Sometimes weird things happen to me, and my friends always say, "The craziest things always happen to you!" I don't think they always happen, but there have been a few interesting incidents. I remember one day, when I decided to go into ministry, praying that God would give me some good sermon illustrations. I guess he listened to that prayer! :) Here are a few that I was remembering recently:
-When I was about 18 years old, my friend Amy and I were driving through the forest to get to a camp where her dad worked. As we drove around a bend, a large deer jutted out of the forest and directly into my side of the car door. I looked that deer in the face as his head smacked in to the window. It hit the car
hard. We were both in shock and Amy pulled over. I couldn't open my door since it wouldn't work anymore. I climbed through her side, and joined a crowd of people that had gathered around the deer. I put my hand on the deer as it lay on the ground and took it's last breath. It was SO sad! As we drove away, we both started to cry. We stopped at the Ranger station, because we weren't sure if we were supposed to report it, and the ranger said, "Who wants some dinner?!" and laughed. What a mean man.
Sermon illustration: God's protection
-In college, my friend Beth and I were driving up the 405 freeway to pick someone up from LAX (airport). Suddenly we saw a golden retriever in the middle of the freeway, right in our lane, and she had no choice but to hit it head on. We pulled over, and saw that the front headlights had been knocked out and the front of the car was heavily damaged. We drove the rest of the way with no headlights on, in shock (again), and both holding back tears. At the airport we got pulled over and explained to the cop what had happened, and he said, "Oh, that was you?" He apparently had heard about the incident already. So sad. In both cases, it was a miracle nobody was hurt.
Sermon illustration: God's protection
-When Martin and I were first married, we lived in an apartment complex and had to walk to get our mail. I headed downstairs, on a cold and blistery day, and casually walked towards the mailboxes. All of the sudden about 3 police cars came speeding down the driveway and all surrounded me. About 5 policemen got out and surrounded me with guns drawn. "Take your hands out of your pockets and put them in the air!" one shouted. I was scared, but at the same time amused. I remember saying at one point, "Um, do I look like a criminal?" One of them patted me down and then they let me go. Apparently someone had reported a woman with a gun (in the parking lot) who was wearing a black jacket. That was fun :)
Sermon illustration: I have no idea
-A little over 5 years ago, when I was 9 months pregnant with Micah, I got a spurt of energy after work and decided to go to Mervyn's (remember Mervyn's?). I shopped for awhile and had my hands full of a big pile of clothes when my cell phone rang. It said "home" so I knew it was Martin. I answered the phone and heard another voice on the other end. "Ma'am, this is Officer Flores and I am in your home right now. Your house has been broken into and you need to come home right away." I dropped everything on the floor and ran out. I called Martin on his cell phone and he rushed home, getting there before I did. The house was a mess. Totally ransacked. Everything was taken out of every drawer, every closet, and even from under our bed. We tried to figure out what was missing. The only thing missing in the house (amidst all of Martin's guitars, my camera equipment, our computers, etc...) was our small digital camera and about $4 in change from our change jar.
The police officer said that 4 young men approached the house. One knocked on the door and the other three went through the side gate. They came in through the back door. Two employees from Toyota (next door to our house) were on their lunch break and saw the whole thing take place. They pounded on the front door and said, "POLICE! Get out of the house NOW!" All of them ran out the back door, jumped over the fence and to a getaway car driven by a female. The two men from Toyota got the license plate number and called police.
The policemen kept telling me it was a good thing I wasn't home. Yes, it was, because every single day after work, being 9 months pregnant, I would come home and take a nap, with earplugs in my ears. I probably would not have heard them knocking on the door, and they would have come inside and found me in my bedroom asleep. Lord have mercy.
That night our friends came over for pizza, and the investigator came to take fingerprints. It was quite entertaining eating our pizza, watching him dust the whole house for prints. The female was caught, put on probation, and had to send us monthly payments for our camera and the $4 in the change jar. :) I am not sure what happened to the other four.
"God is our refuge and strength, and ever -present help in time of trouble."
Psalm 46:1
So many people spend their lives in FEAR of so many things that can happen to them. But I am living proof that God protects his people and watches over them. God is our protector! I think that sermon illustration is pretty obvious :)
Now I want to hear your crazy stories!!
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