from the helicopter onto the hospital's wheeled gurney. As Curt watched, the medical team rushed Kevin through the hospital's large sliding glass double doors, quickly disappearing down a brilliantly lit hospital corridor.
Curt limped painfully toward the entrance and then remembered his promise to call Kevin's father. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialed Pastor Ken. As he did so, waiting for his call to be answered, he turn and faced east and, despite all that had transpired in the past few hours, marveled at God's palette of pink splashed on the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque as the sun began to set in the west.
Curt glanced at his wristwatch — it was 7:57PM. Has it only been three and half hours since I left Kevin's side on the mountain and began my run to the meadow? Curt asked himself. It seemed like an eternity ago.
Images of the events of the past three and one-half hours flitted through Curt's memory banks. Curt remembered that his cowboy hat blew off just after he rounded that large boulder below the fork where the trail made the sharp right turn onto one of the steeper parts of the trail. Well, my hat's a loss, and we left a lot of things up there, mused Curt. All our camping gear — tent, sleeping bags, backpacks, fishing gear, even Kevin's rifle, but that stuff can be replaced. Getting Kevin help is what mattered.
On the fourth ring, Kevin's father answered.
"Pastor Ken, Curt here. Kevin's at the University of New Mexico Hospital Trauma Center. That's the hospital on Lomas Boulevard…" said Curt, but before he could continue, Pastor Ken cut in and said, "I know. I made some calls and found out that they'd more than likely bring Kevin here. I'm here. Look behind you."
Curt turned from the pink-hued Sandias and saw Pastor Ken standing at the hospital's sliding glass double doors. Curt limped the thirty feet to Pastor Ken, and they embraced, each overwhelmed with emotion. Curt, voice tight with emotion, said, "I'm sorry… so, so sorry."
Breaking the embrace, Pastor Ken, tears streaming and looking like he had aged twenty years since Curt last saw him five days ago, simply said, "Nothing's your fault. You've done everything you could. It's in God's hands." Then Pastor Ken said, "You're hurt. Here, let me give you an arm to lean on. Let's see if we can get you some medical help."
Curt was awestruck. This man's son is seriously injured, probably being prepped for critical brain surgery at this very moment, and the man is concerned about my bum ankle? Incredible.
Chapter Fifteen
The Transition
Kevin died on the twenty-first day following the accident. Actually "died" is a misnomer. Kevin, as a born-again Christian, simply transitioned from his earthly life to his heavenly life on that twenty-first day.
Medical complications had set in three days before Kevin's transition as Kevin's major organs began shutting down. The medical staff performed heroic measures, including two additional surgeries, but the consequences of prolonged intracranial pressures, low blood pressure, and hypoxia took their toll.
When it became obvious that Kevin's condition was deteriorating and no miracle would be forthcoming, the sadness of Pastor Ken and Kevin's mother was palpable. Their collective tearful demeanor was not only heart wrenching but at the same time they exhibited a peace and confidence about their son that baffled many of the staff, in turn, allowing both parents to witness to all that God has His purposes and that although we may not understand those purposes, the Bible says that all things work together for good to those who love God.
Some otherwise well-meaning persons whispered after Kevin's passing that perhaps God had not listened to the prayers for Kevin's healing. When Pastor Ken became aware of such sentiment, he was quick to point out that Kevin was indeed healed, the recipient of ultimate healing. Pastor Ken would often add that even the fall of a sparrow does not happen except by God's will, the clear lesson being that Kevin's transition was not without God's knowledge and was indeed part of God's sovereign will and purpose, adding, "One day, we'll understand."
~~~
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV
~~~
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. Matthew 10:29 NKJV
~~~
For now we see in a mirror, dimly… Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV
~~~
On a sunshine-brilliant morning under a classic New Mexico turquoise sky, family and friends attended graveside services for Kevin at Canyon Memorial Gardens in the foothills of the Sandia M
ountains east of Albuquerque.
Pastor Ken, not emotionally up to the task of presiding over his son's funeral, had asked his father-in-law, the elderly Reverend "Gus" Gustafson to leave his church in Midland, Texas, for a week to assist in the funeral plans, lead the services, and lend spiritual support to his daughter, Kevin's mother, and to his son-in-law, Pastor Ken.
Curt drove his family's second car and was the first to arrive at the gravesite. Curt noted ten empty folding chairs were set back some eight feet from the near edge of the grave and aligned parallel to the grave. The whole of the immediate area had a ground cover of multiple blankets of green artificial turf.
Within minutes, other people began to arrive. Soon a couple of dozen or more people had gathered in groups of two, three, and four, conversing quietly. Many of the people simply wandered around the gravesite, lost in their own thoughts; handling their grief the best they could.
Kevin's parents and Kevin's grandfather, Pastor Gus, arrived. It took the group several minutes to negotiate the outpouring of love from so many. There were tears and hugs aplenty. Finally, Kevin's parents were able to seat themselves on the middle two chairs facing the grave.
A gleaming off-white hearse arrived and parked at the curb. The driver and another member of the funeral home staff exited the hearse as a dark blue town car from the funeral home arrived, parked behind the hearse, and two men exited the town car. Two other men, the youth pastor at Pastor Ken's church and Pastor Ken's younger brother, Kevin's uncle, from Las Cruces, who had been standing unobtrusively at the street curbing came over and joined the four.
The hearse driver opened the rear door of the hearse. The six men expertly and with due respect removed the polished bronze casket containing the empty tent — the body — that once contained Kevin. The six then carried the casket the one-hundred or so feet from the hearse to the grave where they placed the casket on the rollers and support straps of the lowering mechanism immediately above the grave.
Curt noted that the funeral home staff had done their job well earlier in the morning because the canopied gravesite was overflowing with bouquets and sprays of greenery-enhanced and ribboned chrysanthemums, gladiolus, carnations, roses, and lilies, mostly in the traditional white color but many in more emotionally uplifting colors like pink, red, and yellow.
A single row of a dozen or more floral displays bordered the grave and casket in front of the seated family and friends. Of special note within the row was a large bouquet of ivory white snapdragons and pink daisy chrysanthemums with a single red rose tucked in the middle. The card was signed simply "Megan."
Curt's floral tribute was a standing spray on an easel near the head of the casket. The spray was resplendent with white orchids and orange lilies accented with greenery and featuring a matching orange ribbon imprinted "Brother" in gold script.
Finally, a simple but elegantly beautiful casket spray — more like a floral blanket — containing an astonishing number of red and white roses accented in greenery covered virtually the entire top of the casket. A wide, white, diagonally placed, satin ribbon said, "Beloved Son."
~~~
Heavy-jowled and stooped shouldered Pastor Gus, looking every bit his seventy-seven years, led the group in opening prayer, his sonorous voice thanking God for the time that each of the mourners had with Kevin before Kevin was "called home" to be with Jesus.
Pastor Gus ended the prayer and then began to explain to the assemblage that we have three great enemies in our earthly life: sin, Satan, and death. He went on to say that because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, "…we know that sin and death and Satan have been defeated. And, because Jesus conquered death, we know — as Kevin knew and is now experiencing — there is life after death — Jesus proved it."
Pastor Gus said that we should take great comfort in knowing that when we belong to Jesus — as Kevin knew he did — we need not fear death because Jesus said, as recorded in the Gospel of John, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."
Pastor Gus continued, "And, of course, Jesus was speaking about the gift of eternal life that one gains when the person commits to Jesus Christ, confesses and repents of their sin, and asks Jesus into their life as Lord and Savior."
Pastor Gus said, "Kevin had gained the gift of eternal life four years ago by doing exactly that. We have the confidence because of our faith in Jesus Christ that Kevin, right this moment, walks hand-in-hand with Jesus, Kevin's Savior.
"Yes, although you see tears this morning as we commit the mortal body of Kevin to the grave, unlike non-believers, our tears are not tears of irreconcilable loss or tears of fear of death or tears of no hope. No, instead, our tears as believers are tears of sadness for ourselves, not for Kevin because we know he is not lost. No! Kevin is not lost. We believers know exactly where Kevin is at this moment. And we have the unshakeable confidence and faith that one day we will join Kevin in Heaven, and, like Kevin at this moment, be in the glorious presence of Jesus, our Savior. Amen!"
~~~
Jesus said…, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. John 11:25-26 NKJV
~~~
At the end of the gravesite service, Pastor Gus announced that Pastor Ken's church would be hosting a celebration of Kevin's life at noon and that all were welcome to attend.
An hour and twenty minutes later, after everyone was seated in the church sanctuary, Pastor Gus took to the pulpit and began the celebration of Kevin's life with prayer. In his prayer, Pastor Gus thanked God for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit's role as Comforter to believers during times of grieving.
~~~
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:26-27 NKJV
~~~
After the prayer, Pastor Gus began a tribute to Kevin, his deep voice resonating with tightly held emotion. "We can take solace, even joy, in knowing that Kevin rests today in the bosom of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, it is a bittersweet time. It is bitter because we no longer have the companionship of our son, our grandson, our nephew, our friend.
"An hour ago, we committed Kevin's earthly 'tent' — that temporary abode for the soul — that mortal vessel called a body — to the ground. And, although there were tears at the gravesite, all believers who attended remembered that the apostle Paul used the tent analogy, saying that we will one day exchange our mortal tent for a building — yes, like the tent, an analogy, a 'building' called life eternal in the heavens.
"Yes, it is a bittersweet time. But the 'sweet' of the bittersweet is that we know Kevin is in his new building in heaven.
"The apostle Paul said it well in his second letter to the church at Corinth when he wrote in chapter five, beginning with verse one:
'For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord'
"Yes, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Kevin experienced that transition from the body to p
resence with the Lord last Thursday morning when, in an instant, he left his mortal tent — he became absent from his body — and in that same instant took on his new building of immortality — eternal life — and was immediately in the presence of the Lord. That's what Scripture tells us. That's what we believe. That's why the sweet of the bittersweet is also a healing balm, a comfort, and an assurance — an assurance that one day we who also believe will once again be united with Kevin in glory land — in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
"Notice that the Apostle Paul stated that God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. A guarantee that that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paul says that because of that guarantee, we should always be confident and walk by faith. Because we do walk — wrapped in the Holy Spirit's guarantee and in confidence and in faith — we today celebrate Kevin's life.
"I hope that my words this afternoon have been a comfort, and I pray that you will feel the Holy Spirit within your spirit assuring you — comforting you — that Kevin indeed lives, not just in our hearts, but this very moment in heaven in the presence of Jesus Christ, Kevin's Lord and Savior.
"Finally, I would be remiss in Kevin's memory; indeed I am sure I would be remiss in his wishes if he were here, if I did not offer those of you who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior— if I did not offer you an opportunity to know Jesus and to receive the gift of eternal life.
"If your spirit is troubled and if you do not have the confidence, the assurance, that if you died today — if you left your tent today — that you would be instantly in heaven, please, please, see me this afternoon. We will be able to retire to a private room within the church where I'll be most happy to explain to you how you can receive the gift of eternal life and experience Jesus as your Savior. Know this: Jesus loves you and he is standing at your heart's door, knocking, waiting for you to open the door and let him come into your heart and life.
~~~
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV