Under God’s Protection
In the name of Jesus Christ, I would like to bear this testimony of how God saved me from serious bodily injury. If it were not for His compassion and His grace, I would not have become an invalid, or even worse, I would not be around to write this testimony,
On 24 September 1995, which was a Sunday, my wife and I rushed home at about 9:30 a.m after shopping for flowers. We were in a hurry so that I could get to church by 10.00 a.m. to attend some work. Just as we pulled into the driveway, we noticed a friend waiting for us. It was not usual for her to rise early on weekends, and so we were pleasantly surprised when she showed up unannounced. My wife promptly got into the house, while our friend followed me up to the sundeck to help me hang the big basket of flowers from the roof rafter. I stood on a foot-high milk carton so that I could reach the edge of the roof. Proceeding to hang the basket of flowers, I leaned over the railing as far as my body could flex. Since I had elevated myself higher than the protective level of the deck railing, I instinctively realized that it offered no barrier should I tip over. Sure enough, I suddenly plunged head first over the railing towards the driveway some 4.5 metres (14 feet) below. It happened so fast that I did not have time to be afraid. In the blink of an eye, I laid prostrate on the asphalt, totally dazed and unable to focus on or comprehend my surroundings.
When I recovered minutes later, I crawled on my hands and knees into the house and waited for the ambulance. Moments later, I was rushed to hospital. Before departing, first aid staff tested my faculties to make sure I did not suffer any serious concussion. I responded well and they told me that I was very lucky. I could have hit my head hard on the driveway or the big clay flower pot nearby. It was like there was a protective shield. Cursory examination of the rest of my body also revealed no injury. I was even able to walk, albeit quite slowly, to the ambulance without help. My wife and our friend followed in her car. Thank God for the presence of our friend, for it was very unusual for her to show up on the day and time that she did, considering that she has never visited us on a Sunday morning. Coincidence? Or was it God’s plan? At the hospital, the attending physician checked me up, and discharged me on the condition that I rested from work for at least a week just to be on the safe side.
At this juncture, it is important to mention one other thing. Because I am extremely myopic, I wear very thick glasses. Even if I had not broken any bones, one would have expected my glasses at least to be shattered due to the impact. By the grace of God, my spectacles were lying on the driveway, about two metres (7 feet) from where I landed, in a position as if someone had carefully left them on a shelf. They were not even chipped or scratched. The only rational explanation I can offer for this rather miraculous occurrence is that God knew how important my glasses were to me. They would have been very expensive to replace because of their specification and I cannot function at all without them.
During my recuperation, many of our church brothers and sisters visited and prayed with me. I am grateful for their love and concern. Despite my condition, I was extremely happy to experience such true love. It has taught me that while we have our own families, we also have an extended family in church; and when catastrophe strikes unexpectedly, we can count on church members for hope and encouragement. Thank God for them.
It is important after such a traumatic experience to reflect, self-examine and discover some reasons for its occurrence. Had I offended God in someway such that He had to give me a wake-up call to check myself, or was it pure coincidence? Was it sheer luck that I came through all this safe and sound or was it God’s mercy and constant care? We often do not realize that we can offend God daily in our lives, through wrong speech,wrong thoughts, wrong actions or wrong intentions. And so, if we do not constantly examine ourselves, we would have failed somewhat in our Christian living. In the one week of rest, I had plenty of time to do some self-examination. I wrestled with the issues and concluded that this was indeed a wake-up call for me. But God had, through His grace and compassion, protected me from serious physical harm. Two office colleagues of mine had fallen from lower heights before. One became a quadriplegic; the other shuffles around with a walking stick, whereas today, I am as good as new. Given this scenario, I am convinced that when we serve God in some way, His great love abides with us. When we meet with adversity, we can trust that He will deliver and protect us, so that we remain physically capable of doing more work for Him. This testimony is therefore given for the glory of His name.
Hallelujah, Amen.