Showing posts with label 4 accidents and a ..... Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 accidents and a ..... Show all posts

Wednesday

4 Accidents and a ...... (pt5) - A Dose of Encouragement


         

and  a  MIRACLE!





One Sunday evening earlier this year we were driving home on the same road on which we travel twice every Sunday to go from our home in Banbridge to the church we attend in Lurgan. 




The drive takes 20/25 mins depending on traffic but on Sunday evenings there is normally very little traffic on that road.  We were listening to some worship music on a CD and chatting about the evening's meeting just as we normally do on the journey. 




In the past 3 years we have become very familiar with this road and we know that at one part there are quite a few significant dips so that as you drive towards any of these you have no real view ahead.  The road is clearly signed to tell drivers about this in advance and of course there are also signs and road markings to indicate no overtaking.






 I am often worried about cyclists along this road as there seem to be quite a few in the area but it was not a cyclist we had to worry about on this journey.


As we drove along in the dark around 8.30pm and came to the slight brow of a hill before one of these dips we could see some light over the brow of the hill so we knew there were some cars approaching.  Then as we got to the top suddenly we could see several lights of cars coming towards us on the other side of the road but as well as this we could see a set of lights coming towards us on our side of the road.





       This is a country road with a very narrow footpath and hedges or walls etc. so usually no room to manoeuvre.  We realized that a large lorry (truck for my American friends) had been trying to overtake 3 or 4 cars and was still on the wrong side of the road; he had obviously ignored the traffic signs and road markings.

       The lorry was about the length of 2 cars in front of us & the only thing my husband Fred could do was to swerve in to the side of the road as the lorry tried to cut back into his proper side in front of the lead car. 


       Up until then there had been no break in the narrow footpath but at the exact place that we had to swing in there was a gap in the footpath and in the hedge because there was an entrance to something there. 


Just enough room for our car to get in out of the way as the lorry skimmed past us.



This was a big thing in our lives that day and we were very happy about the outcome.

This event was to do with us being thankful to God because of his hand of protection in what could have been a major accident and cause us a lot of injury if not death.






 We have been over the route again of course several times and there is only one point that there is room for a car to pull in off the road and that is exactly where we were when we met the lorry.



Obviously God had brought us to the right spot at the right time and saved our lives.



What a great God we have who knows where we need to be at all times and sees the road ahead when we are not able to see it.  He even knows when others will be breaking the law and cause us to be in danger.

We are thankful that our God works miracles for us even when we don't know we are going to need them.


Do you believe He can work miracles to have you just at the right place at the time you need to be there?

Do you believe that He loves you so much to be in front of you on your life's journey too?

Do you know His Saving Grace in your life and the sacrifice of His Son for you?




Click Here for part 1

Click Here for part 2


Click Here for part 3


Click Here for part 4




4 Accidents and a ..... (pt4) - A Dose of Encouragement


All because of a sack of potatoes!


We were on our way to a church youth camp in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.  








Fred and I with our three children Jonathan, Daniel and Linda who ranged from 4 to 9 years old.  We would be away for a week so the boot of the car was quite full with suitcases.

One of the other leaders had arranged for a large sack of potatoes (free of charge of course) to be given for the camp and as the location was along the route we would be taking to Fermanagh, we were the obvious ones to stop and collect it.

When we got near the address we were met by the daughter of a friend who knew the location and I got out of the car to let her get in the front beside Fred to direct him up a short side road unto another road etc.



A short while later, having collected the sack of potatoes,   I saw Fred's car arrive at the end of the side road and stop to wait to be able to turn into this road to come back to the main road where I was waiting. 


Just then I heard a screech of brakes.


 A small truck with a trailer attached to it was making this awful sound as it tried to slow down approaching Fred's car from behind.  

Too late it jammed into the car and force of this knocked the car several yards up the road.  I ran up the little side road and when I got to the car they were trying to get out but none of the doors would open.

After some forcing we managed to get the two front doors open and Fred and Glenda were able to get out of the car, but no matter what we did the 2 back doors were jammed tight because the accident had pushed in the back of the car so much that it had crushed forward against the doors.   







We also had trouble getting the seat belts off the children and then Fred lifted Linda out to me & the boys climbed out through the front of the car.  


I remember yelling at the driver of truck that he could have killed my children but I don't remember that he said anything at all.  


Well everyone was out of the car and no-one seemed to be injured. 

Although the children had had a terrible fright they were coping very well; much better than I was.  

All I could think was  


"That driver had put my family in grave danger 

and he didn't seem to realise it"  


Even though I was not involved in that accident I have always felt that I was the one most affected by it because I was the one who saw that it was going to happen and saw it actually happen but had no chance of doing anything to stop it happening.


Later when the car had been towed off to a garage, we were told that it was a write-off because the force of the impact had pushed the rear of the car forward so much and had broken the chassis of the car.





We have often wondered whether having the boot of the car filled so full with cases and the big sack of potatoes actually helped to prevent the children in the back from being injured because if the boot had been empty it may have crushed in more easily and the truck may have gone farther into the car.

Regardless of that, we know that yet again God had been there and protected everyone in the car.


Do we realise what an impact our actions can have on other people?

I really don't think that driver thought about that when he was driving too fast he couldn't stop in time but I do hope he thinks about it now.


Do we realise what an impact our words can have on other people?

I really don't think that driver did because he didn't even apologise to us.  
Perhaps he didn't want to admit he was in the wrong because it was a car accident.
Or perhaps he was realising just what could have happened when I was shouting at him.



Perhaps  I didn't think about what impact my words can have too.






I am thankful that God protects us.

I am also thankful that He uses incidents in our lives to speak to us about our words and our actions.

Are You?



Click Here for part 1

Click Here for part 2



Click Here for part 3

Click Here for part 5