one to one: Lessons about life, ministry, and grandkids

by Keith Burden, Executive Secretary, National Association of Free Will Baptists

100% Preventable

My wife and I were driving home after shopping in a neighboring community. It was a sunny but brisk autumn day. Road conditions were perfect for driving. Alone with our thoughts, neither of us spoke as we enjoyed the scenery and beautiful weather.

The silence was broken as my wife called out frantically, “What’s wrong with that driver?”

A split second after an approaching pickup shot past us at high speed, I glanced in my side view mirror to see the motorist erratically swerve from one side of the highway to the other. It was clear the driver had lost control of the vehicle.

What I witnessed sent a chill down my spine. The pickup exited the pavement and began rolling along the ditch, leaving a trail of dust and debris. Although my heart was racing, I managed to slow down and turn around at the next exit. In short order, we returned to the scene of the accident.

After calling 911 to report the incident, I rushed to the pickup now resting on the passenger side. The motor was still running, and gasoline fumes were strong. I reached inside the cab and switched off the ignition. In the mangled wreckage, I could see more than one passenger but no signs of life.

In a matter of minutes, the highway patrol and emergency workers arrived on the scene. They converged upon the vehicle to try to save any survivors. Tragically, there were none. The occupants, two men and one woman, were pronounced dead at the scene.

After giving a statement to the law enforcement officer, we resumed our journey, struggling to process what we had witnessed. For obvious reasons, the patrolman did not identify the victims or share details about the cause of the crash.

Eventually, information was released about the individuals who lost their lives because of three contributing factors: 1) the use of illegal drugs; 2) the passengers were not wearing seat belts; and 3) the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe (and unlawful) speed.

Any one of these three factors places the operator of an automobile at great risk, not to mention those who share the road with them. Put the three factors together, and you have a deadly combination. Sadly, this situation was 100% preventable.

That raises a question that begs to be answered: why would any rational person attempt to drive a vehicle under the influence, without a seat belt, and at a dangerous rate of speed? Frankly, I don’t have an answer.

But an even more perplexing question also needs to be answered: why would anyone choose to live without God? Frankly, I don’t have an answer to that question either. It doesn’t make sense.
If you are not trusting Christ as your Savior, you are on a crash course with eternal destruction. Fortunately, that situation is also 100% preventable. You need only surrender your life to Christ. It’s as simple as ABC:

• Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself.
  

• Believe Jesus is God’s Son, and He chose to die on the cross in your place.
  

• Commit yourself to a life of following Jesus and serving others.

About the columnist. One to One is a regular feature of ONE Magazine. Written by Keith Burden, executive secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the column explores life, ministry...and the joys of grandchildren.