I think it’s about a human being’s response to God. Who’s to say that even those who don’t know Christ have not responded to the human desire for God?
. . . .That is why I say “only God knows” in those circumstances because He is the only one who can read our hearts. . . .
In October of 2001, my son (14 yrs. old, then) was struck by a car, while riding his bike. He was spending the weekend with his father. Emergency personal called me from the scene. I rushed to get to my son. As I arrived on the scene, one of the EMT’s told me they thought both ankles were fractured and they feared internal injuries. My son was lying on the pavement, bloody, gashes in his forehead, spine immobilized, ankles immobilized; but still conscious. I must have looked horrified as I approached my him; because the first words he said to me were, “Don’t worry Mom, it doesn’t even hurt.” That’s so typical of my son–he’s never been a complainer. He was the one lying in all the blood and yet was trying to console me.
I remember looking over at the car that hit him. The safety glass in the windshield was shattered with the deep imprint of my son’s body. The top of the car was, also, deeply dented. The care was not drivable. I remember getting this sick feeling in my stomach, when I saw all the damage his body did to that car.
I was told the car struck him, flipping him into the windshield, which flipped him into the air again–causing him to land on top of the car, which then sent him soaring to the pavement. Even now, it’s difficult to think about it.
After hours in the Emergency room, and many CT Scans, X-rays, and MRI’s later; he had only one broken bone in his right ankle and no internal injuries. The nurses and doctors said it was a miracle he survived, and even more of a miracle that he had only one fracture. He made impact with the car at least three times, before being catapulted to the pavement. One of the nurses said the way he was flipped should have “snapped his neck.” What a horrible thought.
After, the doctor finished all the stitches in his forehead and scalp (a rather gruesome sight), the nurses joked with him, saying he could be Frankenstein for Halloween, and wouldn’t even need a costume. My son laughed and said, “Yeah, all I need are the nails in my neck.”
I am getting to a point about salvation–just taking the long road to get to it. I spent the night in the hospital with my son. By morning, his pediatrician came in to see him. He is one of the best physicians in our city. He is also of the Islamic faith. After reading my son’s chart and speaking with me; he went in to see my son. He said to him, “God has given you a second chance. Do something good with your life.” I will never forget those words. I walked his doctor out and spoke to him for a while longer. I asked him how things had been for him since the attacks on 9-11. He expressed a deep sorrow for the horrific actions of the extremists. He said some patients left him to find other doctors, simply because his faith was Islam. He was not really complaining. He said he understood.
Then, he said something that really surprised me. He said, “I’ve been thinking. When I die and I stand before God, what if I’ve gotten it wrong? And if I’m wrong, I will say to God, how could I know? You didn’t send anyone to tell me that I’ve gotten it wrong.”
I listened. I did not press him. It was not my time to speak. It was a time to be his friend; a time to tell him how much I appreciated his coming to see my son; a time to let him know we did not hold him responsible for the actions of the extremists who attacked our country on 9-11. This was a time for prayer. This man was truly seeking God. He wanted to “get it right.” I have faith that God will lead him to the path of salvation. It was not my time to speak. Though, it is possible that God will place other Christians in this man’s path, who may be called to speak according to God’s purpose.
So, who are we to say, who will find God’s salvation, or what road will lead them to ultimately embrace the salvation of Christ. I will not attempt to limit God’s plan for man’s salvation. I have no right to do that.
When I was driving my son home from the hospital, he began to talk about the accident. He laughed a bit, telling me as one of his shoes flew off, he was thinking how he would have to get a new pair of shoes. We both found that humorous.
Then his tone became serious and he said, “You know Mom, when I was flying through the air, all I could think about was God.”
I was rather startled. My son had never been as religiously inclined, as I had hoped. I paused for a moment, and said, “Were you afraid you were going to die?” My son said, “No, Mom. I knew I wasn’t going to.” Then we both reflected in silence. Nothing more needed to be said.
My son still has not been baptized. He left the Baptist Church long before I did, and he is really down on organized religion right now. I pray for his salvation. I pray that he will find his way to Christ, and that he will remember such times as this, when he knew God was there, and he knew God was protecting him. I pray that my son is on the path of salvation.
So, how can we say who is on the path of salvation and who is not. Only God holds this knowledge.
Anna
