May 29, 2021 (Saturday)>
Yesterday’s blog about being thankful for God’s protection, keeping us safe when we never knew we were in danger. Then there are the experiences when God’s intervention was plain to see. The following is an excerpt from my book, and probably a repeat of blogs that tell the same story. Every time I think about it, I am amazed, astonished and thankful once again.
Here’s the story that’s hard to put into writing because it has to be visualized by the readers.
It happened in 1952, sixty-nine years ago. I’ll do the best I can to tell you what happened. I hope I make it clear enough for you to feel the wonder that I felt when it happened, and whenever I think about it today.
I was in the old wreck of a car that I was driving in those days, and the story involves a malfunction of that vehicle. I was headed north on the old U.S. Highway 77, just leaving the Arbuckle mountains, going downhill, when I put my foot on the brake pedal to slow down. No brakes.
Inertia was taking me down the slope pretty fast, and I looked ahead to see what was there. The highway had no shoulder. There was a bridge on Highway 77 over a river just south of Davis, Oklahoma. The bridge was the kind that had steel girders above the roadway. There were vehicles coming south over the bridge and it seemed to me they were coming almost bumper to bumper. There was a big truck ahead of me about to cross the bridge and cars on the bridge ahead of the truck going north toward the city of Davis.
What I am about to tell you sounds like I was slowly thinking it over. But, I promise you, it all took place in split seconds. God has created us with astounding potential abilities when we need them.
I assessed the situation and it looked ominous. I felt that hitting a truck from the rear would do less damage than swerving into the oncoming traffic. Swerving to the right was not possible. As I neared the traffic at the south end of the bridge, I determined that there might be enough space between the northbound truck in front of me and the southbound automobiles to allow me to squeeze into the space between them. I reasoned that the friction on either side of my car would bring us all to a halt and maybe no one would be killed or injured. So, that was my choice. All the while, I had no brakes and was moving northward.
As I started to make the move to sideswipe the truck and the oncoming car, I saw that alongside the road to my left there were posts. Between the posts there was just enough room for a car, maybe. Beyond the posts there was a cleared piece of land that ended abruptly before becoming a cliff.
I moved toward the truck and just as I was about to squeeze into the less than adequate space between the truck and an oncoming car, I became suddenly aware that an oncoming driver had slowed, making space between his car and the one in front of him, so I jerked the steering wheel to the left, moving between the slowing car and the one in front of him, moving between two of those posts. With the steering wheel still turning left I went into the plot of sandy land above the river and kept doing a half “donut,” finally coming to a stop facing the road. Those posts were still in place between me and the highway.
When I thought I was ready, using the emergency brake, and going very slowly, I moved onto the roadway, crossed the bridge and made it to a garage for auto repair.
I look back at that event, and I conclude that it simply could not have happened. Not a person hurt or killed, and not a scratch on any car or truck. It was the summer before my twenty-first birthday, and by the grace of God–and only by his power–I did not die that day. Nor did anyone else who was there.
I’m convinced I experienced a miracle. It could not have been possible, but it happened anyway. Praise the Lord, He handed me at least 70 more years of life that day. I feel sure there were other drivers who were there who told their own story many times. I’m sure their story began with, “You’re not gonna believe this, but..”
The following year, when Wanda and I married, we went to Turner Falls, not very far from where the near-accident happened. God was at work in that marriage, too, filling my life with blessing upon blessing. In the words of a gospel song, “I am not worthy, this dull tongue repeats it; I am not worthy, this heart gladly beats it.”
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME
Old Spiritual Song
Date Unknown
Well it’s all night all day
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
Well it’s all night all day
Angels watching over me, my Lord
Well I went down to the valley to pray
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
My soul got happy I stayed all day
Angels watchin’ over my, my Lord
Now when my heart is sad and blue
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
I call on Him to see me through
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
Well if you get there before I do
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
Tell all my friends that I’m comin’ too
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
Amy Grant sings another song about angels watching over us in a different style of music: