Day 35: George & Cathy Roser
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
George:
On November 3rd at 11:15pm I was in the back room and Cathy was asleep in the master bedroom on the first floor in the front of the house. Suddenly there was a large BOOM and the sound of the fire alarm going off. I jumped up and tried to open the door to the master bedroom, but there was debris all over the floor, which prevented me from fully opening it. I heard my son, John, upstairs calling out, "Is everyone all right?" as he ran down the stairs. As I forced the door to the master bedroom open, I couldn’t see Cathy. I couldn’t tell if the room was full of smoke or dust, but I disconnected the fire alarm and yelled for her to get out of there and call 911.
As we ran to the front door, John and I realized that a car had hit the front of the house. The car was on its side and had punched a hole into the front of the house about six feet from where Cathy had been sleeping. John and I ran to the front of the house to see two guys climbing out of the vehicle. Within minutes the first responders arrived to secure the safety of all involved, and the word MIRACLE began to fill the air. (Shout out to the Bernardsville police and fire departments, who were amazing.)
The first of two storylines in this incident through which we want to bring glory to our God, is that of the miracles.
There was debris all over the bed, broken glass, 2x4’s with large nails sticking out of them, large pieces of sheetrock scattered over the bed and floor. The bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off inside of it. But there in the bed was Cathy sleeping comfortably. Not one piece of the debris landed on her. She never heard the crash, and the two pictures that hang over the bed didn’t even move, let alone crash down onto her. She got up out of the bed and walked across the floor littered with broken glass without any injuries. How was any of that possible? The two young men in the car climbed out of their car as well without a scratch. MIRACLES!
The second storyline had to do with God’s ordering of events so that I could be free.
After the emergency crews left and the house was secured at least for the night, I was not able to go back to sleep and walked through the house going over what could have happened, and attended a small “pity party”, where the enemy was serving up resentment and unforgiveness. I found myself unable to move on from that way of thinking as the following day began.
The insurance company sent over a team to clean up all the debris and support the areas of the house that had been damaged. One member of the team was a big guy sent to patch up the hole in the front of the house with plywood. He asked to see the damage inside and out, and while he looked around the house, he made several references to “God”. It seemed like the opportunity to ask him if he was born again. He quickly responded NO, but said he had a “Higher Power” and had been sober for thirty years. I congratulated him on his sobriety and we spoke most of the morning while he made his repairs.
A couple hours later, two young men approached the front yard, and my repairman friend called to me, “The guy who ran into your house is here to apologize and ask for forgiveness." I looked at the driver and said, "Wow, that takes guts." Now in my mind I’m asking the Lord, “What do I say?” And I heard - say this, “Do you believe in God?"
I took the driver to the street, told him how fast he was driving, how his car sideswiped a tree, went airborne over our front lawn for over 70 feet and crashed into our house, and he and his passenger walked away without a scratch. I said his mom and I could be making funeral arrangements today for him and for my wife, but instead here we were talking. "You just participated in a MIRACLE, and you need to ask God why he spared your life and for what purpose." (I railed on him pretty good, but not in anger.)
After all that, I paused and said, “If my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can forgive me for all the dumb stuff I’ve done in my life, I’m sure I can forgive you"...and I did! ("Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph. 4:32) I hugged him, and he and his friend walked up the street.
After they left, the guy who was making the repairs on the house stopped, and said, “Dude, that was so cool how you did that”. He finished up his repairs, and as he was leaving, we hugged and he thanked me for, (his words not mine) not shoving my faith down his throat, but was blessed by my response to the young man.
A while later I realized that the Lord sent that young man to me for ME, so I could see firsthand how He would respond in this situation through me, and so I could be free of the burden of unforgiveness. If we are walking in resentment or unforgiveness, we are walking in darkness, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
Cathy:
After the dust had settled, literally and figuratively, the miracle aspect of the incident hit me hard - if the car had hit the house several feet to the left, I probably would have been killed. Since none of the debris even touched me, I am convinced that I was shielded at that moment by an angel, and I surely Boast in the Lord for His protection.
This incident highlighted to me the fact that any one of us can be taken from this life at any time. That's why it is so important to consider and come to terms with eternity. What happens after you die? The Bible says there are only two possibilities - eternity with God or eternity without Him. God is Holy and we are not - that presents a problem if we want to spend eternity with Him. But God has provided a solution to that problem: John 3:16, some of the most amazing words ever spoken: " 'For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.' "
Jesus took on all the sins of the world on the cross and paid the awful price for them. I have believed this and received forgiveness for my sins. Even with all my flaws and failures, I am right with God, not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus did on my behalf. He died in my place and when He rose from the dead, I rose with Him to new life, eternal life.
So if I had died in the accident, I would have been with Him for eternity. It is the ultimate Good News, but it gets even better. Eternal life does not begin when we who have put our faith in Christ die, it begins right now. Jesus said, " 'Now this is eternal life: that they may know You [Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.' " (John 17:3)
My dear friends, if you have not yet put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, I "...implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God". (2 Co. 5:20b) Believe me when I say, it is just the START of a great adventure!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, through whom we can be reconciled back to You! Thank You that not only do You forgive our sins and make us righteous in Your sight, but You actually come and make Your home in us, making possible an intimate and on-going relationship with You, and You live through us so that we can forgive as we have been forgiven. What a great salvation, both for now and for eternity! We love You and we pray in Jesus' mighty Name. Amen!
George:
On November 3rd at 11:15pm I was in the back room and Cathy was asleep in the master bedroom on the first floor in the front of the house. Suddenly there was a large BOOM and the sound of the fire alarm going off. I jumped up and tried to open the door to the master bedroom, but there was debris all over the floor, which prevented me from fully opening it. I heard my son, John, upstairs calling out, "Is everyone all right?" as he ran down the stairs. As I forced the door to the master bedroom open, I couldn’t see Cathy. I couldn’t tell if the room was full of smoke or dust, but I disconnected the fire alarm and yelled for her to get out of there and call 911.
As we ran to the front door, John and I realized that a car had hit the front of the house. The car was on its side and had punched a hole into the front of the house about six feet from where Cathy had been sleeping. John and I ran to the front of the house to see two guys climbing out of the vehicle. Within minutes the first responders arrived to secure the safety of all involved, and the word MIRACLE began to fill the air. (Shout out to the Bernardsville police and fire departments, who were amazing.)
The first of two storylines in this incident through which we want to bring glory to our God, is that of the miracles.
There was debris all over the bed, broken glass, 2x4’s with large nails sticking out of them, large pieces of sheetrock scattered over the bed and floor. The bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off inside of it. But there in the bed was Cathy sleeping comfortably. Not one piece of the debris landed on her. She never heard the crash, and the two pictures that hang over the bed didn’t even move, let alone crash down onto her. She got up out of the bed and walked across the floor littered with broken glass without any injuries. How was any of that possible? The two young men in the car climbed out of their car as well without a scratch. MIRACLES!
The second storyline had to do with God’s ordering of events so that I could be free.
After the emergency crews left and the house was secured at least for the night, I was not able to go back to sleep and walked through the house going over what could have happened, and attended a small “pity party”, where the enemy was serving up resentment and unforgiveness. I found myself unable to move on from that way of thinking as the following day began.
The insurance company sent over a team to clean up all the debris and support the areas of the house that had been damaged. One member of the team was a big guy sent to patch up the hole in the front of the house with plywood. He asked to see the damage inside and out, and while he looked around the house, he made several references to “God”. It seemed like the opportunity to ask him if he was born again. He quickly responded NO, but said he had a “Higher Power” and had been sober for thirty years. I congratulated him on his sobriety and we spoke most of the morning while he made his repairs.
A couple hours later, two young men approached the front yard, and my repairman friend called to me, “The guy who ran into your house is here to apologize and ask for forgiveness." I looked at the driver and said, "Wow, that takes guts." Now in my mind I’m asking the Lord, “What do I say?” And I heard - say this, “Do you believe in God?"
I took the driver to the street, told him how fast he was driving, how his car sideswiped a tree, went airborne over our front lawn for over 70 feet and crashed into our house, and he and his passenger walked away without a scratch. I said his mom and I could be making funeral arrangements today for him and for my wife, but instead here we were talking. "You just participated in a MIRACLE, and you need to ask God why he spared your life and for what purpose." (I railed on him pretty good, but not in anger.)
After all that, I paused and said, “If my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can forgive me for all the dumb stuff I’ve done in my life, I’m sure I can forgive you"...and I did! ("Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph. 4:32) I hugged him, and he and his friend walked up the street.
After they left, the guy who was making the repairs on the house stopped, and said, “Dude, that was so cool how you did that”. He finished up his repairs, and as he was leaving, we hugged and he thanked me for, (his words not mine) not shoving my faith down his throat, but was blessed by my response to the young man.
A while later I realized that the Lord sent that young man to me for ME, so I could see firsthand how He would respond in this situation through me, and so I could be free of the burden of unforgiveness. If we are walking in resentment or unforgiveness, we are walking in darkness, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
Cathy:
After the dust had settled, literally and figuratively, the miracle aspect of the incident hit me hard - if the car had hit the house several feet to the left, I probably would have been killed. Since none of the debris even touched me, I am convinced that I was shielded at that moment by an angel, and I surely Boast in the Lord for His protection.
This incident highlighted to me the fact that any one of us can be taken from this life at any time. That's why it is so important to consider and come to terms with eternity. What happens after you die? The Bible says there are only two possibilities - eternity with God or eternity without Him. God is Holy and we are not - that presents a problem if we want to spend eternity with Him. But God has provided a solution to that problem: John 3:16, some of the most amazing words ever spoken: " 'For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.' "
Jesus took on all the sins of the world on the cross and paid the awful price for them. I have believed this and received forgiveness for my sins. Even with all my flaws and failures, I am right with God, not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus did on my behalf. He died in my place and when He rose from the dead, I rose with Him to new life, eternal life.
So if I had died in the accident, I would have been with Him for eternity. It is the ultimate Good News, but it gets even better. Eternal life does not begin when we who have put our faith in Christ die, it begins right now. Jesus said, " 'Now this is eternal life: that they may know You [Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.' " (John 17:3)
My dear friends, if you have not yet put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, I "...implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God". (2 Co. 5:20b) Believe me when I say, it is just the START of a great adventure!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, through whom we can be reconciled back to You! Thank You that not only do You forgive our sins and make us righteous in Your sight, but You actually come and make Your home in us, making possible an intimate and on-going relationship with You, and You live through us so that we can forgive as we have been forgiven. What a great salvation, both for now and for eternity! We love You and we pray in Jesus' mighty Name. Amen!
Posted in Boast in the Lord \\\'25 pt2
No Comments