November 27, 2019 - Reported [here]. James McGinnis life changed during 2014 high school football game. Olathe, Kansas — During this time of year, many people reflect on what makes them grateful. For one Olathe man, it was his brush with death and a divine message that he’s most thankful for.

James McGinnis’ life changed in 2014 while playing in a high school football game. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma, with doctors offering little hope he would survive.

“We looked at it like, as long as he’s still breathing, we were going to support him until he took his last breath,” said Patrick McGinnis, James McGinnis’ dad.

Now James McGinnis is doing more than just breathing – he’s thriving. His latest challenge is one chin-up for every Patrick Mahomes touchdown.

“James saw how Mahomes played and knew this was going to be a challenge,” said Patrick McGinnis.

From emerging from a coma, to learning to walk and talk again, James says he found strength during his near-death encounter. He says it was an encounter with Jesus.

“I actually had the chance of meeting him, and that was an inspiration,” said James McGinnis. “When I saw him, all I could do was my ‘I love you’ sign.”

He said that’s when he received divine instruction.

“’Go back, James. You have more love to give,’” James McGinnis remembers him saying.

That’s a mission he’s taking seriously.

James McGinnis painted his bathroom mirror with his "Love One Another" signature sign. It’s a message he spreads to strangers and loved ones every day.

He also carries an even deeper understanding of life on Earth – believing something greater is waiting for him. “I just know it will all be OK in the end,” he said.