“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” ~Colossians 3:23
“I’ve never really believed in things like this, but could that have been God?”
This was not the outcome I was expecting when I called my co-worker *John with a quick project question.
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” ~ Proverbs 16:9
Up until this particular Thursday, it had been all business with John.
I knew his role within our team and he seemed tough as nails – that was about it.
That changed after a simple, “Good morning, how are you?”
He replied, “Oh fine, well actually it’s been rough after what we just went through with my son”.
My heart sank. This wasn’t normal.
I responded, “I’m sorry – I didn’t know. Is everything ok?”
There was a pause.
He slowly replied, “It is now. It’s a wild story. Do you have time to listen?”
My heart did a flip. God was whispering, “this is important”.
I instantly said, “Absolutely, tell me more.”
John began, “My youngest son was in a motorcycle accident two weeks ago. He always wears a helmet. But, on this evening he and his girlfriend went for a ride down a busy four-lane highway, without helmets. Stupid kid! They are not sure what happened exactly, but their motorcycle ended up in a ditch and they were both thrown far from the scene. His girlfriend was conscience and not hurt badly. She couldn’t find him and began walking to find help. Luckily, a car stopped and called 911.
At 4:00 am, life flight arrived and flew her off for medical attention.
However, the State Patrol was still unable to find my son.
Now remember 4:00 a.m. Carrie, it’s important. Don’t forget 4:00 a.m.”
John is a program manager. An engineer by education. His responsibility is to know all the details. Make decisions based on facts. Always remain a few steps ahead of any potential risk. And understand how everything works.
As he spoke in great detail, I waited in anticipation for the moment God’s presence was going to become clear.
He continued.
“Meanwhile at 4:00 a.m. (approximately 80 miles away) my wife and I were getting up for the day. When we noticed, the headlights on my truck were flashing.
Similarly to the way they flash when your vehicle alarm is tripped.
But this was different, rather than the two lights flashing in sync with each other – they alternated left, right; left, right. Like the lights on an emergency vehicle.
Being an engineer who had worked on vehicle alarm systems, I was fascinated why this was happening.
I even started researching for some logical reason what was causing this to happen. Eventually they turned off. And we went about our morning.
Until approximately 8:00 a.m., when we received a phone call from my frantic, confused son. He explained he was being taken to the hospital, he wasn’t sure what was happening, but he was badly hurt”.
God whispered to me – stay quiet, just keep listening.
He started to get a little lost in all the details and began focusing on how badly hurt his son was.
“Carrie, his face was an absolute mess. He has broken bones and is covered with road rash.
But he’s alive. He had no brain injury. He is not paralyzed.
I’ve been trying to find the State Patrolman who found him and learn more details.
He shouldn’t be alive.
Those lights.
The 4:00 a.m. timing.
I mean I don’t normally believe in things like this, but was that God?”
As the question hit my ears, tears rolled from my eyes.
I replied, “Yes”.
“Do you think so,” John questioned again.
“Yes”, I repeated. “That was God’s grace and protection”.
It was quiet. Then he excitedly asked, “may I share some pictures of him with you? I mean his injuries are unbelievable?”
His voice was filled with the sound of awe and gratitude.
I said, “please do”.
He was right, the outward appearance of the injuries were brutal.
He said again, “Isn’t that wild”?
Our call ended.
I sat stunned with what had just happened in the middle of a seemingly normal work-day.
I started thinking of the fact a few days prior to this conversation, I had finished reading “Imagine Heaven” by John Burke.
Burke’s study of near-death experiences and survivors’ testimonies of the transition to heaven and returning to earth are moving to say the least.
Early in the book, he writes:
“We may ask ourselves, what is our unique purpose?
We often make this complicated, because we want our purpose to give us identity, but God means it to work the other way around.
To love God is the first and greatest commandment (it’s our purpose).
To love our neighbor (those He’s placed in our lives) is the second.
God has us uniquely here for a purpose – and love is central to that purpose – no matter whatever else we accomplish.”
“Love must be sincere”. ~ Romans 12:9
God placed the word of eternity on my heart unexpectedly just weeks prior to this conversation.
He led me to ways to study and learn more about the importance of keeping your eyes focused on Jesus and eternal things.
How acts of sincere love indeed play a role in His eternal plan.
He then opened the door for His love to shine.
He had prepared me during the “in between” to serve as a small voice in His plan.
God broke through to a heart, that wasn’t looking.
And in the process, taught me learn to trust even more.
I’m thankful God nudged me to pick up the phone that day, rather than my normal quick Teams instant message.
Thankful John chose to share.
Thankful for the Lord’s preparation and the people he’s placed in life that praise Him, even when His plan doesn’t make sense at the time.
June 6, 2024 was a good, good day.
All praise be to God.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but is the same God who does the work in all of us”. ~1 Corinthians 12:4-6
