Just Shy of Twenty-Four Years

by Don 

     There is a sign in front of our house that says, "For Sale by Owner." It refers to our house. Below that is a phone number. The man stopped his work truck along the road and called the number (Karin's) - three times - getting three different messages; basically saying that the phone number wasn't valid. So, not getting any answer, he decided to come up the house.

     After knocking on the front door, he stepped back a ways. He said he does that because he is so big - my guess is 6 foot 5 or 6 inches and some girth to boot. He has frightened people before. Ariana answered the door and came to get me (he said she was real polite - good for you, Ariana!). I invited Brad in and he shared this story: Our neighbor to the north, Chris, had called him (after I had left a message at the Chris' home) and said he ought to check out our home and barn. He forgot all about it until he was on his way to do some work at our Chris' and Chris asked him, "Why didn't you call about the house?" "Well, I forgot about it." "Well, go on down and check it out. I think it's exactly what you are looking for." That's what brought Brad to our front door. He and his wife had been praying about finding a house in this area. She had started a new nursing job nearly an hour from home (22 minutes from here) and he would drive nearly 50 minutes to get to our neighborhood for his work.

     After talking for a bit inside the house, we went to look at the barn. (He really didn't see much of the house, "The house is for my wife. What I am interested in is the barn!") When he stepped in, his eyes got real big and he said, "Wow! This is great! This is perfect! I can back my two trailers in here and I have space to work on my vehicles. The loft will be great for storage and I can store my parts down below. Then I showed him the "apartment," the finished area that we've used for gatherings. "Wow, a place for my office. A place to get warm!" Well, he decided he wanted the place (we're still working on those details).

     I then told him about our chicken coup, and he said, "I've got 26 chickens. We give the extra eggs to needy families." I asked if he had any dogs. "Yes, two: one inside and one outside that weighs about 80 lbs." I showed him the pen and huge dog house and told him about Sheba.

     Brad was very clear in stating his desire to have the place. Brad is a believer, and he felt that maybe the Lord was answering his prayers. On Tuesday, he is planning on bringing his wife to look at the "house."

     Yesterday, I thought I would give him a call and suggest an idea for getting a loan. But before I could tell him my idea, he asked, "Were you in an accident in 1989, on State Road 22, east of Kokomo?" My mind started racing: was that the year? I cautiously said yes. "You had chest pains, and that is why they put you on the "board," and your wife had abdominal pain and neck pain." "Uh, yeah!"

     Brad said, "Yesterday, when I heard your name, I thought I recognized it but couldn't place it. Then, last night about 2 am, I remembered. January 5th, 1989 was my first day for clinicals at St. Joe Hospital in Kokomo. I was studying for my EMT license. I arrived at 4 pm and was supposed to stay in ER, but the charge nurse told me to go with the ambulance. Although I didn't do anything to help, I was to write a record of my experience, taking down every detail." He wrote a full report with names and all the other information from the accident. He asked if it was a Toyota, but I said it was a VW. Then I remembered that the car that pulled in front of us was a gray Toyota.

     I asked, "Brad, do you have a few minutes to hear the rest of the story?" He said yes. I shared how Rev. Helm had been in conversation that very morning with Reimar and Marcia about their trip the next morning to Florida. After hanging up the phone, Rev. Helm called back and said he had a burden in prayer for someone in the family and proceeded to pray through the members of the family. As he prayed, he realized the burden was for Karin and maybe our family. Roger told us later that he prayed all day long.

     That evening, we wanted to go to Parker to be in service with Rev. Helm since he was leaving the next morning. Marcia let us drive her new (less than two weeks old) VW Jetta that Reimar had gotten her for Christmas. We were travelling east on SR 22 when a car pulled out in front of us - actually two cars. The first one passed us but the second one pulled right in front of us. We hit the front of their car and the two boys in the car were not seriously hurt (had our car hit the driver's door instead of the front tire, the driver would likely have been killed). The Jetta slid across to the other side of the road and stopped. We were thankful that, although we had some isolated pain, we were all okay.

     Here is the miracle: Jacob (around six months old) and Jordan (two and a half) were in car seats in the back. Jacob had been crying since about the time we had left home and Karin was about to pull him out of the car seat and nurse him. Had she done that, Jacob would have either been killed or seriously injured. As it was, he stopped crying in the last mile before the accident. Something I had not realized all these years and the review with Brad brought out was that Karin would have had to unbuckle her seat belt and turn around to get Jacob out of his seat behind her. Had she done that, very likely she would have been killed or seriously injured. The impact would have thrown her into the door post of sent her out through the windshield. The Lord witnessed that except the Lord had intervened (and because of intercessory prayer), Karin would have been killed. Praise God for His mercy to protect her and Jacob and to keep her for me and the boys (and the many others she has blessed these last 24 years). We also would not have had the twins. God's mercy is truly great!!!

     Because the Lord brought Brad back into our lives (didn't even know he was there at the accident scene), I see how much greater a mercy God had on us. May He be praised!!!!!!!

     One other thing I would like to review. After the accident, Travis Hollis showed up at our house with a big bouquet of roses for Karin. He said he would rather give her the roses while she was alive and could appreciate them than after she was gone. What a wonderful thought!!!

     As you think of it, be praying for our house to sell - Brad really wants it!  :-)  And God can work all the details out. Praise God!