Circle of Trust

I’ll try to keep this succinct, as the sweat we created will start to get very cold. I’d like to focus on two key messages for COT, but I’ll need a couple minutes to tee up a story first.

On this day a year ago, we were preparing to drive to Columbus, OH to be with my family for Thanksgiving. Normally we would have waited until the Wednesday before to leave, but one of the silver linings of the Pandemic is that remote work makes it feasible to work anywhere, so we decided to leave the Sunday before and I would work from my parents’ house until the holiday. Normally the drive from Naperville to Columbus can take anywhere from 5.5 – 7 hours depending on traffic and how many times the kids need to stop for food, bathroom breaks, etc.

On this day, I felt a strong pull to get to Columbus as fast as possible, so I made a deal with the kids to see if we could only stop one time during the trip. They agreed, and traffic was lighter than usual. Low and behold, we got to Columbus in 5.5 hours. It’s hard to explain the sensation, but in my gut I felt a strong desire to get there in record time.

After arriving in Columbus, we ate dinner and about 30 minutes later, my dad went into full blown cardiac arrest. It was a surreal moment, and while there was a lot of panic as it was unfolding, my wife, mom and I were able to get him to the ground, call 911, and perform CPR for several minutes until paramedics arrived. He spent nearly a month in the ICU, and for the first two weeks was unconscious needing a ventilator to breath for him. By the grace of God, he pulled through and has had a miraculous recovery to this point.

Connecting the dots – while the 3rd F here does stand for Faith, we are not a religious organization. I happen to believe that this experience and the variables I described was absolute divine intervention. If that’s not your belief, that’s fine – all are welcome here. The key point I want to convey in this regard is: trust your gut instinct, especially if it involves your family. Had my wife and I not been there with my mom when this happened to my dad, I don’t think the outcome would have been the same.

The second point I’d like to highlight is on preparation. A lot of people talk about how the F3 program helps them prepare for the day, or what lies ahead. Fortunately, both my wife and I had been CPR trained in years past, so there was a baseline understanding that helped us feel (somewhat) prepared in that situation. If you can, I strongly recommend getting First Aid/CPR certified. You never know when it could come into play.

Lastly, connected to the announcements, blood donation is critical right now. During his hospital stay, my dad had to have a dozen units transfused due to complications that were compounded by being on blood thinners. I think about the people that donated blood when my dad needed it, and I’m trying to donate back as much (and more) going forward.

Prayer requests

Ken Doll wisely added that instinct comes into play when it comes to mental health as well. We did a tribute WOD on Saturday in solidarity with the PAX from Race City, SC who were honoring one of their own who took his life last week. KD noted that if something seems off with someone in your life, say something, lift them up – do what you can rather than let it slide.

I know that many of us have loved ones that are in need of prayer support, so let’s take a moment now to think of them, and set our intentions for this week.

Thanks guys!