This is the second of two deeply personal experiences that I have shared publicly for the very first time.
The first was my experience during surgery in 2019, when I believe God allowed me to see Heaven before telling me, “Not yet. I still have more work for you to do.”
This is the story of another experience that forever changed how I pray, how I love people, and how urgently I believe Christians should share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
After the miracle God performed in my life in November of 2019, something incredible happened.
For a season, God allowed me to run again.
Considering everything my body had endured through years of illness, surgeries, and suffering, every mile felt like a gift from God. Every run became an opportunity not only to exercise but also to pray.
On a Thursday morning in October of 2020, I headed out for what I thought would be another ordinary run.
As I ran past Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida, I did what I had done countless times before. I prayed for the doctors, nurses, staff, patients, and families. I asked Jesus to bring healing, peace, wisdom, comfort, and hope to everyone inside those walls.
A little farther into my run, I decided to stop at a men’s Bible study in Jupiter. We spent time praying together, encouraging one another, and opening God’s Word. It was a wonderful morning of fellowship.
After the Bible study, I decided to continue my run before heading home.
That’s when everything changed.
As I ran down Central Boulevard near the park affectionately known as “Duck Park,” life seemed completely normal. The sky was bright blue. The weather was cool. People were jogging, riding bicycles, walking, and driving by.
Then, in what felt like only moments, everything around me changed.
The blue skies disappeared.
Darkness surrounded me.
The temperature became unbearably hot.
What I experienced next is something that has stayed with me every single day since.
I believe God allowed me, for only a few brief moments, to experience something I can only describe as a glimpse of hell.
Around me I heard people crying out in desperation.
They were screaming.
Over and over I heard words that pierced my heart:
“Why didn’t anyone tell us about Jesus?”
“Why did so many Christians give up on us?”
Those cries echoed with an anguish that is impossible to put into words.
What made the experience even more overwhelming was that I could still see people running, riding bicycles, and driving as they had been only moments before, yet in this experience they too were crying out with the very same questions.
The entire experience lasted only a matter of seconds.
Then it was over.
I have often joked that I could have qualified for the Olympic team by how fast I ran home that morning.
But behind the humor is a truth that has never left me.
That morning changed my life forever.
Whether I am speaking with one person or a thousand people, I can no longer look at anyone the same way.
Every person I meet has an eternal soul.
Every conversation matters.
Every act of kindness matters.
Every prayer matters.
Every opportunity to share the love of Jesus matters.
I don’t believe Christians are called to preach with condemnation or fear. We are called to preach with tears in our eyes, compassion in our hearts, and the love of Christ leading every word we speak.
Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world.
He came to save it.
That experience gave me an urgency that has never faded.
I still wake up every day asking God, “Who needs to hear about You today? Who needs encouragement today? Who needs hope today? Who needs someone to remind them that they are loved by God?”
I believe every follower of Jesus should live with that same sense of eternal purpose—not out of panic, but out of love.
People all around us are searching for hope.
Many have never truly experienced the grace of Jesus.
Many have been hurt by people who claimed to represent Him.
Many have concluded that no one cares enough to tell them the truth wrapped in love.
May that never be said of us.
This is the first time I have publicly shared both of these experiences—my encounter in Heaven during surgery in 2019 and this life-changing experience during a morning run in October of 2020.
Both have been incredibly difficult to share, each for different reasons.
I know there will be questions.
There may even be skepticism.
I understand that.
My goal has never been to convince anyone based on my experiences.
My prayer is simply that my testimony points people to Jesus Christ.
If these stories encourage even one person to seek Him more deeply, to pray more faithfully, to love more compassionately, or to boldly share the Gospel with someone who needs hope, then sharing them will have been worth it.
As Scripture reminds us:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)
May we never grow comfortable with keeping the greatest news the world has ever known to ourselves.
There are people waiting to hear about the Savior who changed our lives.
Let’s tell them. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 