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Since my conversion, my life has become an adventure, the events of which I use for edification and to proclaim God's love. I would like to share one such experience with you. Be encouraged never to stifle the Holy Spirit and to obey Him.
“Though the mountains depart and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not depart nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)
The beautiful property entrusted to us
It was a rainy summer afternoon when I left work and headed home. My mind was already on planning the rest of the day, as I was expecting visitors and wanted to prepare a few things. Since it had been raining continuously since morning, I gave some colleagues a lift in my car.
But although everything seemed fine, I felt a deep unease. All day long, the Spirit had been driving me to prayer. For whom should I pray this time? Was someone in danger? A family member, or perhaps a friend or fellow church member? I followed the urge and prayed fervently in my mind for protection and grace. A few hours later, I would learn for whom my prayer was meant.
I drove out of the village and rounded a bend. This road was my absolute favorite. I always enjoyed driving home through the tree-lined avenue that connected our village to the next one. But this time was different. The rain had made visibility poor, and before I could react, I went off the road and onto the waterlogged verge that lay between the road and the deep ditch.
The tires slipped through the mud and I couldn't get back onto the road. I was still in the curve, but then I abruptly moved back onto the road.
The next moment the car lurched out and began to skid. I completely lost control and slid from side to side. Suddenly I saw a tree in front of me. I drove straight towards it and realized I wouldn't survive a collision.
Drawn to herself out of sheer grace
When I opened my eyes again, I was still in my car. It was tilted and it was dark all around me. My hands were still gripping the steering wheel tightly, my legs were shaking, my head was spinning and I was stunned.
And at that moment, Jesus was in the car, I know that now. It was as if He, in all His holiness, had taken the dark seat beside me. A quick glance out the left window made me shudder. The tree, which I had just thought meant my end, stood high above the road. Now, however, it was no longer threatening, but majestic and silent. I stared down at my Bible in the side door. I was alive. My God, I was alive!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
I could already hear excited voices of people rushing down the ditch, and I shouted joyfully, "Everything's okay! I'm still alive!" They tried to get me out of the car, but the doors wouldn't open. The ditch, with its tall undergrowth, had cushioned me like a giant pillow, despite my speed.
Perplexed, I somehow managed to get out through the back door and climbed up. From the street, there was no sign of it. The car had completely slid down the slope. The rain had stopped, and the sun shone peacefully on the wet road.
I will not leave you
A day later, I cycled back to the same spot. I had escaped unscathed. My skidding hadn't hurt anyone else, and I was incredibly relieved. No one had suffered in the accident, not even me. My car was pulled out of the ditch like a dead fish – a total loss.
But I'm allowed to live and go back to work as if nothing had happened. I got off my bike, examined the scene, replayed everything in my mind, and tried to comprehend what had occurred. And then I saw the streaks of dirt on the road. These clearly came from my car, because it hadn't rained since the accident.
I followed the trail and saw where the mud lay on the road and where the trail disappeared again. Nearby, the trail reappeared and led to that magnificent tree which became a silent witness to my good fortune amidst misfortune and now, like a monument, stretches its strong branches reverently towards the sky every day.
I followed the trail intently. About two meters before the tree, it turned very sharply. That was the spot where none other than my God had saved me from a terrible death.
Everything serves the glory of the Lord.
I want to face future difficulties with confidence, with the Lord by my side. He will provide for everything; of that I am certain, and today I testify that He has already provided for me admirably. One night, when I was privileged to stand before His holiness in a dream, He encouraged me, for a voice spoke, though I could not hear it: “All things serve the glory of the Lord!” and “Great are the works of the Lord!”
Some time later, a fellow believer from our congregation told me that she had seen visions at that time: I was hurtling at high speed toward a black door. Just before reaching it, a bright figure pulled me aside. In another vision, she saw me standing with outstretched arms before a waterfall. Without a doubt, these visions are symbolic images that, without further words, bear witness to everything I had experienced.
More than two years after the car accident, I look back on that time and recognize God's loving, giving, and fatherly hand in everything. In the two weeks after the accident, not only hills, but entire mountains vanished into thin air at the Lord's command. God has smoothed my path. He is the answer to all my questions, even if, in my human understanding, they can probably never be fully answered.
Let my grace be sufficient for you.
Whatever your life and situation may be right now, be assured that everything works for your highest good and to the glory of God. Our daily lives are not always filled with love and godliness. Our human failings repeatedly find their way into our lives, creating difficulties and burdens that we impose upon ourselves. But be comforted; even your regrettable mistakes and failures are part of the process. These situations are confirmation of God's grace, and through them you understand that it is not your own strength that sustains you in faith, but solely the strong arms of your loving God.
I want to encourage you never to burden your soul with doubt and never to waste your time meticulously planning your life. Instead, use it to kneel in complete submission in your room. God, your merciful one, glorifies Himself in your weakness. Our power is prayer, our entrusted treasure the Holy Spirit, who lives in us after our conversion and, as the Word of God says, intercedes for us before God with groanings beyond words. We may look forward with joyful anticipation to God's guidance each day.
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who love him.” Psalm 111:2
Anetta Lukyanez
Municipality of Bremen-Mahndorf