Way back in 1977 I was a newlywed. I had moved away from my home in Winston-Salem and settled in Alabama, where my husband was in college. It was a new life in a new place.
Things were tight back then, so we decided that I should take a job to help with finances. It wasn’t the greatest job for a college grad, but I enjoyed it. After all, I got to tell everyone to “have it their way”!
My mode of transportation was a 1967 Plymouth Valiant. It was supposed to be white, but the rust camouflaged it. For the car buffs I’ll add that it had the Slant-6 engine, one of the best back in the day. However, it also had one major flaw. It occasionally stalled out while running.
My route to work was a paved two laner with a few stops. When the engine stalled I had to put it in park and then restart it. I did that a couple of times.
This day would be different. There was a large dip where the railroad track crossed the road. I slowed down and looked both ways and proceeded with caution. Everything was normal until my car stalled (yes, you guessed it) in the dead center of the track.
What to do? “Don’t panic!”
The track was clear. I had no reason to panic. I put the engine in park and cranked it. Nothing happened.
Don’t panic. “There’s no train.”
Just to be sure, I glanced again. This time was different. There was a train coming — REALLY COMING!
What to do?
“My husband loves that old car. He will be so mad at me. We can’t afford another car. I have to do something!”
Panic! Pray! “Dear God help me!”
A plan came to mind. I would shift the car into neutral and push it across the track before the train hit me. If I fail at that, I will jump to safety.
I failed. Those old Plymouths were heavy! The train was still coming, so I decided to jump, never considering that pieces of the train and my car would probably kill me. At the very last second a car pulled up behind me. With no sense at all I frantically motioned him to push my Valiant across the track. He did! Just as the train crossed, mere seconds from catastrophe,
we were safe.
An older couple on the other side of the road came up to me to see if I was OK. Only a few seconds later I turned to thank my hero, who at first had just shook his head.
But he was not there. His car was gone ... he was gone!
I was in shock. I could not see any way that he could have made a U-turn between my car and the railroad track behind us, or in front of the car now behind his. He had simply vanished.
A verse in Psalms sheds light on my story, which I now call “My Day with the Train.”
Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encampeth around them that fear him, and delivered them.” Today a modern paraphrase calls it a “circle of protection.”
Psalm 34 is a Psalm of David written regarding the time he had pretended to be insane because he was afraid of Achish, king of Gath. He defaced the city gate and let spittle run down his beard. It was a crazy plan, but it worked out for him.
Achish sent him away. He was then able to run for safety and hide among the Philistines.
My idea was crazy too, but it worked ... God got me across the railroad track. He was there the whole time.
Verses 1-3 encompass praise for the Lord. David was so happy and wanted everyone to praise God.
“‘Oh magnify the Lord with me,’” he cried out to his people.
Verses 4-8 emphasize that if God’s people call out to Him, He will answer. He will hear us and deliver us from all our troubles. There will be no lack in what we need. He will open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, open our hearts to love and open our mouths to praise His name.
In verses 15-17 we are reminded that God is watching out for us and is ready at all times to deliver us from all of our problems ... the major theme of this entire chapter.
Verse 18 stands alone but is worth quoting here:
The last few verses of Psalm 34 repeat again the assurances that God is with us and will deliver us from all our troubles. The chapter ends with this: “No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.” That means me and you!
This train story has been a part of my life for many years now. In the beginning, I was simply thankful for what God had done for me. The larger lessons came later.
What stands out to me now is how trouble comes to us. David mentions several times the fact that we all have troubles — plural. Some troubles come at us in an instant, some last a lifetime. Some we see coming, some blindside us. Some are confusing, others clear as day.
As David says in verse 19, “the righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” That is God’s Word to each of us.
I will never know for certain that an angel saved me from a sure death at that train track years ago. Many will agree and call it a supposition. But whoever pushed me out of harm’s way that day was an angel ... placed there for me.