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Although we can’t blame God for sending terrible trials, like this story, they do come. With the Bartletts, their scrape with death became an opportunity for refinement. before this test, their loyalty and dedication were mere words. Sometimes God intervenes in such experiences directly and sometimes angels help and the outcome is miraculous. Either way, believing gets stretched and polished. Like fine gems that gain their brilliance through reflection and refraction, our brilliance comes from the cutting and faceting wrought by dedication and faith through trials, reflecting and refracting the light of Jesus. For the Bartletts, that refinement was priceless. UN-SNUFFED! All mayhem was breaking loose around us. We were traveling at about 110 Kilometers per hour on a four lane highway. My wife had become drowsy with the heat, and awakened when she heard the sound of gravel and the slam of the van hitting a metal highway marker. She tried to regain control, but veered to the right, screeching across both lanes and down an incline. All I remember was my wife calling my name, opening my eyes and seeing that we were speeding towards a rock face that seemed to be almost right on top of us, and thinking we were going to be killed. Yet I had complete peace of mind about it. And then we were stopped. What happened between, I have no recollection. According to paramedic Keith Jarvis, we rolled at least once, perhaps twice and hit a rock wall head on. The four side windows were smashed out, three out of four tires were blown, both air bags deployed and the van's frame was twisted and dented beyond repair. It was a total loss. I can truthfully say before God that I did not see any damage being done nor did I hear any damage being done. I also did not feel any kind of impact whatsoever when we crashed into the rock wall. To me it was if we just pulled over and parked! By all accounts my wife and I should have been seriously injured, or even killed. Instead, by the grace of God, we miraculously escaped from our demolished 1995 Windstar minivan with no broken bones, no serious internal injuries, and only a few minor cuts. Surely the Lord had his hand upon us! The night before the accident I had worked a 12 hour shift, and arrive home at about the time most people would be rising. After a nap we departed for a day of Christmas shopping in Moncton, New Brunswick. We had planned to take my parents along, but I felt uneasy about inviting them. Had they come, they would have sat in the back, and probably been seriously injured, or worse. By the same providence, we had purchased a cell phone a few weeks before for emergencies. When another motorist came up to the van, I handed him the phone and asked him to call 911. While he was calling, I checked for injuries. Except for a little soreness in my back and a few tiny glass cuts, I was unhurt. I also saw that had we gone off the road just 10 seconds further along we might have gone through a bridge rail and into a deep ravine. By then there were several bystanders who were concerned about me walking around so I sat back down in the van and one of them covered me with a blanket in case of shock. They were also looking after my wife. The Mounties, fire department and the paramedics quickly arrived. They advised, that I should be strapped to a spine board and wear a cervical collar. I objected because I’d already been walking, but concurred because of their concern. They did the same for my wife. We were then transported to the Sussex Health Center, about 10 kilometers away. They gave us a thorough check, including X-rays, that showed nothing broken, and kept us for observation for a few hours. We were discharged with a clean bill of health. People have been in lesser accidents and fared much worse even losing their lives! Since our mishap six people have been killed in four separate accidents in our area, the latest was a school teacher driving home from a March Break trip. According to newspaper reports, the accident was possibly caused by driver's fatigue, and it happened just a few minutes from where we had ours. More chillingly it happened at the same time (around 10:30 AM ) under the same road conditions. A friend of ours who is a deputy sheriff in Maine informed us that anytime he responded to a van roll-over accident, it was "bad". Occasionally they’d get a "breather", (someone still living) but not always. A former registered nurse and paramedic said that she believes we were "divinely protected". She should know. God has protected us before. Less than two years ago we were heading to Hampton Bible Camp. My wife was driving when I had a strong inclination to reduce speed in case a deer might run across the road in front of us. I told her and she slowed down. Less than five minutes later a deer ran across the road just a few feet from us! That was the first time in all these years that we had seen a deer on that stretch of road. Coincidence? You decide! Although we don’t understand why some things happen as they do, we can depend on His word that says in Romans 8:28: “we know that all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. This experience has brought us closer to the Lord and strengthened our faith, and best of all given us a personal story to strengthen others. He also advised that tribulation works patience. The testing of our faith has been far more precious than the automobile. Unspeakable joy can not be purchased! I know that life can be snuffed out without warning so I’ve made it a point keep myself right with the Lord. I’ve known a lot of people who were suddenly killed in accidents, some unsaved. We realize our lives are eternal and death here is not the end. But God not only kept us from being snuffed, He did the opposite, making our lives more valuable. He encouraged us! You might say we’ve been “un-snuffed!” Blair and Beth Bartlett, 87 Shillington Rd., Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2J 4G1; 1-506-696-6175 Email: cappal@hotmail.com |
