Seconds count

OAKDALE - When it comes to life no one knows just how quickly it can change better than Wade Berzas. Berzas was the lone survivor in the December 28th crash that took down his airplane on the way to the LSU vs the University of Oklahoma playoff game in Atlanta, Ga.
“It was 48 seconds. That is how long it took for everything to change,” Berzas said on Sunday, July 12, when he addressed the congregation of Christ Church. He was invited to give his testimony and share with the congregation his story of will.
His story began by him telling about how he wasn’t where he needed to be with the Lord. He said he had spent the evening of the 27th frustrated with life, work and family. He had a “God sized hole in his heart.”
He said the day of the 28th began with excitement and he was prepared for the day to be one of his best. He said, “I just knew it was going to be a cool day getting to spend time with one of my very best friends and watch the LSU playoff game.
“That morning I got up, boarded a private jet and was just starting to complain that I had forgotten to bring playing cards when it all happened one moment we were taking off and the next I was just sitting in a field alone, every part of me burned, I was still strapped into my airplane seat from takeoff. They said the entire crash was 48 seconds.
“I saw one thing as the plane was going down it was a picture of my family. It was a picture I had placed on my vision board of my entire family and we were united. As I landed in the field I remember the first thing I said was ‘not today, you don’t get me today.’
“It was that drive that got me up and allowed me to walk out of that plane into the muddy field. I don’t know how far away I made it before I collapsed to my knees. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it when I started to pray. After a few moments I saw two men headed towards me. These guys helped me to the road where I waited for an ambulance. After making it into the ambulance I never once thought that I wasn’t going to make it.
“I thank God that I still had my mind and use of most of my body, I was able to request that I call my wife. I didn’t want her to hear through social media that our plane had gone down. I somehow convinced her I was fine and she just packed an overnight bag to meet me at the hospital.
He went on to describe how the doctors initially thought he would spend at least four months recovering in the hospital. Through the power of prayer from hundreds of thousands of people around the world and sheer will he did what medical experts called nothing short of a miracle and walked out of the hospital in 52 days.
He then challenged the congregation, “we need to become warriors for Christ. I urge you to not go through your life lukewarm. The average phone call is four minutes, it takes you 25 seconds to open an email, in just 48 seconds my life completely changed. In 48 seconds do you have time to forgive all who have wronged you? Do you have time to seek forgiveness from those you have wronged? Do you have time to make things right with your maker? You can spend life worrying with each and every issue or you can be the change needed in todays world. There were 56 million children aborted last year around the world. What are you going to spend your time and energy on?
He ended by saying that although many have called him a hero and tried to place his healing on him. He knows whose hands were really involved.
“I have learned these things during this time, the importance of prayer and the importance of preparation. I would have not made it through one second of this ordeal without praying for myself and having those around the world praying for me. Prayer works and I am standing here today because of it.
“Preparation is key to success. I grew up believing that can’t is not in the dictionary. We got in trouble for saying we couldn’t do something. If you set your mind to it you can achieve it. Every day I just made up my mind that this wasn’t the end for me. Every person has a calling. I encourage you to find yours.”