BLOG: The Crash that Wasn't

This is a repost from 2018 but the incredbible experience remains fresh in my mind to this day.

I literally experienced a miraculous deliverance yesterday. A deliverance from that which might well have killed us.

I’ll give you a tiny bit of backstory. Brevity isn’t my special gift, but I’ll do my best. 🙂

My twin 6 year olds and I went into town for an appointment and to run errands. I rarely get just the two of them alone and they took full advantage of having my attention.

They peppered me with questions pertaining to Scripture and my own experience. They have so many incredible thoughts and insights and I often feel I inadequately respond to their questions.

Yesterday they asked how mad it makes Satan when we say no to him.

I loved that question! My goal isn’t to make Satan mad so much as it is to please God. In fact, I try to give him as little attention as I can. Like a petulant child, I imagine he enjoys ANY kind of attention he can muster. But their line of thinking was headed in a good direction.

I explained to them that it made Satan very angry when we say no to him and that he’s even angry to hear us riding along in the car together talking about the things of Jesus. I told them that when we do that, and when we learn to obey God instead of the devil, he tries to do things that hurt us so we’ll be discouraged and give up.

“Would he even try to kill us???” one of them asked.

They’re young ... only six... and I don’t want them carrying a weight heavier than they can bear. But if the Spirit is prompting them to ask questions of such a nature, I’m not going to deny them an honest answer.

“Yes,” I told them. “But I think he’d prefer to discourage us first so if we do die, we die without knowing and loving God.”

Quinn piped up, “I’m glad we prayed at worship this morning in case he tries to kill us today.”

Gulp. Yeah, me too, little buddy, I thought.

The ride continued with more questions, answers and stories. We spent a number of hours running here and there and were finally on our way home. Now, we live up a mountain and the going can be tough on occasion because it’s narrow around the bends and there are far too many tractor trailers traveling it illegally. They come down going way too fast, unable to maintain their lane.

We were nearly halfway up when the car in front of me hit their brakes hard and swerved to the right. Instinctively I knew something was coming at them. I quickly got as far to the right as I could without dropping off the side, but time was up. There was nothing more I could do.

A full-sized, white bus came barreling at us. There was literally no way to avoid what was going to happen. I had nowhere to go. They were going too fast.

This all happened in a split second and I found myself shrinking down, bracing for impact.

And that’s when we experienced something I’ve only read about in stories. That bus came right at us. The driver’s side of it SHOULD have smashed right into the driver’s side of my van. We should have been crushed or pushed off the drop at the side of the mountain road.

But instead, it somehow went right through us. There’s no other explanation. I didn’t see angels or hear voices but that bus didn’t TOUCH us and there’s absolutely no way that’s possible.

Except God heard the prayers for protection that morning and then listened to the chatter of two little boys eager to know more about Him. He warned us danger might come that day and reminded us to be prepared for it.

We were.

We had a wonderful day together and then He mercifully delivered us from tragedy.

It took me a second to be able to start driving again after the bus was out of sight. The van was silent until Levi broke in with, “My heart jumped in my chest, Mama.” He had been sitting in the very back seat on the driver’s side and he saw that bus coming at him.

The moment was scary and my legs felt like noodles. I wish I could say we got out of the van and offered praises to God or built an altar there in remembrance of the miraculous thing that had occurred on that spot, as was custom so long ago.

The truth is, I had no words for awhile. I think I just felt disbelief at what we’d seen, experienced and been delivered from.

But last night as I lay in bed with my husband not home to talk to about it, I was overwhelmed with the reality that God wasn’t only near but was literally RIGHT there. The promise of help that I always think I understand, suddenly truly become real.

God is sovereign. I read it in my study time this morning. I saw it in living color yesterday afternoon. My heart is finally ready to grasp what my mind has known for years.

There is absolutely NOTHING to worry about. All we have to do is tuck in close to Him, living and abiding in the peace of His presence, and no harm can come unless He intends to use it for good.

And if He allows it and it does cause us pain, He WILL sustain us in the midst of our trial. It’s a promise. It’s truth with a generous splash of mercy.

He is good and He can ALWAYS be trusted.