Heimlich

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

The sudden screeching from the children had me running down the stairs. I’d only left for a moment, but in that time the littlest kid in the house had taken the wrong bite out of her snack, and now the bigger kids were fearfully yelling for me. They met me with the choking toddler. I grabbed her, but inside I froze. I had had all the training on how to handle this situation. I knew my best bet was the Heimlich maneuver. But she was so little, and it had been years, would I be able to remember?

I grabbed her and flipped her facing away from me, getting ready to squeeze her abdomen. “Jesus, help me!” I exclaimed, loud enough for everyone else to hear. I gave the toddler a tight squeeze. The kids around me were whimpering, watching to see what would happen. Another rough squeeze, and onto the floor fell the too-big bite she had taken, and then she took a deep breath and started hollering. I took a deep breath too, the relief setting in. Within a few moments, everyone was crying tears of joy. We sat in a circle, hugging for a very long time.

“Jesus helped you!” one of the kids said. I sat there amazed that my exclamation had resonated with any of them in such a short time. There I was, quickly crying out for help in a tough spot with no time to spare, and in the end that was what these kids remembered the most about the whole experience. In a moment when I needed to remember a skill, and I was second-guessing my own ability, I knew who to turn to. I hadn’t even realized it would be an opportunity to be an example for others, showing them where to start in a frightening situation.

I should get used to Jesus being there for me, but I never do. Every time I cry out for help, He hears me and comes to my aid. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can call on Him in every situation, big or small, and He will always be there to guide and support us. • Abbi Bloem

• In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul says, “pray continually.” Sometimes a quick request is all we have time for, especially in an emergency, and God loves to answer these prayers. He also invites us to set aside longer periods of time to talk to Him. He may not answer how we expect Him to, but as we talk to Him about the situations in our everyday lives, it becomes our habit to turn to Him. Then, when we’re faced with an emergency, it’s only natural that the first place we’ll go is to Jesus. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind today.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 (NIV)