Unlike some people, I do not believe that God caused me to miss my two most recent bike rides as some form of protection from some unfortunately event.  However I have experienced God’s intervention in my life.  The most obvious one happened 28 years ago this week.

Throughout my Coast Guard career, I would go into work early, so I could go home early.  While I was in the Bay Area I came in early enough to go home around 3:30PM, or so.  On the afternoon of October 17th, 1989, I got a call from one of the guys in my car pool.  Something had come up and he was going to be delayed for about one and a half hours.  We decided we could wait and get a few things done ourselves.  About 15 minutes later, he called back; the problem worked itself out and we were able to go home (about 3:45).

At 5:04PM on that day, the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake hit.  Part of the damage was to a section of HWY 80, known as the Cypress Structure.  The Cypress Structure was an elevated, two story structure that ran for about ½ mile.  The west bound traffic was on the top half, the east bound was beneath.  It was the way we used to go to and from work.  It collapsed on itself, trapping many people and killing several commuters that day.  At the time, I was a single dad, and my girls were in day care on Treasure Island where we lived – waiting for me to pick them up.

That was the first of several “interventions” (read: MIRACLES) God did for me in that couple weeks, and throughout my life.  I will always look with gratitude for what He did and has done on my behalf.  Things that I know about, things that are too numerous to count.  I have shared that story with many people, some who are not believers and will attribute the circumstances to “luck”.

I know better