FishTalk

The Hand

From: CoG
Date: 21 Dec 1999
Time: 08:34:39
Remote Name: 204.160.183.10

Comments

> THE HAND > > My daughter, Kathleen, was 15... too young to > seriously date but she had a > boyfriend. One evening, when I was leaving to pick > up my son, > Paul, from baseball practice, she asked if she could > just go with her > boyfriend to pick up his little brother at a > friend's house. > She said they would come right back. I said, "All > right, just make sure you > wear your seat belt, and come right home." It was my > father's birthday and > my youngest daughter, Therese, was already at my > father's house waiting for > us to come over with the cake I had yet to pick up > at the store. > I left to pick Paul up at school, but decided to > take the highway, rather > than the shortcut along the back roads. After > leaving the school, Paul and I > ran in the store for the cake and some last minute > goodies. As we were > getting into the car, we heard and saw peramedics, > fire trucks, three > ambulances and of course a multitude of police cars. > I got a sick feeling in my stomach and said to Paul, > "Somebody needs our prayers, quick." I wondered if > there was a fire or a > bad car accident. At one of the intersections I had > to stop to > let more emergency vehicles through, and prayed, > "Lord, those people > need you right now, go to them and place your > protective hand over them." > We stopped at my parents to drop off the food, > before going home to pick up > Kathleen, but my father met me at the car and told > us to > postpone the party because Therese had fallen > asleep. "Which way did you go > to the school?" he asked, "Because there was a bad > accident on the back > road, I heard someone was killed. It happened just > about the time you had > to pick up Paul at the school and I know you always > go that way. I was so > happy to see you pull in, I had a gut feeling it was > you." > As Paul and I drove the short distance home, I could > see our house was dark > and when Kathleen is home alone, she always burned > every > light. As I turned off the ignition, tears fell, "It > was Kathleen," I > told Paul, "I know it." > I ran in the house and checked our answering > machine, no one had called. I > breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that someone > would have > called by now. "Paranoid," that's what Kathleen > always called me, and that's > what I was telling myself, "Your just paranoid!" > Then, the phone rang. It was her friend's mother, > who worked in the > emergency room of our local hospital. She only told > me that the three of > them were in an accident and were being transported > to the > hospital. > I didn't call my husband at work, nor my parents. > Paul and I just > left for the hospital. As I pulled into the parking > lot, one of the > paramedics, someone we have known for years, met us > at our car. > "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said with tears > streaming down his face. The > next thing I remember after was talking to the > doctor in > the hallway of the ER. He asked me if I believed in > God, and with > that my knees gave way. "No," he said, "you don't > understand, do you > believe in divine intervention?" > I stammered, a weak, "Yes." Not having a clue what > he was talking about. He > smiled at me and asked, "Do you know what shirt your > daughter is wearing, > tonight?" Nodding no, he told me to go down the > hall and look. > "Your daughter is blessed with angels and so are > you. From what the > emergency personnel told me, there is no way that > your daughter should > be alive, let alone only have a few scratches." > Kathleen was laying on a cart, waiting for more > x-rays. When I got to her, > we both sobbed. As I was hugging her I had the urge > to check her shirt, > unzipping her jacket. I read the words, "Jesus > Saves." I knew then, what > the doctor had meant. All three were treated and > released. > On the way home that night, Kathleen told this > story: "It was > really weird, about a quarter of a mile before the > accident, I said, > 'Wait, we forgot to put our seat belts on, my Mother > will kill me.' Then a > car was coming towards us in our lane, he swerved, > and I knew > we got hit on the passenger side of the car, where I > was sitting. We got > hit a total of three times because the car kept > spinning in a > circle. I felt his little brother's hand on my > shoulder, holding me tightly > in place. > "But Mom, after it was all over, I could still feel > the hand on my shoulder. > I looked and his little brother had flown out the > back window of the car, > as we later found out, on the first spin. "It was > an angel, Mom, I know > it!" I knew it too, especially when we went the next > day to look at the car, > it had been split in half, right underneath my > daughter's seat. The driver > of the other car, witnesses said, was traveling at > 90-95 miles per hour and > the point of impact at > that speed was directly at Kathleen's door. The > police report stated that > the car door was found fifty feet away from the > accident scene, with the > seat belt attached. So when the door broke loose, > "the hand" was the only > thing that saved my daughter's life. > The Lord, knew, long before I did that my child was > in trouble, and I will > always praise Him for saving her life and restoring > mine. > I have been meaning to write this story for the past > couple years. Kathleen > just turned 21. While I was writing this I smiled > and cried, > but it's all true. > -- Barbara > > Father, I ask you to bless my friend reading this > right now! Lord, show them > a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy > Spirit, I ask You to minister > to their spirit at this very moment. > > Where there is pain, give them Your peace & mercy. > Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed > confidence in Your ability > to work through them. > > Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You > to give them > understanding, patience, & strength as they learn > submission to Your > leading. > > Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to > renew them by revealing > Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater > intimacy > with You. > > Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release > to them Your courage. > > Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and > break its hold over my > friend's life. > > Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and > raise up leaders, and > friends to support, and encourage them. > > Give each of them discernment to recognize the > demonic forces around them, > and reveal to them the power they have in You to > defeat it. > > I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name! > > In Christian love, > Your Friend in Jesus