“Who has understood the mind of the Lord.”  Isaiah 40 : 13

Nineteen-year old Chris Graham and twenty-year old Steve Ashton were on their way from Manhattan to an upstate New York park that boasted superior recreational grounds and a large scenic lake. They had arranged to meet several friends at a specific site near the lake at exactly 1 p.m.; and they looked forward to a day of boating, fishing, swimming, and more. But all day long, as they traveled the New York State Thruway, they found themselves plagued by an unusual series of mishaps, crisis, and problems, and it seemed to them as if they would never get there.

First, a flat tire. They pulled onto a shoulder of the highway and changed it quickly. Then, after making a quick stop at a Thruway rest area, they turned the key in the ignition of the car and nothing happened. When the battery was recharged, they sped down the highway to make up for lost time. “There are never any cops on the Thruway,” Steve reassured Chris, who was nervous. “They all stalk Route 17 instead.” They were pulled over by a sheriff who didn’t seem aware of this imaginary rule. He took a very long time to write the ticket. “We’re an hour late already” expostulated Chris. “The guys will never wait for us, and we’ll never be able to find them. The park’s huge.” But just as they pulled off at the exit, the car suddenly sputtered and died. The two looked at each other “Now what?” cried Chris. “Is this for real?” Steve shook his head in disbelief.

It took an hour for the tow truck to arrive. “It’s the fan belt,” the mechanic at the shop said.” “It’ll take at least two hours.” “I give up!” shrieked Chris. “Can you believe our bad luck? When the car’s fixed, let’s head back home.” “I’m not a quitter,” Steve said stubbornly. “The park’s only about twenty minutes away from here. I don’t want to turn around at this point.

When they finally arrived four hours late at the appointed meeting site near the lake, the place was deserted. “I just can’t believe our day,” Chris grumbled to Steve. “We came all this way for nothing.” Then they suddenly heard a young voice shout, “help.” A second voice cried out, “help us please.” For a frozen moment, Chris and Steve were motionless, their gaze riveted on the sight of two little boys flailing in the lake. Then the two – certified lifeguards both – raced to the water’s edge and dove in. They pulled out the kids, administered CPR, and saved their lives. Steve turned to Chris and asked in a trembling voice: “Do you understand what went down here, Chris?” “I do, Steve,” Chris answered somberly. “I most solemnly do. If we hadn’t gotten to the park at precisely the time we did, surely those kids would be dead.”

Steve Ashton

Comment:
Our lives are in the hands of God even if we are not aware of it. Chris and Steve learned that the series of mishaps that had befallen them on the road to an upstate New York park as well as their skills as lifeguards were all part of God’s plan. God used them as His instruments to save the lives of two little boys from certain death.

Fr. Hugh Duffy