LIFE=DEVOTION TO GOD (6/15)
"...and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders." Acts 2:43
I am posting this blog post late today as I was at a Ranger Camp for boys between the ages of 5 and 18. There were about 600 of them, and we took the race car over to help with their theme for camp, "Start Your Engines." At this camp I saw first hand a miraculous sign and wonder...
There was a strong wind blowing through the camp. Tents were coming up from the stakes while anything not held down blew away under the gusts. I would say it was blowing about 40 mph and gusting to 60.
Just as they were finishing up a devotional time about 1 pm a tree blew down that was rooted near a stream. This stream ran right through the center of camp, and there was a F-250 near the creek. The tree nearly hit it, but there was no damage.
Right after, I was introduced and shared about the race car and closed the session in prayer. The wind was really howling. Walking back to where the race car was I mentioned to Kristian that I thought there were two other trees that looked unstable. In reality, I was looking skyward as we walked under the branches and limbs expecting to see something fall.
About an hour later we had a long line of kids at the race car who were getting autographs and inside the car. Next to us were some other hot rods and Harley's. Just a bit further, say 35 yards, there was a dunk tank with about 25 kids throwing the ball and dropping their friends in the frigid water. Next to the dunk tank was the snack shack where they had candy, pop and all the amenities of camp.
I was signing an autograph when I heard the crash of a tree coming down. I turned to my right as the tree just missed the snack shack, barely grazing the corner. It was pandemonium and people were scrambling, kids and adults alike. Right as I got my bearing I headed toward the fallen tree to see if anyone was hurt. Right then another came down right on top of the snack shack splitting it in half. At that moment I expected to see the worst. The top of the tree rested on the dunk tank, there were branches everywhere. I was already running towards the scene when the 2nd tree hit, and at that point I started to sprint.
I was looking under the brush for injured campers and leaders. There was a young boy, Jordan, who had been struck in the head. He lay curled up under the large part of the tree. I was the 3rd person to him as I couldn't get to him directly through the carnage of branches. When I got there, I started to pray over him. He was conscious, but his head was struck. There was no telling what this 2-foot in diameter 70-foot tall tree did to his bones. His leaders and first aid surrounded us, so I stepped aside to pray.
I saw another guy looking under the branches. The debris field was about 100 foot long by 45 feet wide. I started to look under the branches and inside the shack again. I pulled out lawn chairs where moments earlier people were sitting. They were covered in broken limbs and leaves. I saw inside the tent where a Coleman cooler supported the largest part of the tree. We looked over the whole accident scene with one eye on the trees still standing and another eye on the rubble.
Meanwhile, Jordan was still awake and the team around him did a fabulous job of making him comfortable. The aid car was on the way, but we were in the sticks, so it would be 20 minutes before they arrived.
After finishing the search I took a knee and prayed. I was a little shaken from the adrenaline and the reality that moments earlier there were about 35 kids that would have been crushed if it were not for the Event Coordinator who closed the area minutes before the tree fell. I over heard a radio transmission where the Ranger Commander said all campers were accounted for. Relief hit me.
We proceeded to roll the race car out from under the trees and onto the trailer. As we did the aid car arrived and loaded up Jordan who had a pretty good head injury, but no obvious broken bones. He was alert and telling the medics where he was experiencing discomfort. I waited until the aid car left before getting ready to start the truck and roll out, but right then I saw the Camp Commander.
This man is a leader of student's. He has a passion for what they are doing to help young men know God or he wouldn't be doing it. I walked to him, shook his hand and told him that he did a good job responding to the situation. I grabbed his shoulder and prayed over him asking God to pour out on this camp the rest of the week. I prayed for him and his team. He broke and tears filled his eyes as we said amen together. He said, "Be careful driving home." I said, "No worries there" before getting in the truck and driving away.
As I drove home this sense of awe hit me. I witnessed a miracle. There should have been broken bodies, blood or worse, but God's miraculous protection was surrounding this camp. In one moment there were 20-30 kids gathered around the snack shack and the dunk tank. As I drove away the seat on top of the dunk tank supported the top of the tree, a cooler inside the shredded structure supported the trunk. There was debris, leafs and branches everywhere, but only one person was badly injured.
I think the signs and wonders that are obvious are the ones where we see the circumstance and then God intervenes, like healing. The signs and wonders that are less noted are the ones where something could have happened but didn't. Somebody tried to tell me one time that miraculous signs and wonders passed away with the Apostle's. I didn't believe that doctrine then and I sure don't believe it today. Those who are devoted to God will absolutely see signs and wonders of God in their lives. Believe. I do.
