It's Monday morning, a day like any other. You wake up, eat breakfast, kiss your wife and son goodbye, and go to work. You put in eight hours. The day is done. As you drive home, you turn on the radio and search for a station:
"Hi, this is Phil Davis on WKMO…the big E-Z. And now for the weather: tonight partly cloudy with a sticky 80 degrees. For tomorrow: slightly muggy with a 50% chance of showers.
“In the world today: The Bank of America Corp. said Friday it would cut as many as 10,000 jobs as it changes its focus from growing through mergers to becoming more profitable through use of technology and operating efficiency.
“And finally tonight, a report from the remote village of Samair, India, where four villagers are dead after contracting a mysterious flu-like illness. Doctors are continuing their investigation into the deaths. It's not influenza, but three or four persons are dead. It’s kind of interesting actually. They’re sending some doctors over there to investigate it.”
After a few days have passed, you've forgotten all about that news; but, on Sunday while
you’re coming home from church, you hear another radio spot:
"What began with four villagers just days ago has now spread to over 30,000 people in
the back hills of India. The center for Disease Control in Atlanta announced today that
they are sending in a team of doctors to investigate and analyze this apparent new
strain of flu. Officials from the CDC also reported that a main priority for the team would
be to try and contain the outbreak before it spreads to the surrounding countries.”
By Monday morning when you get up, it's the lead story: "The "mystery flu", as it is now
known, has spread to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The U.S. President releases a
statment today saying that he joins everyone in praying for the people of the infected
countries, and that he is confident that all will go well in containing the outbreak and
finding a cure. The President also announces that the U.S. will provide medical aid to
the countries that face this outbreak.
The next newscast: “We have just received word that the President of France has
closed all borders to that country. No flights from India, Pakistan, or any of the countries
where this "mystery flu” has been reported, will be allowed into the country. However,
this action may have been taken too late; we have just confirmed that there is a man
lying in a hospital room in Paris apparently dying of flu-like symptoms. The “mystery flu"
has hit Europe!”
Panic strikes! As best they can tell, once you get this, you have it for a week…but you
don't know it. Then, you have four days of unbelievable symptoms. Then, you die.
Britain has closed its borders, but it's too late. It's already in South Hampton, Liverpool,
and North Hampton.
On Tuesday morning, the President addresses the Nation: "We interrupt this program
to bring you a special news bulletin. The President of the United States is preparing to
address the nation. We now go live to the White House.”
”My fellow Americans, due to a national security risk, all flights to and from Europe and
Asia have been canceled. If you have loved ones that are overseas, they will have to
stay there until we contain and find a cure for this "mystery flu". I ask all Americans to
pray that a quick resolution to this situation can be found.”
Within four days, our Nation has been plunged into an unbelievable fear. People are
selling masks for your face. People are talking about what will happen if the “mystery
flu" comes to this country, and preachers on Tuesday are saying, "It's the scourge of
God." It's Wednesday night, and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody
runs in from the parking lot and says, "Quick, turn on a radio!”
And while the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it,
the announcement is made:
"We can now confirm that there are two women in a Long Island hospital dying of the
‘mystery flu’. Within hours, it is expected to spread across the county. The Center for
Disease Control announced that it has personnel working around the clock to find a
vaccine for this new deadly strain of flu. We now have reports of outbreaks in California,
Oregon, Arizona, Florida and Massachusetts. It's as though it's sweeping in from the Borders.”
In a desperate effort to slow the spread of the disease, the President institutes martial
law. It seems like forever that you are locked up in your house with plastic taped over
the windows and ventilation ducts. Nobody is allowed outside, except the military
patrolling the streets and men in yellow environmental suits going from door to door
collecting bodies and loading them onto large flatbed trucks to be taken away and
burned. Things seem very bleak. You and your family spend hours praying for salvation
to come.
Just when things seem their bleakest, a ray of light pierces the darkness. As you are
listening to the new updates on the radio, an announcement comes across the
emergency broadcasting system…
"This is not a test. I repeat, this is not a test. The President of the United States has
activated the emergency broadcasting system to announce that a cure for the mystery
flu CAN be found. The code has been broken, and a vaccine can be made. It's going to
take the blood of someone who hasn't been infected, and so the President is asking all
Americans to go to your local hospital and have a blood sample taken. It's imperative
that everyone be tested. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this time of
national emergency.”
You and your family go to the hospital and stand around scared with your neighbors,
wondering what in the world is going on and if this is the end of the world.
Suddenly, a young lady comes running out of the hospital screaming. She's yelling a
name and waving a clipboard. What? She yells it again! Your son tugs on your jacket
and says, "Daddy, that's me!”
Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. "Wait a minute, hold it!”
"It's okay. His blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have
the disease. We think he's got the right type!”
Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one
another - some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a
week. An older doctor walks up to you.
"Thank you, sir. Your son hasn't contracted the disease. His blood type is perfect. It’s
clean. It is pure, and we can use it to make the vaccine.”
As the word begins to spread all across the parking lot full of folks, people are
screaming and praying and laughing and crying.
But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside. "May we see you for a
moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor, and we need you to sign a
consent form.”
You begin to sign and then you see that the box on the form for the number of pints of
blood to be taken is empty. “H-h-how many pints?" And that is when the old doctor's smile fades.
"We had no idea it would be a young child. We weren't prepared. We need it all!”
“But..but..."
"You don't understand. We are talking about the whole world here! Please sign. There is
no other way! We need it all. Will you sign?”
In numb silence, you do. They offer you a moment alone with your son before they
begin. Can you walk back…can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table to
answer his question, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?”
Can you take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you very much, and we
would never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be. Do you
understand that?”
When that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we’ve…we've got to get
started. People all over the world are dying!”
Can you leave? Can you walk out while your son is saying, "Dad? Mom? Why are you
leaving me?”
The next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, some folks sleep
through it; some don’t come because they had plans to go to the lake; and some
come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care.
Would you want to jump up and say?
"My son died to save others! Don't you care?”
********
Is that what God wants to say? "My son died for you! Do you know how much I care?
- Unknown
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For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NASB
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25 NIV
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 NASB
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If you liked this story and would like a copy of either of my books,
they are available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format:
If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.
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