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Rejoice! It’s Christmas! – Pat Patterson

Posted on December 9, 2008 by Senior Editor

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Oh, Lord, I thought, why now? It’s Christmas…

Larry’s compressions were perfect. Two inches deep, a hundred a minute, right out of the book. John had the airway under control, an endotracheal tube in place, properly secured and ventilated. My partner, Warren, started the IV and handed me drugs. Epinephrine. Atropine. I pushed them into the IV line, delivering just the right amount to stimulate the old man’s heart. In all it was a perfect code, an organized attempt to save a human life, and it couldn’t have gone any better, but deep inside I knew it was futile. He wasn’t going to make it.

“I don’t know,” I said shaking my head.

“This just isn’t working. I think it’s time to stop.”

I glanced at Warren. “What do you think?”

“No,” a voice behind me said. “Don’t stop! C’mon, daddy,” the young woman cried. “You can do it!”

I glanced around me at my patient’s family, a wife and three grown children. Their cries of support, the hope I saw on their faces, it all just about broke my heart. We’d done everything right, run a perfect code in the middle of their living room—a beautiful home decorated with Christmas tree and lights—but a flat green line still traced across the ECG screen. It painted a picture of finality, a portrait of hopelessness and death.

“It’s Christmas, dad. You can’t leave us now!”

“Honey, stay with us. We need you here.”

I felt my eyes well up. I shook my head. “It’s no use,” I murmured. “He’s already had three rounds of epi and atropine. One of bicarb. Pacemaker won’t capture…”

I glanced at the family again. I could feel their pain. But as I considered my protocol I knew what I had to do.

“Larry,” I said with a sigh. “Hold compressions.”

I placed my fingertips against the old man’s neck. Larry paused and took a much-needed breather. I squinted and stared at the cardiac monitor hoping to detect a sign of life—a blip, a pulse, any indication that my patient’s heart had responded to treatment—but I couldn’t. The thin green line continued its lonely trek across the screen. My fingers felt nothing but cool dry skin beneath them. No pulsation. No warmth. No life.

I glanced at Larry and shook my head.

“You can stop.”

Then I stood and faced the family.

“Folks—” I took a deep breath. A fist-sized lump threatened to close my throat. “I’m so sorry…”

It’s hard to lose a loved one, especially this time of year when our thoughts turn homeward and old memories of Christmas fill us with hope and joy. But there’s never a convenient time. Death always seems to surprise us. It’s so final, and at times seems so unfair. So what’s a family to do when they face such terrible loss? Where can they find peace? Where’s the hope?

Well this year as you enter the holiday season, remember there is hope. Even in death, real hope. That’s what Christmas is all about, a new beginning. Life. You see if we were all perfect, totally obedient to God, we wouldn’t need a savior. But we’re not perfect. The Bible says we have all sinned. And with sin comes darkness. Death.

Sounds pretty bleak, huh?

Well if that were the end of the story it would be, but it’s not. For two thousand years ago God sent us hope, a way back into His presence where we all truly belong. And His plan was revealed through the birth of a child, His son—Jesus Christ.

Yes, we have all sinned. And we will each take our turn at death. It’s inevitable. No one can escape it. But don’t fear, for you have been given the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. He was born. He’s still here today. And in him you can find life. And peace. And hope.

So rejoice. Be of good cheer. It’s Christmas!

Pat Patterson is a novelist, a paramedic, and an instructor of Emergency Medical Science. His stories are true, based on real experiences from the streets of Durham, North Carolina where he has served as a paramedic since 1992.

Pat Patterson

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Eddie Jones - Editor

Pat Patterson is a writer, a photographer, a paramedic, a volunteer chaplain, and an instructor of Emergency Medical Science. He is the author of Answering the Call. Pat’s stories are true, based on real experiences from the streets of Durham, North Carolina where he served as a street paramedic for seventeen years. Contact Pat at psquare@nc.rr.com. Pat is a winner of the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference.

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The Coolest of the Cool — Pat Patterson

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Senior Editor

“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31

I couldn’t believe it! He was my hero. The coolest of the cool. Warlord of the most vicious gang of teenagers that ever roamed the streets of New York, and he was coming to my hometown. I had to see him! It was a teenaged boy’s dream come-true.

I had read his book several times, at least to the point where he became a Christian, but I never ventured past that page; I just wasn’t interested. But what I didn’t realize at the innocent age of 13 was that God was interested in me. He had a plan for my life and it all seemed to begin the day I first picked up that paperback book—Run Baby, Run.

“Nicky Cruz? He’s coming to town?”

“Yeah,” my sister said. “You wanna go?”

“Are you kidding? Yes!”

I felt wild with anticipation. Something thrilling was about to happen. I put on my coolest denim jacket and boots, slid a fake switchblade knife into my pants pocket, and followed my sister downtown.

The auditorium was packed. A feeling of intensity gripped the room. And then suddenly I saw him. He walked to the podium. I gazed in utter amazement. He was everything I had imagined and more, solid, tough looking and scarred with a no-nonsense approach that thrilled me to the core. I couldn’t believe I was actually looking at him.

Nicky Cruz!

And then he started to talk. He spoke of the ghetto, and of switchblades, and of zip guns and chains and blood. Of girls, of killing, of drinking and fighting and drugs. His story came to life. Filled me with wonder and awe. But as he continued to speak and shared the rest of the story that I had avoided so many times—of the skinny preacher who walked into Brooklyn and boldly shared the gospel that had forever changed his life—something happened to me. I began to feel a deep yearning, an emptiness that longed to be filled. And whatever it was that tough Puerto Rican kid had found after so many years of fighting and running from God—I wanted it.

“Jesus,” Nicky exclaimed. “He saved me. He can save you too!”

The service drew to a close. He gave the altar call. I inched forward with a hundred other people. I didn’t even know why. But as I made my way to the foot of the stage and gazed into his eyes something remarkable happened.

“Did you do it?” my sister asked me. “Did you pray to receive Christ?”

“Me?” I said, coolly shaking my head. “Nah, I just wanted to see what Nicky looked like. He was cool!”

But you know the truth—I did do it. I bowed my head and prayed. I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart, and since that night my life has never been the same.

Fifty years ago a bold young preacher walked into Brooklyn and risked his life to share his faith with the gangs, and a boy named Nicky Cruz responded. And the night Nicky came to my hometown, I responded too. Now what about you? Have you met the Lord Jesus? Have you responded to his call? If not, don’t waste another day. Get down on your knees tonight and invite Christ into your life. Take it from a man who knows—from a naïve teenaged boy who responded almost forty years ago—you’ll be glad you did!

Dear Nicky, God used you to ignite a fire in my heart. Then Jesus did the rest. I thank God for your boldness. I thank God for you. Happy Birthday! You are still the coolest of the cool! –Pat Patterson

Learn more about Nicky Cruz and his outreach at http://nickycruz.org/

…Before It’s too Late — Pat Patterson

Posted on November 25, 2008 by Senior Editor

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:21

“Medic-7, hemorrhage! A 38 year-old female with a severe laceration. Caller reports heavy bleeding! Respond Code-3.”

My partner and I didn’t need to hear the dispatch twice. We jumped in our truck and drove out of the bay. I pushed some buttons and the ambulance lit up like a Christmas tree, lights flashing, siren wailing—Code-3. Bloody images consumed my thoughts as we raced to the call. Walking onto the scene those images came to life—a raucous crowd filled a room decorated with bloody wallpaper and jagged pieces of clear broken glass. My patient stood in the center of the room with a blood soaked towel wrapped around her wrist. Crimson drops fell from her fingertips and splattered onto the floor.

I reached for her arm to remove the towel.

“No,” someone shouted. “Don’t take it off!”

“Relax,” I said. “I need to see the wound.” But as I removed the last of the towel I realized I had made a big mistake. A bright red stream spurted from the severed artery, shot across the room, and sprayed the far wall with crimson-colored paint. “Quick,” I shouted to my partner. “Hand me a dressing!”

My partner handed me a trauma dressing and a bandage roll, and within seconds I had the wrist tightly wrapped. But the bleeding was far from controlled. Blood continued to drip from her fingertips. Her skin continued to pale.

“I feel dizzy,” she mumbled.

“Let’s go,” I said to my partner. “She’s lost too much blood.”

A moment later we had her in the back of our ambulance with the lights flashing and the siren wailing again—Code-3. I tied the tail of the bandage to the overhead railing hoping that elevating her arm would lessen the flow of blood, but it didn’t. I tried using a pressure point, pressing my fingers against the artery above the wound, but the blood still flowed. I had one more option, a last-ditch effort that needed to work. I wrapped a tourniquet around her arm and tightened it. The bleeding stopped.

After starting a large bore IV and giving her a good fluid bolus I called the ER to notify them of our arrival. And they were waiting for us when we arrived, gloved and gowned in surgical scrubs, ready for business.

“Be careful,” I said, as an eager resident stepped forward. “This thing will shoot across the room if you let it go.”

“Relax,” he said with a chuckle. “I got it.”

“Oh, really?”

I shrugged and watched him remove the tourniquet. The bleeding resumed. He began removing the dressing. I left the room. I couldn’t watch.

I returned a few moments later to find an empty room. But the gurney, the floors, the walls…they were covered with blood.

Hemorrhage. Once it starts it’s hard to stop.

We’re hemorrhaging too, you know. Our society. Bleeding. Losing the core values that once made us great. We no longer allow prayer in the classrooms of our schools, for example, and the Pledge of Allegiance has been all but outlawed. And to many people the United States flag has become a personal affront. Imagine! I mean, what’s next, our National Anthem? Our moral values and our devotion to God are at an all time low. So from where I sit, we’re hemorrhaging. We’re becoming pale and dizzy, and in the end, if no one responds, we too, like every great empire before us, will fall.

We need to start acting like Christians again, restore our moral values and the guiding principles that made this country great, because sooner or later the bleeding always stops and when it does, the victim dies.

So, America, apply some direct pressure to this ever-increasing problem. Use a tourniquet if you must. But let’s stop the hemorrhage. We must humble ourselves and turn our faces back to God…before it is too late!

The Best of the Best — Pat Patterson

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Senior Editor

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”
Ecclesiastes 9:10

To be the best: To excel, to outdo all others, to reach a level of accomplishment unsurpassed in one’s field. And for a brave young man I know—my good friend’s son— it means even more than that. It means to be willing to lay down your life, to sacrifice your freedom that others might live…

“Pat-Man, I need your help.”

“Are you okay?” I said. “What is it?”

“They’ve called him up again.They’re sending him back over there. I called to ask for your prayers.”

As he explained the situation I could hear the fear in his voice. I assured him I would pray for his son, and that everything would be all right, but my heart felt heavy as I hung up the phone. His young man had just gotten home, retired from the military and started a bright new career, and suddenly without warning, they had decided to call him back. It didn’t seem right.

“But that’s not fair,” I said. “He’s already given so much. Why can’t they just leave him alone?”

But deep inside I knew the reason why. It’s because he’s one of the best shooters in the U.S. Army. One of the elite. The best of the best.

Now I’ve known many brave 1st responders: police officers and firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. Men with tough jobs who work hard to save other lives. But this young soldier has the hardest job of all. Surgical removal. One shot, one kill.

“A sniper! Wait a minute,” you say. “How can that be right?”

Well first of all, that’s war. But tonight when you’re lying in bed, comfortable and warm and leading a normal life, consider this too: God has a divine plan and He uses men to accomplish it. Men who are willing to follow and obey, to use the gifts He gave them, and to serve without question regardless of the cost.

Look at King David, that humble shepherd boy. He attacked and killed the giant Philistine with a simple sling and a stone. And what about Samson, the man empowered by God to kill a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a mule? You see, some men are asked to do the job no one else will. And when I consider this young man’s sacrifices, his skills and his God-given talents, I suddenly understand what it means to be the best: It means to do whatsoever your hand finds to do, and to do it with all of your might!

So, Lord, please tell him how proud I am to know him, how much his sacrifice means, and how much I appreciate his willingness to fight…for my family, for my country, for my home. Honor and bless him, Lord. Grant him the strength to do his job well—with all of his might—and then bring him back home again so that he, too, may enjoy the blessings of liberty for which he has fought.

Dedicated to a good friend’s son whose name must remain unspoken. Thank you! God knows you’ve made a difference.

He Knows Exactly What to Do! — Pat Patterson

Posted on November 11, 2008 by Senior Editor

“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.“
Isaiah 41:10

“I don’t know what to do!”

Actress Jennifer Garner spoke that line in the 2001 Academy Award winning film, Pearl Harbor. She starred as Sandra, a young Army nurse serving in a makeshift hospital on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. Walking wounded arrived by the score, bleeding profusely their charred and broken bodies beaten to shreds, many with wounds too deep to fix. The doctors, nurses, and Army corpsmen did everything they could to manage the unfathomable catastrophe, but the scene was overwhelming. It was too much to manage, too unbelievable to comprehend. Terrified, the young nurse looked around her at the mayhem and cried, “I don’t know what to do!”

I can only imagine the horrors of that infamous day when our nation came under attack. Bombs fell from the sky. Torpedoes exploded. Over 2300 brave sailors died and countless more were injured. It was the first time in modern history that we felt the pounding of our enemy’s feet on our own soil—this sacred ground, the United States of America—and it angered us! We knew our enemy. We saw the whites of his eyes and the evil of his cause, and in our righteous determination we fought back. And thank God, we won!

But 67 years later we live in a different America. Our moral values have slipped. We’ve grown politically correct. And the Godly principles on which this country was founded no longer seem important. People, what’s going on here? Are we so quick to forget all that God has done for us? Well make no mistake—we need Him again. Our world is at war, and just as in 1941 we are the battleground. Only this time we can’t see our enemy. We don’t know whom to trust. And many Americans have floundered, looking around them at the chaos and crying, “I don’t know what to do!”

Well this is still sacred ground. America is still worth fighting for. And God is still in control. So stand up. Remember the Christian principles on which our country was founded. Turn to the one in whom we still trust. And stand your ground. God said, “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.”

So I ask you, as you consider the fate of our great nation—this indivisible union that still provides liberty and justice for all—what are you so worried about? Why are you so afraid? God is still in charge. And if we will humble ourselves, turn back to Him and ask Him to heal our land, in His righteous determination He will do just that. He’s still in charge. And He still knows exactly what to do!

Dedicated to all veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Thank you for your sacrifice. And may God bless our home, The United States of America.
-Veterans Day 2008

Are You Ready for This? — Pat Patterson

Posted on November 4, 2008 by Senior Editor

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13-14

“Pat! Come here quick!”

“What?”

“Hurry, I’ve got something to show you!”

I rushed into Trauma Room-1. An attentive crowd stood around the gurney. I didn’t find that unusual—that particular ER belongs to a teaching hospital, so it’s quite common to find people standing around watching the ER docs work—but as we pushed into the room I noticed something wrong.

“Are you ready for this?” my associate whispered. “Look.”

The crowd parted. I felt my jaw drop. A beautiful young woman lay on the gurney in the center of the room. She was about eighteen years old, with long blond hair and a magnificent figure laid bare for everyone in the room to see. I had to force myself to look away. I glanced around me at the other people in the room, stunned. The physicians and nurses were justified in being there, of course, but the rest? Most of the rest of the people in the room were men, and they just stood there. Gawking.

Now I’m no pious, self-righteous, super Christian, believe me. I’m a healthy American male who appreciates female beauty as much as any man alive, but what I saw there that day bothered me. That poor girl was totally naked, and totally defenseless, and I’m sure, if she had been alert to what was going on around her at the time, she would have been totally humiliated.

But she is not alone. We all have it coming. Like her body, our hearts will be laid bare for everyone to see and there will be no place to hide. It’s called Judgment Day, a day when each and every one of us must stand before the Lord and give an accounting for all we have done. And no deed, no thought, no ill-conceived fantasy or spoken word will remain hidden. Each of us will be exposed exactly as we are.

Rev 6:2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Can you picture that white horse? Can you see its rider? The one with the blazing eyes and the head with many crowns? Well get ready. He’s the King of Kings—Jesus Christ. He’s coming for His people, and when He gets here every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. If you know Him you have nothing to fear. He’s already been laid bare. He faced death so that you won’t have to.

Do you know Him? Has he already written your name in the Book of Life? Jesus is coming, you know. Are you ready for this?

What’s Your Gift — Pat Patterson

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Senior Editor

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms…” 1 Peter 4:10

“How’re you doing, brother? Working hard or hardly working?”

My friend, Steve, always greets me that way. It’s his trademark and I love it. It usually makes me laugh, helps me prepare for the shift. But I didn’t feel much like laughing that night. My heart was heavy; I needed to talk. Steve clocked in and followed me out to the ambulance bay to check the truck.

“So,” he said opening the airway bag. “What’s bothering you, brother?”

“I didn’t realize it showed.”

“It shows.” Steve chuckled and gave the wrench atop the oxygen bottle a twist. He glanced at the regulator, nodded, and then retightened it and slid the cylinder back into the bag. “You wanna talk?”

“Yeah,” I said with a hearty nod. “I think I need to.”

“Go.”

“Well you know that book I’ve been writing?”

“Your novel?” he said. “Sure. What about it?”

“It was rejected again.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, another publisher said no. But that’s not all—this time my agent sent the manuscript back to me. She’s giving up on it. Says she can’t sell it.”

“Hmmm.” Steve bit his lip as if trying to hold back a smile. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this,” he said with a grin, “but deep down, I’m kind of glad.”

“Glad?”

“Well, ever since you started writing that book your head’s been somewhere else. Your heart’s not here anymore, dude. It’s like you’ve already left.”

“Well, Steve, I’ve been writing for over five years! I’ve worked hard to get published. You don’t know how—”

“You’ve worked hard for this!”

“This? Steve, this job’s chewed me up and spit me out so many times I can’t think straight anymore. I mean, c’mon, man, we work longer hours than anybody I know, and where’s the payoff? When am I ever going to get mine?”

“Is that why you write? To get yours?”

“Well—” My shoulders shrugged themselves. “That’s not the only reason.”

“Look,” Steve said. “You may not want to hear this, brother, but I believe God put you here for a reason, and it’s not to make money. He’s using you in more ways than you know. I mean just think of all the lives you’ve touched. The people you’ve saved over the last twenty years. All those students you’ve trained to be great paramedics. Brother, there are a lot of folks out there who would be much worse off today if not for you. Shoot, a lot of ‘em wouldn’t even be here.”

“So, what am I supposed to do, Steve? Just give it all up?”

“No. Write. But do it for the right reason. And don’t even think about giving up EMS. God’s given you a wonderful gift, brother. You need to use it!”

And so, to answer Steve’s question—hardly working…that’s how I’ve been doing. I’ve been so busy worrying about my own agenda that I forgot all about God’s. Steve was right. God has given me a special gift and it’s time I started using it again. I’ll still write, of course, but from now on I’ll do it for the right reason. So, Lord, please forgive me for being so selfish. And thank you for my good friend, Steve. And thank you, too, for this awesome gift: I’m a paramedic. I’ve been blessed with the ability to save other people’s lives.

What’s your gift? Are you using it? If you are then good for you! Keep up the good work. But if not, it’s time you got started. Discover that gift, then get out there…and use it!

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