Pastor Jim Mellado
February 8, 2009 - W0906

Pastor Jim Mellado is President of the Willow Creek Association (WCA).  WCA was founded in 1992 by Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, to link like-minded, action-oriented churches with each other using strategic vision, training, and resources.  WCA has more than 12,000 Member Churches from 90 denominations, and is ministering all over the world.  Pastor Jim, a former Olympic athlete with a Harvard MBA, is here to share his testimony with us and the reality of God’s work in our lives.

Pastor Jim Mellado, “There’s a real sweet spirit in this faith community…Thank you from the Willow Creek community for sharing Pastor Wayne with us.  He has been such a tremendous source of wisdom and advice to many church leaders around the world, and has used his gifts to bless so many people.”

Never in a hundred years would I have predicted what happened to us two summers ago on our family vacation in Baja Mexico.  I had taken our family on this trip – in sort of an attempt to connect back with my roots – and my son Davy had been asking to go to the beach. Well as things often happen, adult time pushed out beach time and on this particular day, shopping time pushed it out too but we were passing a beach when we made a quick decision to just stop for a while for a quick swim – maybe just 15 minutes or so.  The beach was basically deserted but there was a lifeguard.

Davy and I jumped in the water while my wife and daughters strolled along the beach picking up sea shells and pebbles.  The water was cold but it was nice to take a short break and enjoy the waves as Davy had been asking all along.  We weren’t in the water for very long when I noticed that Davy was out in the ocean a wave past me, but I didn’t think much of it at the time.  A minute or two later, I noticed that Davy was quickly drifting farther out towards the ocean so I decided to swim out to him.

By the time I reached Davy, he was a bit in a panic and he latched onto my arm as a swell of water took both of us under.  You see, Davy was too big already for me to be able to keep us both afloat in the waves.  As we struggled with the waves and the current was taking us farther away from the shore, I can’t tell you the gripping terror that came over me as I came to the conclusion that we were going to die.  I could see our family walking along the beach but I was sure that we were too far out for anyone to hear us call, or for them to get to us in time even if they had.

Well needless to say, we did finally get to shore – and I’ll fill in more details as we go along – but it didn’t end there.  When I reached the beach, I vomited.  That wasn’t a big deal because I had had some hard workouts before (which can lead to vomiting) however this time I was having difficulty maintaining consciousness.  When we had gotten to shore, we went to see a doctor and he said I should be okay with more rest but there was something going on inside of me.

Over the next few days, not wanting to ruin our family vacation, I told everyone to go ahead with their vacation activities and that I’d be fine with more rest.  Well one day turned into a few days and I wasn’t getting better.  In fact, I felt like someone had shoved a basketball in my stomach and I was in a lot of pain.

Well I went back to the doctor’s but this time he ran some blood tests that indicated my creatinine level at 12.7 when normal levels should be less than 1.  The doctor concluded that I was in acute renal failure which can sometimes happen when there is extreme physical stress.  It sometimes happens in marathon runners and others who have undergone extremely strenuous physical activity because too much of the body’s muscle mass breaks down and the protein gets into the blood and clogs up the arteries into the kidneys.  As a result, the kidneys begin to shut down.

I asked the doctor what the prognosis was on my recovery.  He couldn’t say because sometimes people’s kidneys begin working again, but oftentimes it doesn’t.  I was put on dialysis – not knowing what to expect – but after two weeks, my kidneys started to work again and I was on my way to a full recovery.  About a week later, my friend John had heard about what had happened and came to visit.  He had two recommendations for me:

1.      He told me to write down everything I could remember, in as much detail as possible. He said I could remember things now but that I might start to forget details but that I (and my family) would want to be able to look back on this incident and reflect on it.

2.      He also suggested that my physical body would heal much faster than my soul and he encouraged me to look back at the experience and determine what God wanted me to gain from the incident. 

After following my friend’s advice and reviewing what had happened in much detail, I noticed a few themes had started to emerge.  The first theme is one of Hope.

HOPE

When we were out there in the ocean, about 50 yards off-shore, with a current that was taking us further and further away from shore, I was certain that I – we, Davy and I – were going to die.  We were going under because Davy was too big for me hold up. I didn’t have enough hope to save a victim but I had enough to help a contributor. I told Davy that we needed to stay calm and I needed him to swim – and he did.  That’s when hope kicked in. 

You don’t need to have a ton of it; you just need a speck of it.  That hope birth enough energy in me to start trying.  God provides enough hope and resources for us to take the first step – for us to head in God’s direction – then He will meet us along the way.

Moses and the Israelites had enough hope (see Isaiah 40:29-31) even when they didn’t have the final answer and God provided.  So what are you drowning in today?  Where do you need a speck of hope?  Your marriage?  Maybe a mortgage debt?  Or for a son or daughter who is struggling?  You just need enough hope to get started and God will meet you along the way.

When our family became aware of the fact that we were in trouble, that was another infusion of hope that helped us to keep trying.  When my cousin Andre pointed to the right suggesting that we swim with the current, rather than against it, and we started to move faster towards shore, that was another infusion of hope.  These little specks of hope were enough to enable me to push Davy close enough toward shore that they were able to pull him from the water and I knew He was safe.

When that happened, I relaxed.  My arms and legs weren’t working anymore no matter what happened, I was good because I knew that Davy was safe.  Those specks of hope emerged as the first theme of this incident.   All we need is that speck of hope and to move in God’s direction, and He will meet you along the way.

GOD’S GOODNESS

The second theme that arose in my soul as a result of this incident was about God’s goodness.  One day, as I was sitting in dialysis – wondering if I would have to go through this for the rest of my life – it hit me and my wife Leanne almost simultaneously that God’s goodness is not dependent on whether my kidneys would work or not. 

My parents passed the assurance of that goodness to me in my upbringing and I want to pass that assurance onto my children.  In the story of Jesus and the disciples crossing a stormy sea and the disciples wake Jesus up and has Him how He could sleep as such a time.  If I were on that boat, I would want to be the type of person who, instead of waking Jesus up, that I would lie down beside Him to sleep – because if things are good enough for Jesus, they’re good enough for me.

The scripture Jeremiah 29:11 has so much meaning for me, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  We need to live with these beliefs – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) – and confidence in God’s goodness.  Why is that so important?  Because we’re not done with hard times.  We all know – with everything we’re hearing in the news and the things that some of us are experiencing personally with our jobs and finances – hard times lay ahead.  But we must remember that God’s goodness is unwavering and is greater than our circumstances.

Hope was the first theme that emerged out of our unfortunate experience and God’s goodness was the second theme that became apparent as I looked back over what had happened.   Then the third and last theme I want to talk about today is…

LOVE

I told you about how the specks of hope were enough to enable me to push Davy to shore and how my body just relaxed when I knew that he was safe.  At that moment, I hadn’t been rescued yet myself but it didn’t matter…Davy was safe and that was all that mattered.

As you listened to the recording of Davy’s journal, in his own words, he talked about how he knew, “…Dad was okay because Dad knew that I was safe.”  What made me a raving lunatic that I would’ve done anything for him…even more than I would’ve done for myself?  It was because he was my son.  He knows that he has ALL of my love, all that I could ever offer is his because of who he is.  Not because of his behavior; in fact, regardless of his behavior!  There is nothing he needs to do to earn my love.  It’s a free gift…and yet, God’s [our Father’s] love is so much more than that.

I never would have imagined what happened to us two summers ago on our family vacation in Baja, Mexico:  that Davy and I would almost die because of a simple dip in the ocean.  But there’s a reason for all things and God works all things for good for those who love Him.  In reflecting on what happened, three things became very apparent to me:

1.      All it takes is a speck of Hope, and acting on that Hope, to lead us into God’s arms.  If we just take a step in His direction, He will meet us along the way.

2.      Remember that God’s Goodness is not dependent upon our circumstances.  God is greater than our circumstances and we should rest easy in His Goodness.

3.      God loves us for who we are – His children – not because of our behavior or performance.  He accepts us and loves us just as we are and He is always hoping for our best.

Remember these things and thank you for sharing Pastor Wayne with us at the Willow Creek Association.

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS

1.      Think of a time when a speck of hope got you to take the action that you needed.  Did God meet you along the way?  Explain.

2.      What could you use a little more hope on right now?

3.      When are you most aware of God’s Goodness – in good times or bad?  Share about a time when it was apparent to you.

4.      How is God’s love like a parent’s love for their child?  How is it better?

5.      How can you love like God?

6.      How has Pastor Jim’s testimony touched you and how will you be different because of it?

CLOSING SONG LYRICS

33 Miles - Hold On lyrics

I've felt the rain like a thousand knives
And it hurts
I know it hurts
I've been there like a fighter plane
Tryin' fly my way through a hurricane
And it's hard
I know it's hard

Don't be afraid
You'll make it through
Just call out to me and I'll come running to you

Hold on, hold on
When the current pulls you under
And your heart beats like thunder
Just give me your hand
And hold on, hold on
Until the storm is over
And I'll be fighting for you
Just give me your hand and
Hold on

I'll give you hope, I'll give you faith
And if it's dark, I'll light the way
For you, for you
By your side, until the end
Until you're standing tall again
I'm here, I'll always be here
And if the tide, sweeps you out to sea
When your strength is gone, and it's hard to believe

Hold on, hold on
When the current pulls you under
And your heart beats like thunder
Just give me your hand
And hold on, hold on
Until the storm is over
And I'll be fighting for you
Just give me your hand

Ooooo so...
Hold on, hold on
When the current pulls you under
And your heart beats like thunder
Just give me your hand
And hold on, hold on
Until the storm is over
And I'll be fighting for you
Just give me your hand
And hold on, hold on