A Brush with Death

Written on November 11, 2007
  
David prayed in Psalms 39:4: "Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you."

    For several days now, we were bombarded with news of vehicular accidents. Last week, Rene Saguisag’s van was hit by a truck and his wife died. The next day, there was a 10-vehicle collision in C-5.  Who would ever think that the following day, I will have my own story to tell.

    It was a sunny Saturday morning. Alvin and I woke up early to attend a training in CCF, Mandaluyong City.  Alvin had to go ahead of me because they have men’s fellowship 2 hours before the training.  I rode the front seat as I always do.  There was a little traffic and I used this time to thank the Lord for all the blessings we have been receiving this past weeks. I also prayed that He would hasten our trip so that I won’t be late.

    As we were cruising Katipunan, Our driver suddenly shouted curses and we all saw a big softdrinks truck moving "diagonally backwards" and with its speed and velocity, it would hit us in no time. In just a few seconds it indeed hit our side door and the impact pushed our FX on the concrete barriers and the only word that I was able to speak was "Lord!".  For a second our two, I thought we would be crushed to death.  Praise God, it did not and our FX was just enough "blockade" to stop its motion (or should I say, God’s intervention did).  The  moment we hit the barrier, the truck stopped.

    We all went out the vehicle. Praise the Lord, all of us got off without injury or scratch except for one passenger who sustained a very minor bruise due to a broken window glass. I praise God because my husband and kids were not with me.  I praise God because I am safe.  I praise Him for the experience because I am reminded that our life is not our own and that I should really live it a day a time looking for opportunities to honor and serve Him.

    Job 14:5 says: "Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months.and have set limits he cannot exceed". Each man’s life is but a breath. We will never know the appointed time of our death but we should make use of our remaining time productively on things that matter most to us and live each day as if it were our last.