God’s Hand of Protection
Recently, as we were returning from a church in Ohio, we were reminded that God is always watching over us. We had stopped in Bowling Green, KY, to get something to eat. As we were trying to make it back to I-65, we were repeatedly delayed. Once we finally got onto the interstate, we encountered the most horrific accident I have ever witnessed. Apparently, a large truck hit a motorcycle. Without going into graphic detail, it was a horrible scene. The accident had just happened, and neither the police nor the ambulance had arrived at the scene. Almost immediately we knew God was the one who delayed us. Otherwise we would have likely been right there.
Seeing this horrible scene really shook us up. We have seen many bad things on the mission field—including people die—but this was different. The first thing that came to our minds was the person’s family. Did he know Jesus Christ, or was he lost? Did he have a wife? Children?
As we prayed for the family, something occurred to me. How many times do we meet people and fail to show them the love of Christ? We encounter people every day that we do not know: at work, in our neighborhood, at Wal-Mart, at a restaurant, etc. Do we let them see the Jesus in us or something else? If I would have bumped into this person the day before he died in such a horrible way, would I have been the only link between him spending eternity in heaven or one in hell? Could a simple act of kindness and love make him realize the need for something greater in life…the need for Christ?
I recently saw an Allstate insurance commercial that encouraged us to treat other drivers like they are in our home instead of in our way. As Christians, perhaps we should learn to treat people more like God put them in our path than as people who just happen to be at the same place we are at a particular time. Perhaps they are there so the Holy Spirit can use us to shine the light of Jesus Christ into their lives with a simple smile, greeting, or other act of love that a Christian should always be ready to give. I do not know if the person who died yesterday was a Christian or not, but if he was not…I pray that I was not the one who missed a chance to introduce him to my Savior. At the same time, I must wonder how many chances I have missed…Lord, may I never again miss the opportunities you give me to let people see You through my life!
Vance and Kari Massengill, Education Coordinator, Mediterranean/Middle East
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