Asystole

Scripture guides us to “be still” (Psalm 46:10) and trust. This is not an easy task and often takes some self-convincing when life throws us a curveball.

Outside of our everyday anxieties and worries, there are moments in life when our heart feels heavy, like it’s going to stop. Or circumstances that take our breath away, either literally or figuratively. Moments that challenge us to “be still!”

Asystole is when your heart literally stops beating. In the hospital, if asystole occurs, a team of expert clinicians are at your bedside instantaneously in an effort to restart your life. A hospitalist secures an airway if you aren’t breathing. A nurse begins giving medications to kickstart your heart. Another clinician could perform compressions on your chest to circulate the drugs being administered.

In life, we may feel like we have moments of asystole. The death of a loved one. A terminal medical diagnosis is delivered. A job loss. Our child is diagnosed with a mental illness. In these moments, we may think that we won’t recover.

How we respond in and to those circumstances sets us apart, as a faith community and as children of God who are living out our trust and promises from the Holy.

From my own experiences of “asystole,” I know that the friend who says “come here and let us take care of you” or the box of cookies that land on your doorstep with a note that says “you’re a named and claimed, child or God, don’t forget that” or the pastor who lets you talk through these asystole moments – these moments are life-saving! These responses are like a hospital code response team.

Notably, the most vulnerable sentence in the human language is “help me.” When life throws you a curveball or you are finding it hard, ask God for help, then be alert for your asystole response team.