There were 17 school children and several adults on the school bus one day in May in eastern Canada. Mr. Jones was their bus driver. They were returning from St. John’s where the children had spent two days sightseeing and learning more about the province of Canada where they lived, Newfoundland, and about its capital, St. John’s. They had left St. John’s early that morning. They had been having a wonderful time! They didn’t know it yet, but they were headed for a very scary experience. After traveling quite a while that May morning, they were all looking forward to stopping at a McDonald’s restaurant for lunch in a city called Grand Falls.
They had been hearing about a forest fire, but what they didn’t know was that it was moving fast right in the direction of Grand Falls. As they traveled closer, though, they could see a smoky haze in the sky and, later, thick smoke billowing upward. When they entered Grand Falls, there was no doubt in their minds that they were very close to the fire.
They pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot. Mr. Jones got off the bus after asking everyone to stay seated until he could learn more about where the fire was heading. What he learned was frightening — the road over which they had just traveled was now closed!
Mr. Jones quickly got back on the bus and everyone shushed to hear what he had to say. They were surprised to hear about the road behind them being closed, and everyone agreed with his decision not to stay at McDonald’s another minute, but to head on toward home.
There went the opportunity for lunch, but that fire was traveling fast ... from several directions.
Thinking about it later, Mr. Jones was thankful to the Lord Jesus for the warning he was given at McDonald’s, and that they didn’t take just a little time to quickly order hamburgers and milkshakes and eat them on the bus as they hurried on. As they found out, even waiting 10 or 15 minutes to order could have spelled disaster.
On the other side of Grand Falls, things looked a little better. They were still hungry, so they found a small restaurant in a shopping mall where they could get some hamburgers like they had been looking forward to all morning.
That food tasted extra good! But while they were taking a break, the forest fire wasn’t. They went back out to get on the bus and were startled to see heavy smoke rolling in from three directions.
Everyone hurried to take their seats and Mr. Jones started the bus as quickly as he could.
They turned to go the direction they needed to go and also the only way that now looked safe, but they didn’t get very far. The police had the highway blocked. They were ordered to turn around and go back to the mall parking lot they had just left as possibly the safest spot around.
They waited there for three long hours, watching the billowing smoke and sparks coming closer. Then they could actually see flames, sometimes leaping nearly 100 feet high as they consumed everything in their path.
They felt helpless and frightened during those hours as they watched the flames closing in around them. Mr. Jones was a child of God, and he prayed for their safety, knowing God would hear his prayer, and he could trust Him with the answer. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:33What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56:3)).
Suddenly, a police car zoomed into the parking lot and the officer announced over his loud speaker, “The highway is open to the west! Escape at once!”
The adults yelled for the kids to get on the bus immediately, and they didn’t need to be told a second time. Mr. Jones followed the last one on, slid into his seat, and took off as fast as that school bus could move.
They made it through and they all heaved a sigh of relief.
But their joy and relief were short-lived.
Suddenly, several of the girls began shouting frantically that they needed to turn around and go back. They were crying and talking at the same time — something had been left behind. Mr. Jones suddenly understood, with a terrible sinking feeling ... two of their girls had been left behind at the mall! In their frantic hurry to leave, they had not counted heads.
Of course, they turned to go back, but now the fire was raging across the highway. They could not go back.
Oh, what could they do? They were all so upset, each one blaming himself.
Mr. Jones turned the bus back west again and drove a little way. Someone spotted a brook, and they decided to pull over. They all went down for a drink as their throats were burning from the smoke and heat. While they were all gathered there, Mr. Jones asked the students and adults to bow their heads while he prayed, crying to the Lord Jesus for the safety of the two girls.
In just three minutes, the Lord Jesus answered that prayer. A police car suddenly pulled up beside the bus, and the two girls tumbled out of the back seat, tears streaming down their faces, but they were tears of relief and joy. And the rest of them were just as relieved and overjoyed as they were. The girls were safe!
What a quick answer to prayer!
As Mr. Jones drove on, he thanked the Lord Jesus for keeping them all safe through that whole scary ordeal. But he also had some sad thoughts. He could not help thinking that when the Lord Jesus comes to take all those who have accepted Him as their Savior to heaven with Him, there will be some (maybe some who were on his bus) who have ignored God’s warning. They will be left behind to suffer the punishment for their sins. And there is no escape from the fire of hell. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)).
Today there is still time to listen to God’s warning and be saved. Won’t you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior right now and be safe?
Messages of God’s Love 3/26/2023