I BEGAN HAVING STOMACH PAINS,
SEVERE STOMACH PAINS INITIALLY I
HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS.
THE STRESS JEFFREY THOMPSON
WAS UNDER RUNNING HIS LAW
PRACTICE HAD TAKEN A TOLL ON HIS
BODY.
I MAINTAINED THE STRESS.
EVENTUALLY IT BROKE DOWN.
JEFFREY DEVELOPED
DIVERTICULITIS AND NEEDED
SURGERY TO REMOVE PART OF HIS
INTESTINE.
AFTER THE OPERATION, HIS BODY
CONTINUED TO HEMORRHAGE.
I LOOKED INTO THE SURGEON'S
EYES AND SAW CONCERN.
MY INTERNAL CLOCK WAS TELLING ME
I ONLY HAD A FEW SECONDS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS LEFT.
I REACHED UP TO GRAB MY WIFE.
I WENT TO HIM.
IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THAT I
LOST HIM.
I COULD TELL HE LEFT.
HE TOOK MY HAND AND WAS GONE.
JEFFREY THOMPSON JOINS US NOW
LIVE.
THANKFULLY FOR THE REST OF HIS
STORY.
JEFF IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.
TERRY, HONORED TO BE HERE.
TERRY: YOU WERE A SUCCESSFUL
LAWYER, WORKING 70-80 HOURS A
WEEK.
EVENTUALLY TOOK A TOLL ON YOUR
BODY.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
IT DID.
MY PRACTICE TAKES US AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
I AM WITH A WONDERFUL FIRM.
WE HAVE CLIENTS IN EVERY STATE
WHICH REQUIRES A LOT OF TRAVEL.
IT TAKES IT OUT OF YOU.
IT BROKE MY BODY DOWN,
UNFORTUNATELY.
TERRY: YOU ARE GOING INTO
THIS SURGERY FOR A STOMACH
ISSUE.
NOTHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
FATAL.
WERE YOU PREPARED FOR ANYTHING
BAD TO HAPPEN?
I WAS NOT.
MY WIFE AND I HAD A FEELING
NOTHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
I TOLD MY ASSISTANT THE DAY
BEFORE SURGERY, TELL MY CLIENTS,
I AM UP AND RUNNING MONDAY.
THAT WAS MY IDEA, NOT GODS.
TERRY: SOMETIMES GOD SENDS
AN EARTHQUAKE TO GET OUR
ATTENTION.
HERE YOU ARE, YOU HAD THE
SURGERY, THE CORRECTION ACTUALLY
TOOK PLACE, 24 HOURS LATER THE
DOCTORS PULLED BACK THE SHEET,
VITAL SIGNS NOT GOOD.
WHAT DID THEY FIND?
I LOOK PREGNANT.
I WAS BLEEDING INTERNALLY.
WHEN I LOOKED DOWN, I REALIZED
NEEDILY SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY
WRONG.
THE
TERRY: TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED
THEN, YOU WENT INTO THIS BLACK
OUT THAT WE HEARD DESCRIBED.
YOUR SENSES HEIGHTENED.
WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AT MY
STOMACH, I BEGAN TO DIE.
I KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I KNEW I ONLY HAD A FEW SECONDS
LEFT OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
I REACHED UP AND GRABBED MY
WIFE.
I WANTED TO TELL HER HOW MUCH I
LOVED HER.
SHE IS AN INCREDIBLE PERSON.
I BEGAN TO RISE OUT OF MY BODY
UP INTO THAT ROOM.
I HAD NEVER BEEN MORE ALIVE.
TERRY: WERE YOU AFRAID?
NO.
THAT WAS THE INCREDIBLE THING.
I HAD NEVER FELT SUCH PEACE AND
LOVE.
I COULD SEE EVERYTHING DOWN
BELOW ME.
I SAID THIS IS VERY INTERESTING.
LEAVE IT TO A LAWYER.
[LAUGHTER].
TERRY: I WAS JUST GOING TO
SAY.
[LAUGHTER].
I WAS WATCHING EVERYTHING IN
COMPLETE PEACE.
THEN THE LIGHT ENTERED.
TERRY: TELL US ABOUT THAT.
BEGAN AT THE CEILING, TERRY.
IT FILTERED OUT.
I STRUGGLE FOR THE WORDS, IT WAS
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAD
EVER SEEN.
ONLY THING I COULD COMPARE IT
TO, YOU SEE THE SON'S RAYS AND
KNOW IT IS THERE.
MULTIPLY IT TIMES A THOUSAND.
INCREDIBLE.
IT BEGAN TO FELTER IN THAT ROOM,
COLORS CAME FLOODING OUT.
MY SENSES BECAME ENHANCED.
TERRY: WHAT WERE YOU
THINKING AT THIS POINT?
I WAS ABSORBING IT ALL.
I WAS ENJOYING IT.
I WAS IN COMPLETE PEACE AND
COMFORT.
I WAS OVERWHELMED BY WHAT WAS
HAPPENING TO ME.
THERE WAS NO PAIN AND NO FEAR.
NOTHING BUT SWEETNESS.
TERRY: WHERE WERE YOU AT
SPIRITUALLY?
I HAD BEEN A CHRISTIAN SINCE
I WAS A TEENAGER.
LOVED GOD.
HELPED SUNDAY SCHOOL.
I HAVE HAD A LOVE FOR GOD IN A
LONG TIME.
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH HE
LOVED ME.
I HAD BEEN TOLD ALL ABOUT IT.
I READ IT.
TERRY: SUDDENLY, YOU ARE IN
THE PRESENCE OF WHAT YOU ARE
SENSING GOD HIMSELF.
WHAT DID THAT DO TO YOU AS A
PERSON, AS A CHRISTIAN?
AT THE MOMENT IT OVERWHELMED
ME.
HAD I HAD A BODY, I WOULD HAVE
GONE TO THE FLOOR.
NOTHING LIKE HAVING GOD POUR
INTO YOUR SOUL.
I WAS OVERWHELMED BY IT.
YOU ARE IN THIS AMAZING
PLACE, FEELING AND SEEING
EVERYTHING.
HOW DID YOU WIND UP GOING BACK
INTO YOUR BODY?
DURING THIS PROCESS, GOD
INFUSED A NUMBER OF THINGS INTO
ME.
I HAD A FLEEDING THOUGHT, WHAT
ABOUT MADELINE, MY WIFE.
WHAT ABOUT MY SON?
IT WAS A FLEETING THOUGHT.
I WANTED TO BE WITH GOD, BUT I
HAD A FLEETING THOUGHT.
GOD SAID YOU ARE GOING TO GO
BACK.
WHAT DID YOU FEEL THEN?
MOST IMMEDIATE THING THAT
HAPPENED, EVERYTHING STOPPED
BELOW ME.
WHAT ABOUT MADELINE AND WILL.
IT WAS IF SOMEONE PUT A PAUSE
BUTTON.
EVERYTHING WENT SILENT.
IT WAS COMPLETE PEACE.
I SHOT BACK IN MY BODY LIKE I
HAD BEEN HIT BY A LIGHTNING
BOLT.
THE DOCTOR WAS SAYING I HAVE TO
GET HIM BACK IN SURGERY.
HOW AM I GOING TO GET CONSENT.
HE SAID YOU CAN GIVE CONSENT.
TERRY: YOU TALK ABOUT GOD
INFUSING THINGS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU
HAVE EVER KNOWN.
HE LOVES YOU BEYOND ANYTHING WE
HAVE EVER KNOWN.
IF WE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE LOVE
HE HAS, WE WOULD WAKE UP WITH
DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.
TERRY, I USED TO WAKE UP WITH A
KNOT IN MY STOMACH.
I WAKE UP WITH JOY IN MY HEART.
I HAVE TO BECOME A BETTER
PERSON.
BECOMING A BETTER PERSON DOESN'T
GET YOU TO HEAVEN.
YOU GET TO HEAVEN THROUGH CHRIST
AND HIS BLOOD.
WHEN I WAS PLACED UP TO GOD'S
LIGHTED, I REALIZED ALL THE
TIMES I COULD HAVE HELPED OTHERS
AND BROUGHT THEM TO CHRIST AND
FAILED TO DO IT
TERRY: WHEN YOU FEEL HIS
INTENSE LOVE, IT MAKES YOU WANT
TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS CHANGED
YOU?
I WAKE UP WITH PEACE AND JOY.
MY CAREER IS NOT EVERYTHING.
TERRY: YES.
MY GOD IS.
TERRY: YES.
IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.
YOU THINK AND FEEL DIFFERENTLY.
I LOVE WHAT I CAN DO.
I HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FIRM I WORK
WITH.
THE PEOPLE I WORK ARE WONDERFUL
LOVING PEOPLE.
WE LOVE WORKING TOGETHER.
I STILL LOVE WHAT I DO.
NOTHING SWEETER THAN GOD'S LOVE.
TERRY: THAT IS AN AMAZING
POWERFUL PICTURE OF GOD DROPPING
HIMSELF INTO THE MIDDLE OF
SOMEONE'S LIFE JUST TO SAY I
LOVE YOU.
IT IS INCREDIBLE.
TERRY: WE HEAR THAT OVER AND
OVER AGAIN JEFF, EYE HAS NOT
SEEN, EAR HAS NOT HEARD THE DEEP
LOVE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR
STORY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE
OF JEFF'S STORY, ALL YOU HAVE TO
DO IS LOG ON TO CBN.COM.
WE HAVE THE COMPLETE STORY AND
VIDEO VERSION.
YOU'LL HAVE THE CHANCE TO LISTEN
TO WHAT JEFF EXPERIENCED.
