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I can honestly say, I know Jesus has great plans for me. He spared me
from a very painful death in an accident I had with an Eighteen-Wheeler.
I was driving home from work one Friday evening (8/28/98). I was about
two minutes from work. I had just was gone through the intersection and
was positioning my body and started to pray to God to thank him for
bringing my niece back in contact with me since she was totally out of
our lives for over ten years. I was also thanking God for bringing home
my brother since he too was out of my life for over ten years. None of
us had been in contact at all with each other. I didn't even know if my
brother was alive and I was too afraid to make a phone call to find out,
so I just prayed for years, almost daily, that my brother was alive,
safe, and that God would touch him and keep him safe and save him.
(Nicole came into my life one week prior to this accident. Kevin came
home about three evenings prior to the accident). Kevin came home all
"religious," constantly ministering to us and quoting scripture. My
brother announced upon arrival that he had already found a church for
all of us to go to on Sunday. I wasn't jumping for joy at the thought
of going to church. However, I justified it to myself by telling myself.
"I will go to church to support Kevin if that's all it takes to keep
him 'on fire for the Lord' and not out living as he had in the past. I
will just slowly phase myself out of the church scene after he gets settled."
At that time, I had no intention of finding Jesus and no clue that my
entire life would become so much better on the Jesus Road. Now I was not
an atheist, nor a Christian, nor did I have any real bible teachings. I
knew God existed and Jesus was his son and that Jesus died for us. And
it was very evident the definite changes God had made in Kevin's life
and heart. God had made him the loving brother I always dreamed of. I
knew, if God can love Kevin and change him into a loving person "on fire
for the Lord," that he could love and change me too! I longed for the
close relationship with Jesus that Kevin had. I knew my life would be
much better too and then I felt really bad that I had allowed so many
years to pass without even seeking out God. So many years that I was
unjustifiably angry with God (angry he called my mother home when I was
19, I lost my mother & my best friend). I was so lost! My ideas & view
were so twisted. I was clueless.
Anyway, about two minutes from work, I'm driving down the road praying
when all of a sudden I'm interrupted by this very loud metal crunching
noise & then my car instantly whips sideways. My car is being pushed,
dragged and lifted going sideways down the road now attached to an
18-Wheeler's bumper and grill. I knew instantly I was in serious trouble!
I opened my eyes and was facing forward at a field that should have
been to my left. I looked to my left and saw the bugs on the 18-Wheelers
grill. I just knew the truck was going to crush me and my car. I knew
I couldn't get out of my seat belt and scramble out to safety because
the truck would still crush me. All of a sudden I knew. I would die a
very slow and painful death. So I looked forward and up to heaven. I
very calmly and with a little whimper said, "God, please don't close
the door, I'm coming."
At that next split-second, my car whipped back into the lane I was
originally in, my car suddenly detached from the big rig. The trucker
pulled back into his lane and started driving down the road as if
nothing had just happened. We both pulled over. I sat there a second
to regroup. I asked, "Oh God, how hurt am I? Am I dead? Am I having
an out of body experience?" No, this still looks like Longley Lane. I
thought: I must be dead. I don't feel any pain, there's no blood, I
must be going to experience an out of body experience. As much as I
moaned and groaned about my life, I wasn't ready to die.
I did a quick body assessment, O-K-A-Y, I'm Alive!, no pain, no blood,
no broken glass, no injury. WHEW! THANK YOU GOD! I got out of the car
went to the Trucker's truck to make sure he wasn't hurt, (like my
coke-can on wheels could hurt an 18-Wheeler, what was I thinking!?).
We exchanged insurance, etc. We inspected my mangled vehicle and his
truck. His truck had one superficial red scratch on the corner of his
fender (a scratch that could easily be buffed out with a rag & a little
elbow grease) no dents, no paint missing, no signs of any physical
contact. We waited for one hour for the police which never showed up
and finally he changed my tire and I drove home. I couldn't believe
it all really happened. I didn't have a scratch or bruise on me. Two
days later I finally noticed a little whiplash pain.
I took on an 18-Wheeler and not only lived, I walked away with no
cuts, no bruises and my one and only car still drives. My car only
had a mangled flat tire and the back bumper is dented and chewed up.
Now tell me, do you think God was there with me, for me, and there to
protect me?! Do you think it took God this incident to really get my
attention!? I think God had to of pulled my car from the big rig's
tires because the metal of my car was being chewed and mangled by the
big rigs front tire. I was set down so gently when I should have been
pulled under the big truck's wheels and painfully crushed to death.
It's a miracle that upon touch down, no car was behind me to rear-end
me or be slammed into too!
Now! I look at all the outward signs of God working miracles and
wonders in my life, all throughout my life and at this time, all at
once the great outpouring.
· My mother, living an extra six months on only one quarter of her heart.
· My niece, Nicole coming and living w/me,
· Nicole reconciled w/her father, (after years of no contact)
· Kevin, alive, a brand new changed guy. (loving and not mean)
· Kevin, on-fire for the Lord.
· Kevin, back in my life again and home with us.
· Nicole's Mother and family & my family all communicating again in a
loving caring relationship.
· And then there is clear evidence of Satan's attacks on us, actually
trying to kill us immediately as well as in the end.
· There is more but I don't have time to type it all now.
Now, I think I better seriously start showing God I love him back and
start being obedient right now. Thank you again Father. You are Faithful.
You are the almighty and you definitely have my attention and my love.
I Love You! Valerie |
