"People were going around me—about 20 feet away from the bridge. That's when it snapped—[the bridge] broke down and crashed. I saw 2 cars go off the bridge, and I was like...'wow!'"
BCN Exclusive by Aimee Herd (August 10, 2007)
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a very special account of a miracle that happened the day of the recent bridge disaster in Minnesota. This is the testimony of a young man named Matthew who is not a stranger to the voice of God. The part of his story that I found most remarkable was the fact that his obedience to God ended up saving the lives of many others, who otherwise could've just ended up another statistic in this tragedy.
Matthew's account made me wonder: do we ever stop to think of the lives that are affected by our obedience to the Lord? Not just our own—though we know the Bible says blessing comes with obedience to God—but also the lives of those around us. Every one of us is affected by another's actions...but can we actually save lives (even unknowingly) just by doing what we know God has asked us to do? Read on...and you'll see a perfect example of this kind of obedience to the Lord. –Aimee Herd, BCN.
(Brooklyn Park, Minnesota)—Wednesday, August 1st, seemed to be a day like any other in the St. Paul, Minneapolis area. But at 6:05pm—in the midst of rush hour traffic—the busy Interstate Bridge that joined I-35 with the city of Minneapolis suddenly broke apart and fell into the Mississippi River.
There have been many accounts already, which have pointed to the grace and protection of God in the midst of such tragedy.... Due to the construction on the bridge, the traffic was not at the normally full flow, or speed. There was a train riding underneath the bridge at the time, which may have stopped some of the collapse. And then the school bus, filled with 50 children that rode the concrete on the way down during the collapse, and didn't tip over—all the children were saved. (Photo: AP)
And then there is Matthew's testimony of God's protection. What happened to Matthew (last name withheld) on the day of the bridge collapse is nothing short of miraculous and amazing!
After being contacted by one of Matthew's family members, to inform me of his story, I later spoke with Matthew directly. First I asked him go back to that moment, before the bridge collapsed, and explain everything that happened next.
"I was coming home to take a shower, and then pick up my friend across the I 35 W. bridge," Matthew recalled. "I was headed into the city [of Minneapolis], it was bumper-to-bumper."
"I was praying and talking to the Lord, and the next minute the Lord gave me this vision. In the vision [the bridge was] shaking—it started to snap and broke through. I saw two cars go off the edge into the Mississippi. Then, [after the vision] I said, 'What is that all about Lord? You need to talk to me.'"
"God told me to 'STOP!'" (I was 100 feet away from the bridge)
"He said, 'You need to stop right there.' I said, 'Lord, there are cars behind me,' (There were about 100 people in the line of traffic behind him, and many had begun honking their horns at him). But God said, 'That's okay, you need to stop.' So I stopped. And then the Lord said, 'Look.'"
"People were going around me—about 20 feet away from the bridge. That's when it snapped—[the bridge] broke down and crashed. I saw 2 cars go off the bridge, and I was like...'wow!'" (Photo: MyFOX9.com–KMSP)
"At first I was sitting in the car waiting, thanking the Lord, because it could've been me on that bridge. Then people came up to me and said, 'Thank you.'"
"I got out and looked from the side [at the collapse]...it was traumatic seeing what happened. And then the police told me to go back in my car and turn around."
I asked Matthew what he was thinking at the moment he saw the bridge begin to break...
"I was realizing that the Lord is awakening [His people] and saying, 'Listen to Me, you need to listen to Me.' I realized that if I [hadn't] listened to Him, I would've gotten on that bridge and took a ride."
"After that I called my friend and told him I couldn't pick him up because the bridge broke through. Then I went to the Holy Spirit conference [that was happening nearby] and worshipped the Lord!"
I then asked Matthew, "As you look back at what God spared you from that day, and at what happened with the bridge, what immediately comes to mind?"
"When I look back," said Matthew, "I realize the Lord has a calling [for me], and He's preparing me to be obedient and ready, and to know it is 'time to roll'...and to know who Jesus is."
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