Fellowship - Mackenzie Burfoot

Fellowship

Fellowship, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, “a unified body of individuals.” Fellowship, in a biblical sense, is partaking in a community of people who share the same beliefs and will encourage each other toward Christ. These definitions exemplify what the Fellowship is. It’s a body of young believers, encouraging and spurring each other on in the race set out before us, and most importantly, lifting each other up in times of hardship. That’s exactly what I found and needed. 

New Year’s Eve was the scariest day of my life. It started out like no other, except prepping for a fun night with family. However, things turned for the worst that night at dinner. We had just sat down for dinner, my dad sitting next to me, when he started to breathe funny and put his hand over his heart. I asked, “are you ok?” Getting up from the table he responded, “no.” He walked down the hall with the intention of laying down in my cousin’s bed, my mom following him asking if he was alright before announcing, “I’m calling 911!” My dad never made it to the bed, he had gone into cardiac arrest and collapsed. My uncle, being quick to think, started performing CPR. Hearing “1… 2… 3” as he counted the compressions. That’s when things got hazy and felt surreal. Surely this was all a dream, this wasn’t happening to me, I wasn’t losing my dad, not at 23. Who would walk me down the aisle? Would he get to hold my children? These thoughts swirled around in my head before I was overcome with clarity and fell to my knees and prayed. Prayed God wouldn’t take my dad. Prayed for peace. Prayed for the medics. Prayed it was all a dream. I realized I couldn’t do this on my own. I texted the fellows begging for prayer in this moment. I called Carrie, one of the fellows, and she sat with me on the phone, praying with me and speaking truth over me. She paused her celebrations to comfort me in my time of need. The other fellows were quick to respond with prayers and support. 

My dad would later regain consciousness, be shocked by paddles to get his heart back in rhythm, be given CPR for 4 more minutes at the hospital, stabilized, placed in ICU, and intubated for 12 hours. Three days later, he’d go back into cardiac arrest, caused by what doctors call a Vtack storm, given CPR for 30 seconds and shocked by paddles before going back to ICU. That’s where I left him, it was time for me to go back to Colorado, I had already taken days off work to be with him, and I had to get back. I didn’t know this at the time, but that’s exactly what I needed. While I was anxious, and still am at times, the work, biblical community, and support are what have helped me walk through this season. The fellows gathering around me, praying over my dad and I, and supporting me while he was still in the hospital. My dad was discharged 4 days later, and while he’s still anxious about getting back to “normal,” he is doing much better, and doctor visit after doctor visit, they’ve told him he’d live a long and happy life. 

I still am struggling with anxious thoughts of “what if” while my dad is on the other side of the country, but with the fellowship I have here, I am able to process these thoughts with a biblical community rather than if I were sitting at home alone. The Lord knew I needed to be surrounded by these people when this trial hit. I praise and thank God for His merciful hand and that He was in complete control, because if this had happened earlier or if my uncle wasn’t there, my dad most likely would not be here. There is nothing sweeter than the community that this Fellowship Program provides. 

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