It was a Sunday morning. I was a pastor on staff at a church and headed to work. As January mornings often are it was somewhat grey and chilly. This morning seemed a bit misty, but there was no real precipitation. The wet road reflected the grey light.  It was a normal commute. Until it wasn’t.

The temperature was close enough to freezing that the moisture on the road wasn’t just wet but had actually become icy.  If I had known that I would have taken the curve more slowly, but I saw no reason to adjust speed and proceeded normally. The road curved, the car went straight. A quick and desperate calll to Jesus. I remembered not to brake hard. Tried to steer into the skid and then braked the car, but it was a tree that stopped me. After the imipact, I quickly evaluated myself. Not hurt. Then I looked for my phone. The sharp stop had thrown it onto the floor of the car. The next action was to call Tom, who called a tow truck and headed over. I called 911 and got out to wait for the officer.

While I waited, I surveyed the car. It didn’t look too bad. Three quarters of the car had no visible damage. The exception was that panel wrapped around the tree. Maybe the car would be okay. I was definitely okay and that was what mattered. It’s a good thing that was my perspective, because the angle at which my car was resting against the tree made it impossible for the tow truck to pull the car back without ripping off the front bumper. Good bye, car! If not for the tree you would have survived!

After Tom brought me home, he called a few of our friends to let them know what happened and to ask for prayer as we recovered emotionally and figured out what to do about a car. I heard him tell someone that if the car had not hit the tree I would have gone down an embankment. I hadn’t noticed that. The tree, although it ruined my car, had saved me from serious injury. I was overwhelmed with gratefulness.

Unexpected salvation. It wasn’t Tom or EMS that saved me. It was a tree that stopped the car from going down an embankment. A tree in the right place to save me when I didn’t think I was going to need saving. I was just going about the business of life as usual.

Isn’t that the way it is for all of us? We move forward with life on our own terms. We don’t realize that we are heading for a disaster. We don’t realize that our choices are putting us in danger. We don’t fully understand the conditions. When it all becomes clear, often as the result of a sudden impact with something unexpected, we realize that we need a savior.

God provided the right tree in the right place at the right time. The tree that Christ hung on. The cross. Prepared in advance to save my life and yours. I didn’t plan the tree that stopped my car. God did. I didn’t know that I was going to need saving. God did. I didn’t realize that my choices were putting me in danger. God did. He did what was necessary to rescue me in advance. I did nothing, but gratefully receive it. There was a cost to my rescue. The car was lost. But it was worth it. The cross cost Jesus everything. But He thought that you and I were worth it.

No matter how many years pass, the fact is that I have been saved. I exist today, because I was rescued. Not just by  that tree along the road between me and the embankment, but by the cross on Calvary’s Hill. Both trees saved my life. One for this earthly life. The other for the heavenly one.

Who am I? Rescued. And, because of the cross of Christ, you are too. It was an unexpected rescue, but it changed everything. Does my life reflect a grateful response for my rescue? That’s what I want.  What about you?

Key thought: Your rescue requires a response.

A Scripture to consider: 

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES challenge: Think about your life before you received your rescue from Christ. Remind yourself of how you came to the place of receiving the rescue God has provided in Christ. How can you live a more grateful response for your rescue?

Prayer: Father, it is so easy to just continue on my way without really noticing what You have done for me. You rescued me, when I didn’t realize I needed rescuing. Help me not to take that for granted. Thank You for all that You have done to save me. Thank You for the cross. Help me to fully surrender to a rescued life for You. Amen.