Close Call

"Be careful, Mike, the road report said there's a lot of black ice on the highway," Susan, Michael's wife, said, her voice penetrated with worry.

Michael leaned forward to kiss her cheek softly. "I will, Honey."

Setting his black leather briefcase down beside the door, Susan called, "Christopher, Daddy's going to work now!"

Chris, their four year old son, ran into the kitchen and jumped into Michael's outstretched arms. "I love you, Daddy."

Michael rubbed his son's blond little head affectionately and told him, "I love you, too, kid." Putting him down, Michael gathered up his briefcase and waved as he left the house. "See you tonight!"

Driving along the highway, Michael went at a slower pace than usual. Not only was the road icy, but a thick fog had settled down around the morning traffic like a heavy blanket. He flipped on the radio and mentally listed the things he needed to accomplish that day. His position as an accountant kept him busy, but his analytical mind enjoyed the work.

As he was passing the farmland common along the Columbia River of northern Oregon, Michael suddenly found himself upon a mass of entangled cars, huddled in the center of the road. Instinctively, he yanked the steering wheel to the right, trying to avoid the inevitable catastrophe. He narrowly missed slamming into a mini- van before he began to slide out of control. Panic struck full-force. "God, help me!", he prayed out loud. On the ice, he had no way of remaining on the highway. He careened through a wire fence, into a field and toward the river. The small car slammed into a massive oak tree, preventing it from hurling into the swirling waters below. On impact, Michael's head slammed against the steering wheel and he blacked out.

When he regained consciousness, Michael found himself in a hospital bed. The attending nurse saw that he had come to, and within minutes, Susan and his father were both in his room. They told him an unbelievable story:

When the emergency crews spotted his car, they were sure that this had been a fatal accident. The car was virtually crushed against the tree, and there did not appear to be any chance of survival. When they approached, however, they were shocked to see that the driver's door had already been pried open. They examined the inside, and in complete astonishment, found no one. They did find Michael's briefcase, but, aside from blood on the steering wheel, could find no trace of Michael.

Nearly an hour before, the people at Michael's workplace discovered his limp body on the front steps. One witness reported seeing a white sedan speeding away, but no one could identify it. Michael was carried away to the hospital in an ambulance, and many questions came up. How had the mysterious rescuer known where to take Michael? Why had they given no clue as to their identity? There just didn't appear to be any answers.

As Michael digested the incredible revelation, the doctor entered the room and told Michael that his injuries were limited to superficial cuts and bruises on his head, and a cracked arm. "But if you hadn't gotten here when you did, you probably would have bled to death in your car."

Tears slowly traced their way down Susan's cheeks. "They told us that you should have been dead. They've never seen anyone walk away from a crash that bad. Michael, the tree that stopped you was the only one in the whole field. If you hadn't hit it...," her voice trailed off. "God saved your life."

For several weeks, the recuperating Michael, his family, and the police tried to track down the person who had undoubtedly saved his life. They had no luck in their search.

Several months later, Michael is fully recovered. Left without any explanation, Michael and his family believe with all their hearts that it was Michael's guardian angel who brought him to safety.



*This is based on a true story.*