One of the greatest delights for Linda and myself was working with summer youth and children’s camps during our early years of ministry.  For several years, the camps were held at a beautiful place called Idyllwild Pines located about nine thousand feet in the upper San Jacinto mountains.

Idyllwild was, and is today, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen; however, the journey up and down the mountain was never looked forward to due to the isolated roads with sharp turns and few guard rails. 

It was Saturday morning and the campers and counselors were on the parking lot saying our last farewells, preparing to make the trek down the mountain. As Linda and I were loading the last of the luggage, our three children began to beg us, asking us to let them ride in the church van with the older kids down the mountain. We almost gave in, but, feeling a check in our spirit, we told them they had to ride with us. 

With the luggage loaded, we all joined hands in prayer thanking God for a good week, and God willing, we would see each other again the next year. Did you know God’s Word is clear in James 4:14 that we’re not promised even the next minute? Because of this our lives should remain focused on Him in everything thing we do.

The church van left a few minutes before us with plans to regroup at the base of the mountain. As we were driving around a sharp curve, we saw the unthinkable. With horror, we saw that the church van had tumbled down the side of the mountain about two hundred yards. From where we were it looked like a toy-sized car, resembling something Mattel would sell.

I got out of the car as quickly as I could and raced down the mountain. About halfway down I came across one of our youth who had been thrown out of the van seemingly lifeless and face down in the sand. Standing there I could hear the cries coming from the other children still inside the van. Everything inside me wanted to run down and help, but I was afraid if I didn’t do something quickly for this young man he would suffocate. 

At that point I didn’t know what to do, it seemed as though I was living everything in slow motion. Have you ever been in a situation where you had no idea what to do? I was at that point. I immediately fell to my knees and began to cry out to God.

In Romans 8:26, the scripture lets us know that during these times, when we don’t know what to say or do, the Holy Spirit will intercede for us with words that are beyond our comprehension.

As I was praying in the spirit, I felt someone touch my shoulder. I turned to see a man standing there. He said, “I’m a doctor. This boy is in critical condition.” He reached down and gently turned the boys head so he could breathe and, before I could even speak, he was gone. 

Other people were now arriving from the camp and were  moving down the side of the mountain towards the church van. Miraculously, finding none of the other children were seriously injured, they were transported to a non-trauma hospital in Hemet, located at the bottom of the mountain.

After the paramedics examined the young man, they agreed he was in critical condition and needed to be transported to the nearest trauma hospital located about fifty miles away. I told Linda I was going to ride in the ambulance and asked her to follow. 

Praying all the way, in what seemed to be an eternity, we finally arrived where immediately the young man was rushed into a triage room. As I walked into the hospital my favorite hymn was being played over the public address system. Are you ready for this? Amazing Grace! 

Soon the room was filled with campers and counselors who had learned of the accident. Weeping and broken, we joined hands and began to sing with the music. I cannot count the times I’ve read Acts, Chapter Two, the part when everyone present was praying in one accord and God’s presence filled the room.  This was exactly what was happening in the hospital waiting room! It was as though any place you were; God was present.

Some time had passed when the doctor walked into the room, asking if I was the young man’s father or the person in authority. I told him I was the young man’s pastor and that his parents couldn’t be reached.  He asked me to come to a side room so we could talk. While speaking, he placed an X-ray of the boy’s wrist on a screen, showing that it had been shattered. He then placed beside it another X-ray of the same wrist, asking if I noticed anything different. It was obvious! One picture showed a shattered wrist, while the other showed it to be normal. The doctor paused a moment, then said “This is what prayer can do!”  

He further stated that when the young man arrived it appeared one of his lungs was punctured and there was severe trauma to his head.  Then the doctor stated: “The good news is he’s conscious and seems to be improving in all areas.” I thanked him then rushed out into the waiting room, sharing the news.

Within an hour, and after several extensive examinations, they stated they could not find anything severe enough to place him in ICU, so they were sending him to a regular room to observe him overnight. I was privileged to sit with him throughout the evening, watching him improve by the minute!

The young man’s parents had left the camp much earlier and were finally reached after arriving home.  Around seven the next morning his family arrived, expecting the worst but saw God’s best! The young man, except for a couple of bruises and being sore, was normal in every way!

Within several hours the hospital released him, stating that when they arrived home, he needed a follow up with his family doctor! 

The following Sunday he and his family were in church, along with the other children who were on the bus. The next year we went back to the site and spoke with the police department. After sharing what had happened, they remembered the accident well stating that several vehicles go off the mountain each year, but they couldn’t recall a time when riders survived after rolling that distance.  They further stated that most vehicles caught fire and burned on impact.

The only way I can explain what happened was it was a miracle-driven day.  To my knowledge I’ve never visibly seen an angel but who was the doctor that appeared on that isolated road and where did he go?  How can a broken wrist be fixed without the help of a doctor and how could any child not incur extensive injuries in a van that rolled down the side of a mountain that was carrying amplifiers, guitars and other sound equipment that wasn’t secured. This was also before seat belts were enforced like they are today.

I’m convinced that if God had not protected us that day, instead of celebrating we would have been preparing for several funerals.

Hebrews 1:14 (NLT) says that angels are only servants, spirits sent out to care for people who will inherit salvation and Psalms 103:2 answers for us to never forget God’s benefits.

In closing, I must go back to my favorite scripture in the New Testament that became so personal to me: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

 Ephesians 3:20