published: Sunday, March 17, 2013

Reality of the unseen

BANG!

Had I been shot? Had the rapture just happened? I couldn't see or hear anything. Then in just as quick an instant, the air bags deflated, the car filled with smoke and gagging fumes, and I knew where I was.

We were celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary on a vacation in Georgia. Driving along, we came over a slight rise when we suddenly realized the vehicle in front of us had come to a complete stop in a moving left lane.

Witnesses assured us there was no way we could have stopped and avoided hitting her. I was crying out to God as I saw the inevitable playing out before us. The collision and "bang" of the air bags deploying stopped all reasoning.

It was as if we were gone and back within the same instant. The 'smoke' was from the escaping air bag powder. Aside from some minor facial burns from the air bag and a sore eye from my glasses slamming against my left eye; we came away unscathed. The other driver was also spared injury, for which we are so grateful.

But, our car was totaled.

Suddenly like angels dropped from heaven, first responders were there taking care of our every need. Kindness and compassion abounded. The officers assured us that more accidents occur in that stretch of road because a left turn lane is so desperately needed.

In the aftermath of the confusion, shock, and emotional trauma, our only response was praise to God for allowing us to walk away from what could have been so much worse.

By His grace and mercy we were granted protection. And that got me to wondering about how we were protected?

Had angels cushioned the impact? Had they surrounded us within the car so the airbags did less harm? What other unseen care had been happening I'm convinced as never before that there is greater reality in what we cannot see than what we can see.

I know what I had been seeing before the impact; and, by faith, called out to the only One who could do anything about it.

Since then, I've been reminded of Hebrews 11: 1 & 3, NKJV that says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ... By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

When the realities of our physical world threaten us, remember the ultimate reality of the unseen. Selah