Recently I heard the story of a man in Belgium, named Rom Houben who was in a car accident in 1983. His heart stopped beating for several minutes and as a result, oxygen did not get to his brain. Although he survived the trauma, he remained in a vegetative state for 23 years. What was brought to light in December 2009 caught my attention. Scientists claim that Houben actually suffered from “locked-in syndrome” which means that his entire body suffered from paralysis but he was completely coherent and understood everything going on within his body. According to Steven Laureys, a neurologist at the University of Liege in Belgium, Houben suffered from total paralysis, despite the fact that “his brain was functioning almost normally,” Houben is described as “angry and frustrated” often relying on meditation to ease the tension that warred in his body as he wanted desperately to express his emotions. Firth, Shannon. "Locked-In Syndrome: When a Coma’s Not a Coma." findingDulcinea. December 01, 2009. Retrieved June 07, 2010. http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/2009/dec/Locked-In-Syndrome-When-a-Coma-s-Not-a-Coma.html
Have you been locked in? Not in a coma like Mr. Houben, but is there a dream within you locked up by the chains of frustration or discouragement? You can feel the anticipation of a dream wanting to spring forth. Or if you’ve birthed a child, you can feel both the anticipation and anxiety of the birthing process. It’s time to discover what has been locked in for too long.
What gives you life? What are you really passionate about? Have you ever really even thought about it? Jesus has come so we may have life and have it abundantly. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
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