Remarkable Providence #3

I have begun an intermittent series where I am recalling those times where God has visited me in remarkably gracious ways. I do not use the word “miracle” for these events because I believe miracles ended with the close of the New Testament canon. It is my conviction that miracles are defined as those happenings wherein God immediately interrupts nature in order to accomplish that which cannot be explained except for the moving of the finger of God. They have as their purpose to confirm either the presence of God or His mark of approval upon His messengers. Because we know have God’s final word as spoken in Christ as in the Scriptures, miracles, as defined above have ended.

However, there can be no doubt that God still works in ways the Puritans described as “remarkable providences.” In the working of these remarkable providences we avoid a Deistic mindset that teaches that God created the world and then became remote to it, allowing it to run uninterrupted according to the laws of nature and nature’s God. There are times in our lives that God works in such an extraordinary way that we can only refer to it as a “remarkable providence.” I have had several of these in my life, two of which I’ve already chronicled here.

The one I write of now occurred in the summer of 1974. I was about to begin my Freshman year of High School and was daily participating in summer football 2 a day practices. Looking back, playing football was fantasy. At that age I weighed 90 pounds soaking wet. However, great are the dreams of a 14 year old.

We lived in the rural part of Sturgis, Michigan and if we wanted to go into town for just about anything it was a matter of hopping on the bicycle and pedaling into town. Prior to 1974 that really wasn’t a big deal was we were only about 2.5 miles outside of down. However, around this time the city Fathers decided to shut down our direct road into town in order to expand the city airport. That meant a much longer ride into town that included having to ride about .5 mile on a busy two lane highway (US 12 that runs between Sturgis and White Pigeon). These were the days before Jimmy Carter reduced the speed limit to 55 on these two lanes. In 1974 the speed limit on US 12 was 70.

As it turned out on this day I was riding my brother’s brand new 10 speed which he had won in a raffle. My bike was broken and we routinely mixed and matched rides. My brother would never get a chance to ride his raffle winnings. He also would never wear his special bowling shirt again because for some reason I was wearing that short-sleeve bowling shirt that day.

I was returning from football practice that day. I was going to grab a bite to eat at home and turn around and ride back for the next practice. It was a hot summer day and the traffic was zooming by as usual. It was not unusual for a semi to roll past us so closely that the wash of the suction he created would propel us forward with great delight.

I just pedaled past the Harding’s Grocery story. I was about half way to where I would hang a right to be on a comparative back rode that would take me home without much traffic. The last thing I remember was hearing someone laying on the horn. I remember not thinking much about it as drivers were often expressing their disgust  with having to navigate around a bicycle — even if we were careful to keep on the burn of the road.

However, this time there was impact after the horn. A young female driver hit the back of my bike and sent me flying. Later I learned that she was traveling between 55-70 miles an hour.  I’m pretty sure most people would agree with me that the kid on the bike doesn’t typically walk away from this kind of incident. Here is where the remarkable providence comes in.

I do remember cascading through the air. I remember hitting the ground the first time. After that I remember nothing before regaining consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness I lay perpendicular to the highway. My right arm was outstretched over my head. My left arm was at my side. I went to stand up and suddenly realized that the automobile had stopped on my right hand. As I looked in front of me I saw the back passenger side tire sitting squarely atop my right hand — 18 inches away from my head.

I heard the driver crying hysterically and I began screaming at her to get back in the car and put the vehicle in drive to inch off my hand. I have no idea if she heard me. I have no idea how that vehicle got off my right hand but it quickly did. Naturally, my first response was to stand up and start screaming ruddy murder. Everything is fuzzy after that. They tell me that another person had stopped and immediately sought to control me and get me to sit down. Blood was everywhere. My hand was a mangled mess and there was a substantial cut somewhere in my head that was driving more concern for the medical personnel than my hand. I did not feel that wound at all. I only felt my right hand on fire.

Of course the remarkable providence is that I wasn’t killed that day. Now, some cynic would immediately say something like, “If you’re God works such providences why did He ordain the accident to begin with.” My standard answer to these kind of questions is to quote the prophet who said, “Whom God would heal, He first wounds.” God loves His people and all that enters into their lives is through the hand of a sovereign God who loves them for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, God delivered me from sure death that day. On my calendar it was a remarkable providence. There was several surgeries after that to get my hand working again. There was frequent hospital time. A couple skin grafts and tons of stitches. There was all kinds of occupational therapy. Tons of coco butter applied to the hand to keep my hand supple from the scarring.

That is just one more of those remarkable providences in my life that I look back on and see that God loves me for reason all His own. One more remarkable providence where my Father has told me again that He will never leave me nor forsake me. One more part of my own personal recital theology that I recite when I am again in a situation that looks hopeless.

The God of the Bible has indeed been to me over the decades, “Jehovah Jireh” — the God who provides. As Francis Schaeffer once wrote, I have found to be true experientially, “He Is There, And He Is Not Silent.”

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Addendum

What I have taken from all these remarkable providences is that I should not be fearful or worrisome in the service of my master. Now, my wife will tell you that I am bad to worry at times but I try at those times to practice my recital theology. The Lord Christ has demonstrated in my 66 years that He is faithful and if it be the case that He be so faithful then it would be shameful to be cowardly in His service. My recital theology gives me courage and is the cure for my disposition to worry.  I only wish I was more brave and less of a worry wart.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him. View all posts by jetbrane