June 1974. It was early on a Sabbath morning. My roommate, who lived about 50 miles away, was going home for the weekend. She put her things in her car and drove off. We lived only a few feet from the railroad tracks and trains were fairly frequent and the crossing not well marked. That Sabbath morning we could hear the whistle as the train approached the crossing which was just out of sight of the house.
As I went about my business getting ready for church, my attention was arrested by a very loud thud. I went to the front door and looked out. I saw that the train was coming to a stop, then I could see my roommate walking back to the house. Something was obviously wrong. Joyce was a fun loving, laid back person who didn't get upset easily, but as she came up the steps into the house I could see that she was distraught. I still didn't know what was the matter as she came through the house saying, "This time I've done it. This time I've really done it!" She went to our room, sat done and fell silent.
Soon there were other people on their way to the house. One of them was the engineer of the train. I finally learned that Joyce's car had been hit by the train. But she had walked in the door! The engineer said he had watched her walk away from the car. Only later did we learn the story from Joyce.
Her car had stalled on the tracks and she had tried to get it going again. She looked up and saw the train coming, but continued trying to start the car. She looked up and saw it was closer. She told us that she said to herself, "Well, if you're not going to stop, I'd better get out." She got out of the car, walked away, and the engineer said she was about a foot beyond the car when the train struck it.
I saw what was left of her car. They pulled it up into the yard. Had she remained in it, she probably wouldn't have survived. Why did she have the presence of mind to get out and walk away? I suppose we could say it was because she was a down-to-earth person who didn't lose her composure easily. I believe it must have been an angel who told her to get out and walk away before the train struck the car. I wrote this poem that day based on what had happened.
A Brush With Death
Death brushed by my world today
And showed its ghastly head.
It came so close I felt its breath
And so I turned and fled.
I shuddered as he passed me by,
He ne'er had come so near.
God had bade him touch no one.
E'en so, he left us fear.
Life belongs to God above
And death holds no control
O'er life, for it belongs to God;
The body, mind, and soul.
And so death passed us by today.
He left by God's command.
He left no trail of bitter woe;
Praise God for love so grand.________________________
Even so come, Lord Jesus
Linda
[This message has been edited by Linda Sutton (edited August 26, 2000).]
