At that moment, Tim realized that he was no longer in control of the vehicle. He had momentarily fallen asleep and was awakened just in time to see himself plunging 40 feet over the side of the freeway towards the railroad tracks below.

Tim was only a freshman and in that brief moment of reflection before he hit the ground, life took on a whole new perspective.

Suddenly, the things that seemed important before weren’t so important. After all, if this is the end, who cares how good or bad I did on that last test.

And why did I spend so much time worrying about my career? My career could be over before it even starts!

In that split second, everything in life seemed insignificant and inconsequential. All that mattered was God.

What would He to say to me when I face Him? Will He be pleased with the way I’ve led my life? Eternity is so long and life is so short. Every day is a gift from God. Have I lived each day for Him?

The time for reflection quickly came to an end as the truck crashed to the ground, landing upside down.

The truck was totaled. The impact had crushed the cab right down the center, creating a “V” effect on the top of the cab.

Amazingly, the way the truck landed left a small pocket on one side for Tim, and another small pocket on the other side for his girlfriend Anne.

Tim and Anne crawled out of the truck with only minor scratches and bruises. Looking at the truck, it was apparent that God had graciously spared them. 9 times out of 10, the occupants of such an accident wouldn’t survive.

Yet they had not only survived, but they were virtually unscathed.

Tim spent the next few days reflecting on the incident.

“God spared my life for a purpose”, he said. “My life is not my own, but it’s God’s.”

Tim can’t explain why he and Anne survived the crash with only a few scratches, but he’s come to understand in his heart things that he had always known in his head.

Namely, that God is sovereign; that He is incredibly gracious and loving; and that He is totally worthy of our life.

A few weeks ago, I met with Tim and challenged him to consider going on a summer missions project. It was a challenge that he was seriously considering and praying about. He had even asked others to pray for him.

Last Thursday night, a few days after the accident, Tim stepped in front of a microphone at our weekly meeting and shared what had happened to him and how his perspective on life had changed.

After sharing his story Tim announced that he was going to spend his summer on a summer missions project!

THINK ABOUT IT:

• In mid-January a student involved in Campus Crusade for Christ at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo decided to recommit herself to Christ and break off the relationship with her non-Christian boyfriend. After hearing the news, the boyfriend suggested that they end the relationship on a positive note by watching the sunrise together the next morning. The next morning, on the state beach, her boyfriend killed her and then killed himself.
• Last fall, Matt Cahill, a student involved with Campus Crusade at Purdue University, was the focus of a campus wide outreach entitled “I agree with Matt”. Students wore shirts that said, “I agree with Matt.” Matt spoke on campus about his personal relationship with Christ. Thousands were exposed to the gospel and Christ became an issue on campus. Two weeks ago, Matt was killed in a fatal car accident.
• In 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, Paul said, “Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”