It was February afternoon in 1995. The coach I was on was travelling at full speed down the African river bridge. Seated at the very front row, from 100 metres down the road, I could clearly see three masked men in the middle of the road armed with AK 47 sub machine gun and machetes firing gunshots in the air as they signaled the driver to stop. Our coach had been hijacked. I feared the worst.
To his credit, the driver refused to stop and was determined to run the hijackers over. Sadly though his brave decision proved to be fatal as the armed men marched his determination with relentless firing rounds towards the coach deflating all the front tires. The driver was shot dead instantly. Several people including the gentleman that sat next to me sustained horrible gun wounds.
With the front tires deflated and the driver’s body slumping on the steering wheel our luxury coach with a hundred people plus on board was heading for a plunge over 300 metres below the fast moving river. The screaming of terrified passengers was deafening. As for me what I did was to plead with the Lord to save my soul and those of other fellow passengers. Instantly the coach came to a halt barely three metres from the edge of the cliff. It was a miraculous escape, but the ordeal was not over yet. The armed men ordered passengers to disembark with their hands in the air, declaring every valuable in their possession.
At this point, I was furious – furious with the hijackers but much so with God for allowing such ordeal to happen to me His servant. I knew God could have easily prevented this disruption from happening but chose not to. As I grumbled I suddenly heard a still voice from deep down within me saying, “lift your eyes and look at the armed man’s head through the coach window”. From the back of the queue waiting for my turn to meet the killers by the exit door I could see the armed ring leader wearing a baseball cap with the inscription “JESUS LOVES YOU”! At first I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but in the end the message was crystal clear and I got it.
There and then, my disdain turned into gratitude. I was thrilled to know Jesus allowed that ordeal to befall me not because he hates me but because He loves me. From that moment on I was extremely calm despite the dangers that continued to surround me. The rest, as they say, is history.
God hides His best in seemingly our worst. Right now God is saying to you, “I love you”, He has allowed this predicament to befall on you precisely because He loves you. As awful as this circumstance might seem to you it will turn out to be one of the best things to have ever happened to you.
Dreamlife Mission 