[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 13/Jun/2017]
I remember John Bowden telling me how God looked after him and Dorothy when they were driving in Spain. The car had broken down and after they prayed some young men arrived in a car, sorted out the problem and drove off. They drove away in the same direction from which they had come and so John was convinced they were angels sent by God.
I was recently driving to the coast in Australia and I was thinking what would happen if I broke down or had a puncture. I remembered John’s story but didn’t dwell on the thought. On arrival we had a lovely sunny walk along a beautiful sandy beach and then back through a water park where children and parents were keeping themselves cool in fountains and jets of water. As we got back to the car, the young man parked next to us met us and pointed out that we had a flat tyre. He offered to change the wheel for us and he and the man parked on the other side of us quickly changed the wheel. They then drove off. However I knew they weren’t angels because angels don’t have wives and children as these men did, but I knew that this was God’s way of helping us as he had done so often in the past.
This was a relatively minor problem, but what about those times when the problem is more serious. A couple of weeks later a massive cyclone hit the northern Queensland coast, causing great damage, floods and devastation. We were only on the edge of the cyclone and not affected very much, and although there was mercifully little loss of life many people lost all that they had.
Tragically a mother and three children from a Christian family were driving home when their car slid into the floods. The eight year old daughter managed to escape and raise the alarm, but local residents were unable to rescue the others. When the police raised the car they said that the mother was a hero. She had tried unsuccessfully to rescue the other children and had died cradling one of them in her arms. How can we reconcile God’s help in such a terrifying situation from the everyday problems we face? I believe that God gave that mother and children strength and comfort as He cradled them in His arms. I pray that he continues to do the same for her husband and the surviving little girl.
There may be times when we face serious or life threatening situations. When I was ill a year ago hospital staff told me that I was fortunate to survive and yet I felt complete peace that my life was in God’s hands. If and when we face those experiences may we feel that Jesus is with us and know that
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27)
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Contributed by Michael Goble; © the Author
