The Jellyfish Man
Several years ago, I heard Ian McCormack tell his story. He was a hedonistic surfer, originally from New Zealand. One evening in Mauritius when night fishing for crayfish, he was stung by five box jellyfish. He was rushed to hospital, but it was too late. When he was dying, his life flashed before his eyes and he had a vision of his mother and he remembered his mother’s words to him when he was a boy, “Ian, no matter how far from God you are, no matter what you've done wrong, if you cry out to God from your heart, he will hear you and he will forgive you.” He then remembered the Lord’s prayer and began to pray it.
In Ian’s words: As I was lying there I remember my mother saying that you don’t pray from your head, you pray from your heart. So, I said “God I don't know where this prayer is, I want to pray it, help me”. Ian prayed the rest of the Lord’s prayer and “an incredible peace came over my heart as I prayed the prayer. It seemed as though fear left me, the fear of what was coming. I was still dying, I knew that, but I was at peace about it.” Ian did die and he went to hell, but a bright light appeared, and he was taken to heaven. The love and peace and healing and glory he experienced was overwhelming. After some time, Jesus asked him if he wanted to return to earth. He knew that he had to go back to earth for the sake of his mother, because he had done nothing that would have indicated to her that he would have gone to heaven. And he knew he had to go back and let others know about Jesus and heaven.
Ian came back to life, shocking the hospital staff, as he had been dead for almost 20 minutes. He made a miraculous recovery, leaving the hospital the next day. Ian later found out that while he was dying, the Lord had awakened his mother, saying “Your eldest son Ian is nearly dead. Pray for him now.” Ian now pastors a church in England and his story has been used to inspire many and lead many to Christ.
Ian’s story encourages me for several reasons:
Keep telling people about Jesus. My words may not bear fruit right away, but like Ian’s mother’s words, they will come back in a time of crisis.
Keep praying for the lost and prodigals.
All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
Please look at Ian’s complete story here: http://www.heavenvisit.net/ian-mccormack.html. His descriptions of his experiences are very compelling and inspiring. He also describes the spiritual warfare he faced once he returned from heaven. You can also find many video testimonies if you google “Ian MacCormack Jellyfish man.”