Christian Short Stories

911
By Byron Allenby

Dale helped Trevor out of the harness. “You okay?” he asked.

“A little bit sore and bruised but otherwise I’m fine,” Trevor said.

“Dale,” Dale said as an introduction.

“Trevor,” Trevor said as he shook Dale’s hand. “Thanks for getting me back in one piece.”

“That’s what we’re here for.”

Dale led Trevor toward the rescue vehicles and introduced him to Tom. “This is Tom, the Head Ranger.”

The men shook hands. “Were you with the other guy when he fell?” Tom asked.

“His name’s Michael. No, I wasn’t. I was standing on the edge of the path when it gave away and I fell. I landed on that ledge about half way down and saw Michael there. He must have fallen earlier.”

Tom motioned to Ray and Steve. The two rangers hurried over. “Trevor here says the name of the injured man is Michael? That’s the name of the guy you were searching for earlier wasn’t it?”

“Yep, that’s right,” Ray replied.

“We were looking for a hiker earlier who hadn’t come back when he said he was going to. I guess that’s him,” Tom explained to Trevor and Dale.

“I pray that he makes it. He’s barely hanging on,” Trevor said.

“Trevor, if you fell over the cliff, just like Michael, how come you’re not hurt?” Dale asked.

“I called on 911.”

“You rang 911 on your cell phone? While you were falling? How did you manage that?” Dale asked.

Trevor smiled at Dale’s confusion. “No, I meant I called on Psalm 91 verse 1, see 911! I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and Psalm 91 talks about God protecting me and caring for me. That’s why I’m okay. I called on him and he heard me. He saved me and kept me from getting seriously hurt.”

Dale and all the others looked at each other, not sure of how to respond. The proof was there. Trevor was not injured but Michael was near death, and they had both fallen over the same cliff and landed on the same ledge.

“Why did your God not save Michael?” Tom asked.

“Does Michael know God? Does he know Psalm 91:1? If he did and he called out to God I believe he would have been.”

The rangers and the rescue team were beginning to get uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking so they quickly changed the subject.

“Where’s your camping gear?” Ray asked Trevor.

Trevor pulled out his map and pointed to where he had set up camp. “My camp’s right here.”

“When it’s light I’ll get Ray to go with you and get your gear,” Tom said. “It’s probably wise to see your doctor and get checked over. In the mean time Ray will take you back to the ranger station and you can get coffee and something to eat. The rest of us will wait here till the chopper gets back.”

“Thank you, Tom,” Trevor said as he followed Ray to one of the ATVs.

Tom and the Rescue Team stayed on the mountain. After a sleepless night morning finally came as the light was breaking over the horizon. The sound of the rescue chopper could be heard in the distance.

Dale spoke to Lance on the radio. “Chopper’s on the way. You can probably hear it. How’s Michael holding up?”

“As good as he can be,” Lance said. “I’ve been monitoring him all night and I’m really surprised how stable he’s been. I’ve lost people before in this situation who haven’t been as badly injured. Someone must be looking after him.”

Dales smiled and looked toward the heavens. “You could be right about that.”

The chopper appeared and hovered over the ledge. Another paramedic was lowered down with a stretcher and together with Lance maneuvered Michael onto the stretcher, strapped him in and he was slowly winched up with the paramedic.

“Dale,” Lance spoke into his radio. “I’m going to go with the chopper to the hospital and report to the doctors what I’ve done for him. Pick me up when you’ve finished here.”

“Roger,” Dale said.

Tom and the Rescue Team watched the chopper disappear into the distance.

Tom turned and spoke to the team. “Thanks everyone, a great job done and a life saved.”

“That’s what we’re here for although we sure weren’t needed for Trevor,” Dale said.

“That’s true.” Tom scratched his head. “Weird stuff. Anyway, let’s get back to the station and I’ll organize breakfast.”

Later that morning Trevor, after seeing his doctor and getting an all clear, drove to the hospital to inquire about Michael. He approached the nurses’ station but was told that Michael was in critical condition and wasn’t allowed visitors unless he was family.

As Trevor turned to leave a woman approached him. “Excuse me, my name’s Judy. I’m Michael’s mother. I heard you asking about him. How did you know he was here?”

“Nice to meet you, Judy, I’m Trevor. I was with him after he fell. I found him. You know, he told me you were praying for him. Believe me, God answered your prayers.”

Trevor went on to explain the circumstances of his fall and how he had found Michael. “The paramedic said that if he hadn’t been found last night he would have been dead by morning. You don’t have to worry. God hasn’t gone to all that trouble to get him rescued just to have him die now.”

Judy smiled. “I knew that something was going to happen. The Holy Spirit had me praying for him since yesterday when he went on this hike.”

“He told me you called just before he left.”

“Maybe if he can see God’s hand in this he might recommit his life to Christ again. He turned his back on God a number of years ago despite committing his life to Jesus when he was 16 at a youth rally. He was given an amazing prophecy just after that. God said that He had given him the gift to preach and to touch many lives in his generation and that multitudes would come to Christ as a result of his ministry. All he’s done for the last several years is to live in sin and rebellion and broke my heart at the same time. But I’ve never stopped praying for him,” Judy said.

“It seems to me your prayers have been answered. I’m sure after what’s happened it’ll cause him to stop and reflect. When he’s well enough I’ll talk to him about his spiritual walk. Besides, he can’t get out of bed for a while, and seeing I saved his life, so to speak, he can’t be ungrateful and not listen to me,” Trevor chuckled.

“How can I ever thank you for all you’ve done?” Judy asked as she took Trevor’s hands in hers.

“You don’t have to thank me. I asked God to use me and He did. But, next time, I’ll make sure to ask how He’s going to do it.”

Judy noticed someone walking toward them.

“Here comes the doctor, let’s see what he has to say.”

Dr. Richards quickly approached Judy and Trevor.

“Dr. Richards, this is Trevor who saved my son’s life,” Judy said. “How’s Michael’s doing?”

“Well, your son has gone through an awful lot but he’s stabilizing very quickly. Quicker, I might add, than would normally be expected with someone suffering as much trauma as he has. While he has a broken leg, remarkably, nothing else has been broken. I find that very hard to understand. All his internal organs are intact despite his fall, which is something else I find very hard to comprehend.”

Judy looked at Trevor and smiled. “Put it down to prayer Doctor and God’s hand on my son.”

“Sometimes that’s all we can do when we don’t have a logical explanation. However, there is something I can’t explain and I’m not sure your God can. Michael’s back has been severely lacerated, deep cuts that could only be made by an animal like a big cat or a bear. He has plenty of scratches and bruises from his fall but these are different.”

“Dr. Richards, you just reminded me of something,” Trevor said. “Michael did say something about being attacked by a bear. He was delirious at the time so I didn’t think much about it. So you think these cuts were made by a bear?”

“I do. I’ve treated people who have been attacked by bears at another hospital I was working at. But I hesitated to say the injuries were made by a bear because there aren’t supposed to be any bears around here.”

“I have to report to the ranger station and police to make a statement. I’ll ask the Head Ranger whether this is possible and I’ll let you know. Mrs. Goodman, give me your number and I’ll keep in touch.”

Trevor hurried out of the hospital and called Tom. He explained to him what the doctor had said about the cuts on Michael’s back. They arranged to meet at the ranger station the next day. The following morning Trevor arrived early at the station and was greeted warmly by Tom and the other rangers.

“Have you heard how Michael’s doing?” Tom asked Trevor.

“He’s stable. His doctor said amazingly his leg is the only thing broken. Internally, he’s shaken up but all his major organs are intact. Rather miraculous according to the doctor.”

“That’s good to hear. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s alive. He should be dead after that fall. As a matter of fact, so should you.”

“Normally I would agree but as I said before God was watching over both of us.”

Tom interrupted. “Yeah, well, that’s good.” He then quickly changed the subject. “As I told you on the phone there aren’t any bears in this area. There haven’t been any seen here for over 20 years.”

“The doctor said he’s seen injuries made by bears before at a previous hospital. He has no doubt at all. Have you searched and inspected the area where Michael went over?”

“It was barely light when we packed up yesterday. We’ve roped off the area and plan to go up this morning to make sure it’s safe,” Tom said.

“Tom, there is one thing I remember when the cliff gave way and I fell. I saw a blue backpack caught up on the bushes just as I was falling. It might be Michael’s. I’ve been thinking about this and wondering why Michael would fall over the cliff? Maybe he was running away from something, like a bear.”

Tom shook his head and rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. Look, I’ll make you a deal. We’ll look for the backpack. You can come too if you want. We have to go and inspect the area and make sure it’s safe anyway.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Trevor said smiling.

Tom and his staff loaded up one of the trucks with equipment and together with Trevor drove up to the top of Trail 12 and then went down in the ATV to where all the activity had happened the day before. Leaning carefully over the edge of the path Tom scanned the area below for a backpack.

“Ray, Steve, Trevor’s right. There is a backpack about 10 feet down. Get the gear ready. Ray, I want you to go down and get it.”

While the rangers were getting ready to retrieve the backpack Trevor took the opportunity to walk back up the track to look for any signs that a bear might have left. About 30 yards up the track he noticed an opening in the thick bushes, broken branches indicating something quite large had forced its way through onto the path. With a little trepidation he climbed up and through the broken bushes and followed a trail of flattened grass and broken branches for a couple of hundred yards. His nerves and fears got the better of him and he quickly turned around and hurried back the way he had come.

He jumped back onto the path just as Ray was helped back up the cliff with the remains on the blue backpack. The backpack was shredded and barely hanging together. Tom looked in one of the pockets and found Michael’s wallet and ID.

“Look at that, Tom,” Ray said. “That didn’t happen from falling down a cliff. It’s been torn to pieces.”

“I must admit it looks like it’s been attacked by an animal of some sort,” Tom said.

“While you were getting the backpack I went up the track and found what looks like a trail made by a very big animal. I’m thinking it came out of the bushes, chased Michael and he fell over the cliff.”

“We’ll have a look. Just give me a minute,” Tom said. He then went over to the ATV and pulled out a high powered rifle.

“I thought you said there were no bears up here, Tom,” Steve said.

“There’s not supposed to be, but just in case,” Tom said sheepishly.

The men followed Trevor up the path to the opening in the bush. Tom then took the lead with the others following and they followed the trail for several hundred yards through the thick bush which abruptly finished in a clearing.

“Well, I’ll have to say you’ve been right all along, Trevor. These are bear tracks, and big ones at that. Those droppings we saw are definitely from a bear. There hasn’t been a sighting around here for over twenty years. I can’t understand why one would suddenly turn up all of a sudden?”

“So what do we do now?” Ray asked.

“Seeing the bear’s dangerous, I’ll call Game and Fish and have them track it and take it down. We don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

After ensuring the site was safe for the moment, the men packed up and went back to the ranger station where Tom rang the police to get them to pick up the backpack.

“Thanks, Tom,” Trevor said. “Thanks for everything.”

“You bet. Oh, by the way, do me a favor and stay away from cliffs.”

The two men chuckled, shook hands and Trevor drove off.

A few days later Trevor returned to the hospital and was allowed to see Michael. He entered the room quietly. Judy sitting in a chair beside the bed looked up from her book and smiled.

“Hi, Trevor, how are you?” Judy asked.

“Really well, thanks.”

“Michael, this is Trevor. This is the man who saved your life.”

Michael held out his hand. “Trevor, how can I thank you?”

“Hey, I was just in the right place at the right time.”

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Judy said as she left the room.

After she was gone Trevor sat in the chair Judy had previously occupied.

“How are you doing?” Trevor asked.

“Coming on really well. Doctors are happy. I’ll be walking with my crutches in a couple of days.”

“That’s great news. You fell a long way. You could have easily been killed.”

“I know. Listen, I’m really glad you came. Please tell me what happened to you.”

Trevor gladly told Michael the entire story. “Michael, I firmly believe that, although you fell, and should be dead, God saved you. Your mother praying for you was not a coincidence either. I fell, landed right beside you, and I wasn’t hurt, which is another miracle. Do you have any idea why God has gone to all this trouble to keep you alive?”

Michael’s face crumpled and tears began to stream down his face. “I’ve been running from God for several years. He’s called me to preach but I didn’t want to do that. I was too interested in having a good time. I thought that I had plenty of time to do all that stuff later.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been lying here. Sometimes there is no later. You know, doing my own thing never really gave me any happiness. The pleasure only lasted for a short time but there was always the next day and the emptiness always came back.”

Michael began to sob. “But do you know what really got to me? In the last three years two of my closest friends have been killed doing things they shouldn’t have been doing. And I don’t know if they are in heaven or hell! If I had been obedient to God when He called me I could have talked to them about Jesus, about sin and forgiveness and they could be alive today. And I‘ve been thinking about all the other lives I could have affected as well. These thoughts have been tormenting me day and night. That’s one of the prices you pay for disobedience…thoughts of all the could have beens or should have beens.”

“I think this has been your Damascus Road experience,” Trevor said. “It’s been your wake up call. God is a God of second chances. He’s willing to forgive. You have to learn to be forgiven. Sometimes it takes a while because we’re so consumed with guilt. But remember His Word says, ‘If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ You need to forgive yourself and trust the Lord in His plan for your life.”

“Where do I go from here?”

“Your body needs to heal. Your soul needs to find peace with God. Spiritually you need to walk in God’s calling and be the person God has called you to be. You will never find peace and happiness doing anything else. Our church has a program which mentors and trains youth pastors. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll arrange for you to meet with our pastor.”

“Thanks, Trevor. I owe you big time.”

“You don’t owe me anything. Just walk in God’s calling for your life. That’s all the reward I need. Oh, and by the way, they found the bear that attacked you. You know, there haven’t been bears up there in over 20 years. Satan wanted to see you dead so you wouldn’t fulfill God’s plan.”

“I see that now,” Michael said soberly.

“And the rangers are anxious to meet you and hear your story. Can I suggest as soon as you can get up there and go see them. It would be a shame to waste a good opportunity to spread the gospel.”

“Thanks, Trevor. They’ll be my first stop.”

THE END

(© 2009 Byron Allenby – All rights reserved. Written material may not be duplicated without permission.)

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