REDEEMING THE BROKEN PIECES

This God I had been longing to know, and with Whom I had been pleading with for years to show me if He was real decided in love and compassion that it was time to take this wretched, broken, and hungry soul through the valley of the shadow of death and reveal Himself. He was about to say to my heart, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of [your] salvation.” He would show Himself to me and I would finally have to make my decision.
It happened on a beautiful spring day in April. It began like any normal morning. There was nothing to indicate that it was going to be a day of eternal value. I really wasn’t even thinking about spiritual things on that day. I didn’t have my Christian home yet, but I believed there was plenty of time and I eventually would. My only concern that day was where I could go with my eight-month-old daughter to spend a few hours away from home so my husband could sleep after working all night. I decided after getting my husband tucked into bed I would take her shopping.
It had been so gloomy and rainy the last few days. The brilliant sunshine and warm air made me giggle with anticipation. I dashed out the door; put Sherry in her car seat on the front seat of our old Chevy Nomad station wagon, climbed in beside her, rolled the window down on my side of the car, and drove away. I had a beautiful day, a perfect child, a loving husband, and money to spend. Wow! What joy!
We hadn’t lived in our current home for long so the area was fairly new to me. I always drove the same way to the shopping center, but that morning I decided to venture out a different way. I don’t know why; I had never done it before. I drove a few blocks in a different direction and came out on the main road that led to the shopping center further down than I normally would have. If I had not done so I would have seen the road block and sign with the words warning that the road was closed because the underpass was flooded. When I finally made my turn onto this road and came to the underpass there was a sawhorse with yellow lights flashing. I believed it to be only a warning to be cautious. There was no sign. I stopped the car at the edge of the water in the street. I wondered if we could get across without the car stalling. To turn around and go another way would mean driving added miles in congested traffic which was not a pleasant thought to me. I decided I’d just drive slowly and I should be alright. I eased into the water and soon the car died. I noticed water coming in under the front door across my feet. I nervously jumped upon the front seat as I watched the water pouring in. I was surprised at the influx of water and concerned about what my husband’s reaction would be when he found out. I thought I’d wait until the water stopped, then get out of the car and walk back to the dry road and call him. Feeling suddenly foolish over my predicament, I looked back to see if people were behind me, laughing. I was doubly relieved to discover there was no one behind me, and to realize the rear of the car wasn’t in the water.
Still unaware of the danger I was in, I made the decision that I would go out the back of the station wagon so I wouldn’t have to wade through the water. I was feeling quite clever as I lifted Sherry from the car seat and began to climb over the seats to the back. In a matter of seconds, before I could reach the back, the water was well up the sides of the car. In total disbelief of the depth of the water, angry at my stupidity for getting in this situation, worrying more and more over what my husband was going to say about the car; I reached below the water for the door handle to open the back door. Panic struck my heart for the first time. There was no handle! I suddenly became acutely aware of my danger. In just a matter of seconds, from the time it took to climb over the seats to the rear and reach for the handle, the water had raised midway up the windows. Sherry and I were both in the frigid water. I screamed out in incredulity as I realized we were being pulled farther into the water, going deeper into a watery grave. My baby! I glanced in her direction. I saw her crying in panic and fear.
As I screamed aloud to God not to take my baby! We plummeted into darkness as the water totally covered the windows. Just approximately 6 inches of air remained at the top of the car. I screamed from the depths of my heart as the stark reality of my situation gripped me. I was going to die. “Oh, my God,” I screamed again, “I’m going to die!” In horror and unbelief, I spat in disgust, “In the middle of a road – I’m drowning in the middle of a road!” Thoughts and pictures flashed like a strobe light on my mind’s eye. My baby was going to die and go to Heaven. I was going to Hell. My time had run out! I saw my husband sleeping safe at home, having more time to get saved. They both would be in Heaven. I would never see them again. No more time! No more time! In the wet blackness I cried uncontrollably as the terror of an eternity without God or my loved ones flooded my heart.