The God Who Preserves

When my friend Rachel and I left Pittsburgh for New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin, my friends had literally written their love all over the mangy car. Things like "We will miss you" and "Honk if you love us" remained for weeks on the windows and everything else. Not long after into our arrival, the ritual spread to other New Tribers' cars, and our own car gained the phrase, "I AM WASHINGTONIAN!" on the back passenger window. (This was a reference to Rachel's home state.)

Classes were going well for us, and between Evangelism, and Hermeneutics, and all of the various biblical history courses, we'd gained so much knowledge and wisdom. Unfortunately, one of our other roommates, Shelby, had some complications and had to leave us early. So, Shelby spent the past week packing up and saying her goodbyes. Friday night came, and I lent her my car so that two of my roommates could escort her home weekend. This included my friend Rachel, and also a girl named Rebecca. I was asleep when they left.

I woke up on the couch in the study room early the next morning, with a beautiful, deep red sunrise blaring in my eyes. But as I stumbled across the room and read a message on my cellphone, a certain news came to me that I wasn't expecting. I read it and had to read it again, for my heart had nearly jumped and I wanted to make sure that I was understanding it correctly.

It wasn't long before I realised that Rebecca, who should have been at Shelby's, was asleep in the bedroom. Not sure whether I should wake her, I covered her morning kitchen work as I had promised. When I came back to the room later that morning, she met me at the door. There was a moment of silence; I looked at her. There was a deep bruise across her neck, hair that was slightly singed, and a red mark across her nose. It was evident that something had happened.

"I got the text ... Are you ok?" I asked her.

She nodded. And in the conversation that followed, she gradually cleared up some of the confusion that had been clouding my mind that morning. So, to the best of my understanding, this is a summary of what she told me:

The three of them had thought about going to a football game, but they decided against it. They were heading home around 10 PM, with Rebecca driving (Rachel was too tired,) Shelby in the passenger seat with her iPod, and Rachel in the back. The back window was rolled down partially, and since gas prices have been rather impressive, lately, they had just filled the tank.

About ... Thirty minutes into the ride, give or take, they were approaching a rural intersection at about 50-55 MPH. Also approaching that intersection -- from a different road -- was a Semi.

Rebecca pressed on the breaks, but they failed. Before the airbags could even be deployed, the engine had burst into flames. The impact into the side of the Semi was head-on. The entire front end was crushed and incinerated within moments. Anyone who would have seen the wreck would have been certain that it was fatal.

But God ... Is a Mighty God. He is merciful. Who can slip through His fingers before their time? To whom has He given a purpose that He has not given also a life long enough to fulfill it? Though it should not have been possible that any survived the wreck, all three escaped in time.

By the grace of God, the windshield did not shatter (though it was broken in by the fire department.) By the grace of God, the door that often stuck did not remain stuck, (for Shelby had to kick it, and it was not uncommon for that door to have problems.) By the grace of God, seatbelts that were not on 15 minutes before were remembered just in time. By the grace of God, they all made it out with their lives.

It is a characteristic of the Lord to take dire circumstances and cause unbelievable results. You will find this theme repeated again and again in scripture. All things work together for His glory. Do you not realise this?

... As I mentioned, the back window had been rolled down -- just partially. Rachel had proudly once wrote, "I AM WASHINGTONIAN!" ...



But, as visible in the shots of the aftermath, it reads but one thing:

"I AM."