Lion of Judah Still Roars

I was in the fight for my life, though I did not know it then. A simple procedure to put a dialysis port in my neck went wrong. While under anesthesia, I quit breathing and woke with a breathing tube down my throat. For several days I was kept semi conscious and don’t remember much. I do remember that during that period my husband came to visit me and felt the need to stay longer and pray for me.

Later that night, I developed a fever and my condition worsened to the point they called my husband and told him I’d probably not make it through the night. At some point I felt as if I were spinning, like the whole bed was going round and round. Suddenly I started seeing such beautiful visions! A wooded area freshly blanketed with pristine snow. Something, a soft voice, beckoned me to step out, feel the cold, fragrant air scented by pine trees. I hesitated, everything was spinning so fast. Mere seconds, and I was standing at a lush green meadow. Butterflies danced in the warm sunlight and a brisk, clear stream tempted me to put my feet in. What was I waiting for, the voice asked? Suddenly the vision changed again. This time the spinning was faster and the vision not so pleasant. I was in a rocky place. Dry and dusty and the sound of rattle snakes came from all directions. A chill ran down my spine and I felt icy cold. Again the vision changed and I was high on a mountain and a large python wrapped around me, was trying to get in my mouth. I knew, deep, deep in me, if this snake entered my mouth, it would steal my soul! It felt like hours that I fought against this monstrous beast. In the distance I could hear nurses urgently telling me to stop biting my tube; I was cutting off my own air supply. They kept holding my hands down to prevent me from pulling at the tube, but what they didn’t know is, they were making it almost impossible to fight against this snake!

Oh, how I prayed! I have never in my life prayed so hard, so fervently in all my life. I needed help…and I needed serious help. I was going to lose this fight if help did not come. I was dizzy, I was weak, I was doing all I could just to clamp my mouth shut. The snake was squeezing the breath out of me and I was close to dying. I knew if I blacked out, the snake would devour my soul. Suddenly, a giant shadow passed over me. There was a sound so deafening it shook the very universe. I looked up and saw the shadow of a beastly Lion so giant, the mountain I was on seemed to shrink. At the sound of his roar, all spinning stopped. The snake was gone. I could breath.

It was suddenly night and the pitch black sky was chock full of brilliant, bright stars. The aurora borealis lights danced in the sky. It was cold, very cold. Suddenly we were high beyond the Earth, somewhere beyond time and space. On a great ledge, where the Lion laid down. The Lion’s Massive paw reached out and drew me close to his side. His head swung down, so large I could only see the eyes and they looked directly into me. And in that look was a voice that was not gentle, but very firm, very possessive, very commanding. He did not speak with words, but in his eyes he conveyed these four simple but all consuming words.

“You Belong To Me.” There was absolutely no room for doubt or question. He spoke as a Father who has had enough, and was putting an end to his child’s nonsense. How many times had I allowed Satan to cause me to doubt God’s love for me? How many times did I allow him to cause me to wonder if God really did want me? God was making it clear and unarguable, that I Belong to Him. He drew me up onto his back. His back was so large I was like the size of a baby cub compared to him. He covered me with the plume of his tail and warmth seeped into my cold body. There, I slept.
The very next morning, I awoke to hear the Doctor discussing with the nurse about how badly I had damaged my breathing tube during the night. I had nearly chewed it in half! I heard the Doctor say to remove the tube and evaluate how I did breathing on my own, but be prepared to re-insert the tube if I stopped breathing. Oh I got so excited, I tried to force my eyes open, but they would not open. I had to be patient and wait until they got ready. Finally the moment came. I was told to cough when the tube was out. Sure, whatever they wanted, if it meant getting that hated tube out of my throat. It all happened very fast and before I even knew it, they covered my face with a mask that blew blasts of air into my face. I was told not to talk, because my throat would be very sore.

Tolerating that mask blowing into my face lasted all of maybe two hours before I was demanding to know when it could come off. After much complaining and refusing not to talk, the Doctor determined perhaps I could take it off and see. But the mask stayed ready by my bed if I should suddenly need it. I knew, with all certainty I did not and would not need it. That resolved, I insisted I was hungry. They brought me Jello. I ate it, and told them I was still hungry and could I please have some “real” food. I was told I wouldn’t be able to eat solid food for a few days because, again my throat was supposed to be too sore. My stomach growling had me trying again and again. Insisting I wanted some “real” food. Finally, I think to prove me wrong, the nurse had the cafeteria send me a trey. It had a hamburger, grapes, salad, more Jello, and iced tea. I carefully put the mayo on my burger along with the single leaf of lettuce and paper thin slice of tomato and ate every bite on the trey. Oddly, it was the iced tea that felt uncomfortable going down.

Two days later, I was moved from critical care to a regular room. I was eating a regular diet and physical therapy had me walking the halls. Two days after that, I was released to go home. My kidneys were fully functioning, my legs had healed up and I was definitely doing plenty of talking and eating.

That is how, in the fight for my life, I met and came face to face with the Great All Mighty Lion of Judah. How with a single roar he shook the universe, snatched me from the enemy, healed me and guarded me through the night. God is many things to His people at different times. Sometimes, He comes to us as our Shepherd to lead or guide us. Sometimes, He comes as a still small voice, and at other times he comes as our Loving Savior. But sometimes, when the enemy is roaring like a lion and has you in his sight for easy prey, sometimes, it takes the Master of Lions, the King of All Kings, to come. It takes the Lion of Judah to come and protect His little cub from harm.