Saved by Faith

Have you ever had a moment when your life was actually in danger, but you were saved? Maybe it was a person who arrived at just the right time, or perhaps it was a bizarre "coincidence" that aligned the circumstances perfectly. I have! I was riding in the car that my mom was driving when a ladder fell from the truck in front of us. It happened so fast and without room to swerve that we drove right over the ladder and it popped out tires. We were on a major freeway at rush hour on one of the left lanes. Instantly all of the lanes to the right opened up completely clear and we coasted to the side of the freeway. It was absolutely insane. If God was not looking out for us, we would have been in a much much worse accident as we tried to get onto the side of the freeway with popped tires and cars going seventy-five miles an hour in our path. Today we still refer to it as the day that God parted I-75 for us.

As Christians, we believe that if you are still alive, God still has a purpose for you. Today we have our very first GUEST BLOG from my mom Anna Novak documenting a crazy story when God quite literally saved her, my brother, and our good friend London. This blog has also been featured in the OSLC newsletter. Enjoy the story! -Grace

"I love nature, specifically mountains. Twice now I have been so entranced by the beauty and enthralled by the climb that I have failed to properly manage the risk. In this particular moment it involved 15 year old London Baker, 10 year old Charlie and myself. Off we went to explore our first ever slot canyon in the absolute majesty of Utah. Many slot canyons can be entered from one end, so you simply walk in and then are surrounded by walls of sandstone in the most striking colors imaginable. This canyon was unique from the others as we had to actually climb down into it to get the full experience.

Being the responsible parent that I am, I made sure to scope out a route that was safe and manageable for the return trip up. We descended in with no trouble and enjoyed about 30 minutes of beauty and exploring. We searched for arrowheads and found some animal bones while enjoying this incredible experience. A very dark cloud started to make itself known to us so we decided it was time to make the return trip up. We followed our path back through the canyon walking towards the cloud which was strongly preferring the name storm now. I decided we needed to head up in that moment, flash floods ya know, and I chose the most acceptable looking route in proximity. All went as planned until we found ourselves mere feet from the top of the canyon, trapped.

The three of us stood on a ledge barely large enough for us, our heels hung over the edge. In front of us was a 5 foot wall of slippery, cracking sandstone that we somehow needed to climb over. Its sight was deceiving, it looked like childsplay from below. Several attempts resulted in sand and clay crumbling below us and taunting us by falling into the canyon with clamor. The approaching storm was a looming threat that had my heart racing. We need to go back down. I turned to scope out our options. The wind had blown up a layer of sand on the mountain. I tried to go a few feet and slipped several times. It was too dangerous without a sure way up somewhere else. The gift of time was not ours as the sky began to take on the color black. We need to make it up. I turned back to the wall of sandstone in front of us, and I panicked. Had there been no storm I would have waited for human rescue. There was no cell phone service in the slot canyon and the rest of our party was well over a mile away and we later learned, back in the car waiting for us. I tried to keep my panic inside, there was no time for emotions, I needed to act.

London and I boosted Charlie up over the ledge and with fear and anguish inside of me I instructed him to get help. Over a mile away, in the unfamiliar desert. I am embarrassed to say it was not until this point that I began to pray. Lord please guide his steps, he is strong, he is capable and you love him more than I do.

Next up, I was now more determined than ever to get over this mountain of a ledge. I had just sent my baby into the complete unknown, that was very motivating to say the least! There was one lonely vine sticking out of the ledge, I tested its strength and it surprised me. I turned to London. I instructed him that on the count of three I would be attempting to get up and I needed him to push me with everything that he had inside of him. I grabbed the vine which became my lifeline, the only means of support on the mountain and I prayed. Lord you are the vine and we are the branches, apart from you we can do nothing. (Scripture always finds a way into the moment if it's in your heart) I trust you fully Lord, please hold, please hold. In the scariest three seconds of my life, London executes, the vine holds and I face plant into the dirt. Oh, how I loved the feeling of dirt in my face! I screamed for Charlie to return. Two down, one to go. We can do this. I was feeling more confident as the thunder cracked and the rain began. London knew what he had to do. This time the vine became the lifeline for his foot as I grabbed onto both of his hands. We counted to three again as we both put all of our strength into his ascent. I prayed, Lord you are the vine, please hold, please hold.

Turns out this was actually the scariest three seconds of my life as I held someone else's child in the air above a mountaintop (sorry Stacy.) London came flying up the mountain and landed in the dirt. We got up and embraced and I wept. Charlie came running to us seconds later and we all embraced. We did it, but we actually did nothing. God saved us from our troubles. The strength that we exhibited that day was not our own. If you took me back to the same spot I do not believe I could perform in the same way. Later that evening, as we played games and enjoyed friendship, my Bible verse for the day appeared on my phone. It read:

"I waited patiently for Jehovah; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Psalm 40:1-2

I still cannot read those verses without tears. God spoke so clearly to me that day. If you are alive today you have great purpose from the Lord, seek and ye shall find."

-Anna Novak

God is so good! Have you had any similar experiences where God saved you? If so, please share in the comments below!