Jill fell into a coma, and Ryan could not wake her up!  She had a congenital condition that caused her heart to stop.  Ryan started CPR till the paramedics arrived; they tried shocking her heart.  Nothing was working.  Off to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital where she was put on machines to keep her alive.

Ryan stayed at her bedside for days, reading the Bible to her.  After 11 days of this, the doctors told Ryan that Jill was ‘gone’ and that he needed to give the OK to pull the plug.  Ryan made the worst decision of his life and gave the OK.  But Jill didn’t die right away.  Several hours later, she was still showing signs of life.  Suddenly, Jill spoke and said, “Get me out of here”.  Apparently, she came out of the coma and was breathing on her own!

The hospital raced her into surgery to implant a pacemaker to keep her heart going, and Jill got all better and was released from the hospital!  (See photo of Jill.)

Sometimes we give up on people too soon.  Parents give up on their children.  Children give up on their parents.  Friends give up on friends. 

In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas took young John Mark with them on their 2^nd Missionary Journey.  However, John Mark soon became discouraged and quit.  In Acts 15, when they were ready to start their 3^rd Missionary Journey, Paul seems to have given up on young John Mark.  So, Barnabas took John Mark and worked with him and, some years later, Paul acknowledged his mistake by saying to Timothy, in 2 Tim. 4:11, … Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.