歪歪漫画

Survival and gratitude.

Those words have been on my mind, and I recently learned about two men who can speak about them.

Boy, can they ever.

Mark Kindem and Corey Fuhrman are pastors serving Lutheran churches in Bemidji. But they would not be preaching this weekend if they had not survived life-threatening incidents, and for that they are very grateful. Kindem survived a plane crash on April 29, and Fuhrman survived a massive heart attack on June 15.

鈥淚t was a dark and stormy night,鈥� Mark said with a sly grin when describing his airplane accident. A veteran pilot and flight instructor, the Bethel Lutheran pastor was returning from a trip to Stanley, N.D., alone in his rented plane, when the engine stopped. He was just minutes from his destination at the Bemidji Regional Airport. It actually was a cloudy night, and weather conditions were not ideal. But Mark knew what to do in order to keep the plane in the air as long as possible.

鈥淏efore I had a chance to get really scared and nervous I felt this presence, like a quilt or a blanket or something with me,鈥� he recalled. After a few minutes, he looked to his left through an opening in the clouds and saw the lights of Clearbrook below.

鈥淚t was just like candles on a cake,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was above the clouds. There was no way I could just see anything, and there it was, 鈥楤oom,鈥� right there.鈥� He knew there was a football field just north of town, so he was able to make a loop to head toward it.

鈥淎nd that was my last memory,鈥� Mark said.

What he does remember is waking up with his head smashed against the cockpit window and his right leg dangling sideways. The plane had skimmed off the roof of a wild rice plant, flown under utility wires, landed on a road and skidded into a retaining wall.

Mark, 61, was flown to a Fargo hospital and was treated for facial injuries and a broken femur.

During his recovery, congregation members stepped up to lead worship services, and support has come in from family, friends, and people he didn鈥檛 even know. Mark and his wife, Miriam, have three adult children and five grandchildren.

鈥淵ou realize that you're not by yourself,鈥� Mark said. There are people that God places in your path. I'm grateful for every day that I can see my grandchildren,鈥� Mark said, 鈥渁nd then I found out that we鈥檙e going to have two more grandchildren.鈥�

Corey Fuhrman also is feeling grateful these days. The First Lutheran pastor is awaiting heart surgery next month, but he is back in the pulpit after suffering a cardiac arrest the day before Father鈥檚 Day.

He started the day by attending a graduation party, then officiated a wedding and attended the reception. He experienced discomfort twice while walking from his car to the party and the reception, and thought it might be lung-related and would go away.

But he decided to leave the reception early, and after resting at home, the burning sensation persisted. Fortunately, his son was home for Father鈥檚 Day and was able to get Corey to the emergency room.

Two stents were inserted into clogged arteries, and a third artery will be tended to during next month鈥檚 surgery. Although he lives a healthy life, Corey was not surprised that the attack occurred. He is 53 years old, and his father had a heart attack at 52.

鈥淥K, so I made it a year beyond Dad,鈥� Corey said. 鈥淗owever, I am my father鈥檚 son. There's a lot of similarities in who he was and who I am.鈥�

Like Mark, Corey was moved by the outpouring of support following his attack. Corey and his three children felt a similar outpouring nine years ago when his wife, Kelly, died of cancer.

鈥淚t takes a tragedy sometimes to give us a wakeup call to the beauty and thankfulness of life,鈥� Corey said. 鈥淎nd then we live differently because of it. We treat each other differently because of it.鈥�

He said First Lutheran plans to conduct an adult education class about the second half of life and faith and how it's different from the first half.

鈥淭he first half of life you're looking at self-discovery, who am I going to be, what's my purpose in the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the second half, hopefully, those questions by their very nature have been answered. The point of the class is 鈥楬ow do we get to that point without tragedy? How do we live a grateful life without having to experience near death.鈥欌��

Survival and gratitude. By sharing their stories, Mark and Corey certainly put those words in perspective. For that, and for many other personal reasons, I am grateful.