Log Trucks, Cars and Guardian Angels

Do you believe in miracles? The kind of miracle that leaves you shaking your head and rubbing your eyes and wondering, “did that just happen?” those kinds of miracles.

I do. I believe.

Several years ago, on Stories of Faith, we shared 4 stories that all had a common thread. Four stories that most people, perhaps even Christians, would not believe. But I believe.

The first story took place on coastal highway 101 just out of Waldport, Oregon. And it was told to me directly from my mother, who it happened to, and my mama does not have an untruthful bone in her body.

Mom was driving south on Highway 101. She saw up ahead a utility work-van preparing to turn right onto the highway, heading north. Mom could see he was looking to his left to make sure no traffic was coming and then he pulled out. He pulled out, swinging wide and, directly into her lane.

He was so close mom could see his eyes, and they were very large. There was no time to do anything, and nowhere to go if there was.

Mom gripped the wheel, cried out the name of “Jesus” for salvation and closed her eyes. In an instant, she felt a buzzing type of vibration through her body, opened her eyes and saw the van in her rearview mirror, still in her lane, but now directly behind her and still headed north.

A miracle! A true, modern-day miracle.

Mom did not share that story with anyone for over 3 years. She was afraid no one would believe her.

One day my mom was visiting her old church and felt impressed to share her story. After class that morning, an old friend approached her and said, “Dee, thank you for sharing your story. The same thing happened to my family and me, and we have never told anyone, until today.”

She then told my mom of how they were coming down the Santiam Pass on the McKenzie Highway. They had been at the Hoodoo ski Bowl all weekend and were now headed home in the dark in their large Suburban, towing a large trailer with their snowmobiles. As they came around a corner, a fully loaded log truck was directly in their lane. With no time to do anything, the log truck drove directly through the suburban and the trailer and the snowmobiles and kept driving in the opposite direction.

Can you imagine?! Oh, to be able to track down that driver and get his side of the story!

Luke reminds us in chapter 18 that what is impossible with man in possible with God. We worship a God of impossible situations!

We were talking to Bill on the phone one day. Bill was a regular caller here at Better Life and when he heard of those two miracle stories, he said, “I have one for you!”

Bill shared that his mom and dad were traveling west on Hwy 42 between Winston and Bandon when they came around a corner and there was a log truck in their lane. With no time to do anything except brace, they too experienced the miracle of becoming invisible.

We then put these three stories on Facebook and heard from a man that was traveling with his daughter. He shared that he and his daughter were traveling on a steep mountain road, there was a sharp curve ahead and when they came around it, a log truck was directly in their path. The father said all he could do was grab his daughter’s hand, and yell at her to close her eyes. The next thing he knew, they were stopped on the opposite side of the road, having gone straight through the truck.

Do you believe in miracles? I do!

“…He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.” Deuteronomy 10:21 NKJV

That brings us up to today.

I have been on vacation and today I am back at my desk and getting caught up on emails and such. One of those emails was from a woman and it made me smile and praise God for His amazing providence!

She wrote that she had recently seen the episode of Stories of Faith where we were talking about these miracles. She then shared that her husband (they were not married at the time) was driving a log truck heading west on what is the Tiller/Trail Highway. A vehicle was stopped in front of him to make a left turn into Milo Academy. The problem was that vehicle had to wait for another car coming from the opposite direction. The woman wrote that her husband did not have enough time or space to stop his log truck. Saying a quick prayer, he swerved into the oncoming lane to avoid hitting the vehicle waiting to turn left, all the while praying he did not hit the vehicle that was advancing towards him. There was no collision. The writer of this email shared that she was working at Thunderbird Furniture then and said she vaguely recalled someone coming in that was visibly shaken and saying something about a log truck driving right through them.

Could this have been the other half of story #4? Could this be, some 40 years later, the rest of the story?

We don’t know, but we can say, the glory belongs to God!!

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” GW

Do you believe that? Do you believe he can do more than we can imagine?

Do you believe in angels?

Do you believe in the power of Jesus?

Do you believe in the love of your Heavenly Father?

If the answer is yes, then you must also believe in miracles and I believe those miracles are personally delivered much of the time by angels.

“For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;” Luke 4:10 NIV

Angels have been sent to help us, guard us, and protect us. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11 NIV

We are told that God does not change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

So, if God does not change; if the same Jesus that was performing miracles in-person, is still facilitating miracles today; if He sends His angels to help us in time of need, I think we can trust that kind of Love.

Job 5:9 “But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause—who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” NKJV

“Angels of God are watching over us. Upon this earth there are thousands and tens of thousands of heavenly messengers commissioned by the Father to prevent Satan from obtaining any advantage over those who refuse to walk in the path of evil. And these angels who guard God’s children on earth are in communication with the Father in heaven.” – In Heavenly Places, pg. 99

by Jeanette Stark – Tuesday, April 11, 2023