My Tango with Death

 A TANGO WITH DEATH

by Mike White

As a teenager I had a serious accident that nearly killed me - this is my personal account of a near death experience and how it radically impacted my life.

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The pushbike rapidly gathered momentum as I pedalled hard down the steep hill. I could feel the December sun warm on my back and hear the wind whistling through my hair - it was good to be alive.

My enthusiasm for risk and speed gave me an adrenalin kick - but was about to be my fatal tango with death.

My pushbike was a fixed wheel racer, just one gear with no free spin, and the pedals just kept coming around as the bike moved forward. As I leaned further into the corner to navigate the left hand turn at the bottom of the hill I could feel the wheels start to slide out on the loose gravel and then the pedals came around to lift the back wheel clean off the road! I had totally lost control of the bike!!

The bike leapt from the road, crashing out of control, and buckled into a mangled heap of twisted metal.

At the same time, I as a helpless passenger was launched from the seat and hurtled through the air, smashing face first into the concrete kerb. I was knocked out cold and lay on the road in a pool of blood totally unconscious. The lady in the nearby house seeing the accident happen ran screaming from her verandah to try and help. She lifted my limp hand but could not feel any pulse. The ambulance was called and I was rushed off to the hospital.

I lay in a coma in the hospital bed for the next 5 days.

I don't remember hitting the kerb. Instead I was standing in a place out of this world on the side of a gently sloping hill.

The grass lay flat on the undulating hill as if it had been wind swept over many years. I realised that I was not alone. Beside me stood someone dressed in brilliant white. The sky was totally dark behind me and to either side - but there was a light in front - over the top of the hill - a clean white light like the rising of the early morning sun. The person beside me, perhaps an angel or perhaps the Son of God, took me by the hand and we slowly walked up the hill together. And as we did the light shining beyond the top of the hill became brighter and brighter.

The next moment I was looking over various scenes of my life - past, present and future.

I saw my life replayed before me like I was watching a three dimensional movie - a live drama. Each scene I saw in detail exactly how it happened as I seemed to flick right through my life story right up to my present age of fifteen. Each scene was real with plenty of time to reflect, yet it all seemed to take no time at all. I felt very exposed watching all this, yet the one in white standing next to me did not appear to judge me - rather I seemed to judge myself.

Then I had a glimpse into the future. I saw myself standing on a stage in front of many people.

Beyond the spotlight that shone out of the darkness I could make out a sea of faces eagerly looking up towards the stage. The host motioned for me to step towards the microphone and as I moved forward I began to speak the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you w

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