As most of us recognize should we spend enough years on this planet, there are events in our lives that can't be explained, even by medical professionals.
Readers know I've come to call these phenomena GodNods.
John Odell's literal "lights-out" GodNod event unfolded at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mo., in late April.
Today, as he continues to recover, the 77-year-old retired businessman from Harrison explains his experience as a "God-sized, modern-day miracle."
It began with a mysterious collapse on his office floor on April 22 around 4:30 p.m. He said he suddenly found himself sprawled on the floor, unable to get his left knee beneath him, so he couldn't regain his footing to stand. It was a frightening feeling for this man who prides himself in being in good physical shape, especially for his age.
"At that moment, I knew I was in need of a miracle," he said. He soon learned he'd experienced a stroke caused by a 100 percent blocked right carotid artery.
"After three-and-a-half hours, my son-in-law found me and immediately called 911," he said. "I was taken to North Arkansas Regional Medical in Harrison. There a CT scan led them to schedule a life flight and immediate surgery at Mercy Hospital in nearby Springfield.
"The Med Flight landed at NARMC and flew me to Mercy, where the neurologist and vascular surgeons were on standby and waiting."
However, a quick examination and assessment by a neurologist showed John had suffered the results of a blockage too large to safely repair. Consequently, his surgery was canceled.
"At that time, my family arrived to hear doctors explain the surgery was simply too dangerous because it could cause another stroke and more than likely my death.
"The surgeon said he was sorry, adding there was nothing more he could do. Instead, doctors decided to just watch my neurological functions overnight, knowing I was unable to get blood or oxygen to the right side of my brain."
Meanwhile, John's evangelist son-in-law and his son, Shannon O'Dell, the pastor at Brand New Church, both walked into John's room, where hopes had been dampened by the negative prognosis.
"They began praying fervently: 'Lord Jesus, heal our dad and restore him to a full life, or take him home to ultimate healing in heaven.'"
It was then, John believes, that God began to bring his healing power to bear.
His granddaughters had used Shannon's clergy pass to enter his room for a family visit just after midnight. "They were emotional and reached across my bed to pray for me. As they prayed, the emotion and tears of the moment overtook them," said John.
"So Shannon grasped their hands across my chest and exclaimed, 'Yes, Lord!'" I call this outcry the moment when John received a divinely inspired shift toward recovery.
"In that instant, everything went dark within the center. Nurses scrambled as Mercy Hospital inexplicably had lost electricity. There were no storms or a scheduled grid test. There was no warning given to staff, but only a sign from God of my healing.
"The dire need at that moment was for the neurons within my brain to fire properly and signal the electrodes in my brain so I could live. And that's exactly what happened.
"Instead of increasing the damage to my brain, God surged my body with a mysterious and miraculous 'jump start' from the electricity of the hospital!"
"Also, to the neurologist's amazement, they saw on my charts that blood had begun to flow as some micro-collaterals off my right carotid began receiving more blood and oxygen than expected directly to the affected areas."
In other words, the complete and inoperable blockage that initially appeared to be threatening John's life suddenly began opening to allow blood to flow to places it was needed.
"Miraculously, even my left-side paralysis began decreasing in severity, minute by minute, ultimately leading to my reassignment to a regular hospital room from ICU--all within only six hours."
Today, John remains in rehabilitation recovery on the road back to his home at Bear Creek on the outskirts of Harrison. Within a week of the GodNod, he had been climbing into bed out of his wheelchair, sitting upright in half-hour increments, and his clarity of speech was increasing daily.
He praised the staff at Mercy Rehabilitation in Northwest Arkansas, where he'd been transferred, for so zealously pushing him toward his goal: A return to full life.
And he thanked everyone who has prayed for him during his remarkable ordeal and what lies ahead. "Remember God showed his power once before when all the world went dark, as his son Jesus gave his life for us so that we might be saved," John said.
After a mystical and life-sustaining GodNod like John received as he faced dire circumstances, I'd be eternally grateful to still be in this world to share a loving family and friends, too. Wouldn't you?
Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly like you want them to treat you.
Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at [email protected].