Saving a Shirt During a Heart Attack—A Big Heart for Ministry!

The following is a remarkable email sent to one of our staff members from a former Creation Museum employee. It’s about her wonderful father-in-law (and museum supporter), David. Here is her email about David and his recent heart attack, followed by an encouraging email from David himself. I think you will be thrilled to read these reports.

Mark: My father-in-law, David, had a heart attack and was taken to Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington (he’s all right, praise God!). He’d had one before and knew the signs, and thanks to the wonderful physicians and many prayers he is now in stable condition in the ICU.

The amusing part of this story is that when David was taken into the emergency room, the doctors started discussing the best method of treatment. Of course, in order to get to the heart, they needed to take off his shirt, and the fastest way to do that would of course be to cut it off. The problem with that, however, is that David was wearing his brand new “Hammer Time” shirt from the [Ark Encounter’s] “Hammer and peg” ceremony [last month to launch the Ark project—watch the video]. As drugged up as he was, he adamantly REFUSED to let the doctors cut his precious Ark Encounter shirt, and said he’d sit up in order to remove it in one piece! Well, you don’t argue with a guy having a heart attack. The shirt escaped the incident unscathed!

But that’s not the only thing—later, once we were able to visit David in the ICU, he lamented not having told the EMTs about the Creation Museum! It was one of the first things on his mind, and he specifically requested that we bring him some brochures from the stash he has at home so that he can start handing them out tomorrow at the hospital. Even in the midst of a heart attack, this man wants to proclaim the truth of God’s Word!

I hope this story encourages you today. Please know that we are always praying for you guys! It was such a blessing to be able to be at the ceremony, to see you and so many others.. AiG is like family to me, and it felt like coming home as I saw various old friends/former coworkers and got to share in the joy of the day with them. I can’t help but see it as a little glimpse of what heaven will be like!

Feel free to share the above story with Ken and anyone who knows David—I’m sure they will get a kick out of it too!

Hope to see you again soon!

– C.B., Kentucky

Wasn’t that incredible?

But that’s not all. As he was recovering from his heart attack, David sent us this email:

Mark: You know, of course, how long I have been associated with AiG, but I’d like you to know the “why”.

I first heard of Ken when I received a mailing announcing that he would be conducting a three-night seminar in Lexington, Kentucky. ) I had been very interested in creation for some time and the seminar greatly interested me. We brought a van load of youth from our church the first night. Ken was giving two messages each night, with a short break between. I cannot recall the first topic, but the second was a life-changing experience for me.

The second message that night was, “Dinosaurs in the Bible.”  I can remember sitting during the break, very skeptical, pondering over what Ken can possibly say. I’m a forty year old pastor’s kid who has attended church since before I was born. I’ve never even heard a preacher say the word “dinosaur,” much less teach about them. This was my issue! I had pondered this and pondered this. How do I reconcile what I know from Scripture, that sin preceded death and man preceded sin, with what I was taught in public school that all dinosaurs died before man? I had given up on ever finding this out in my lifetime and had literally determined that I would not know until I met my Creator. That was to be my first question in heaven!

Well, at this point, I get a little emotional. As Ken began to lay it all out, so very biblically and logically — with no twisting of Scriptures — by just laying it all out in a natural progression, it was literally like scales falling off my eyes. He so thoroughly smashed my “evolutionary glasses.” And I will be ever grateful.

I was “good” in my faith. I actively served in our church. I had no doubts about my salvation, I didn’t question the Scriptures, but until that night, they had not answered this question. I compare what that did for my faith to what happens when you cut the tethers on a hot air balloon. My faith soared! And my faith has stayed aloft ever since.

I came back to the seminar each of the other nights, too. Every night was a similar experience. The second night Ken spoke on the Genesis Flood. The previous summer I had bought a couple of fish fossils from a man selling them from his tailgate at a flea market. As I drove toward home that night, about half a block from the church the significance of those fossils suddenly hit me and I came to a dead stop right in the middle of the street, as everything started to come together! I had “souvenirs” from the Flood!!

Other “revelations” came as the seminar progressed. In school I was taught that the chicken/egg conundrum was unknowable. I had the answer now! I had just not learned how to think biblically. For that I will ever be grateful to Ken and the Answers in Genesis ministry.

That seminar and what I learned has been a transforming factor in my faith and my life. I went back to my church ignited. Ken talks about a “fire in his bones,” although I cannot make near the claims of accomplishments in my life. His devotion to Christ and His Word are contagious.

The ensuing years since that seminar have been a wonderful adventure. You know better than I how much has happened and been accomplished. One of the things that most stands out is the explosion of apologetics resources. When I came to the first AiG offices, there in Florence, looking for materials to take back to the teachers at home, the choices were scant. It seemed as though I could have bought everything and put it in one bag. But now!! What a wealth, and ever expanding!

I wax too long. I want to thank you for your friendship through all these years. It’s quite humbling to be walking through the Creation Museum and suddenly be recognized by one of the founders. I look forward with great excitement and anticipation to the adventures ahead.

There is no way to detail all the ways in which Ken has encouraged me. I marvel at the way in which he handles the onslaught of controversy and personal attacks. It is as though God has made Ken a lightning rod for bringing attention to God’s workings, and yet, even though I know it must be taxing and growing wearisome, Ken manages to use it to further energize and embolden him. I pray for him and you and everyone at AiG continually. I know we are not to put anyone on a pedestal, but  …  well, it’s just me. J

One of my favorite things to do when we come to the Museum is ask staff about their “story,” about how they came to be a part of the AiG ministry. No one is just “there” as a job; everyone has a story, everyone is ministering in whatever capacity; and of course it leads always back to Christ. Each story is unique and encouraging.

Keep up the good fight!!

– David B.

Thanks, David. What a wonderful account. We appreciate you, and we’re happy to hear that you are healing after your heart attack. I hope to see you—and additional young people that you are known to bring here—at the museum soon.

Children 12 and under are free this year when accompanied by at least one paying adult.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken