From death to life to Christ

I told this story many, many moons ago but it is so profound and stirring I must tell it again, best as I remember.

If I thought I was going to Alaska again just to cut big timber, I was wrong. The good book sez “many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

I had the habit of visiting the different small churches at the logg’n camps or villages that I could drive or walk to. I wasn’t into denominational idolatry. I like what John Wesley said, “does thou love and fear God? I extend thee the hand of fellowship.”

Anyway, on this here one Sunday I wandered into a little Catholic church. They had no priest ‘cause he had another meeting at another village that morning. The size of the congregation that day had nothing to do with the blessing that was about to unfold.

Jimmy Williams got up and gave his testimony. Without rituals or doctrine.

By his own account he once was a drunk, a fisherman by trade. Time came to load up the gill-netter and head out. But where was Jimmy? Drunk, of course. Passed out by the door of the local water’n hole. Crewmembers dragged him down to the dock and loaded him on the boat.

After many hours and upwards of a day to the fishing grounds and a pail of cold sea water in the face, Jimmy was up and manning the net. But his balance wasn’t the best and he got caught in the net as it reeled off the spool. Down he went!!

He remembered grabbing for his knife but he forgot it. ‘In Alaska you never go anywhere without yer knife, not even to bed. Anyway, he remembers drowning and as he died a voice was heard, “You must go back.”

And so another crewmember followed the net down and cut Jimmy out. Got him up on deck and tried to revive him but to no avail. They reeled in the net and headed the long boat ride to town.

To the morgue they took the now stiff Jimmy. After a while came the coroner and pronounced him surely dead. But wait!! He thought there was a faint heartbeat!! Some might say that the cold water saved him, when a man is stiff he is dead.

And so there was a heartbeat. Like Lazarus, Jesus brought Jimmy back from the dead.

Jimmy never took another drink of firewater and realized why the Voice said, “Go back.” His mission was to help his people at the village come to know Christ and save them from their alcoholism and suicide. Jimmy Williams was answering the call of the Master.

Some years later I was headed north to another logg’n camp. As I headed down to the car deck to drive off the ferry, there was Jimmy and his wife. They just got back from Montana fellowship’n with believers at the Blackfeet Reservation. I shook the hand of the big fisherman. He beamed with joy.

That was the last I saw him but I never forgot that voice and the man.