Today is the first of our military-and-service themed Miracle Mondays, and this one was submitted by California Highway Patrol officer Brother Mark Rabe.

During my typical graveyard shift as a patrolman, I was partnered up with my friend, Scott. It was a somewhat quiet night, and I got a routine call from my dispatch to go check for a road hazard on a rural mountain highway called Ortega Highway. Many Southern Californians know it as a very dangerous and fatal road. In fact, most of the fatal traffic collisions in our jurisdiction usually occur on this highway.

On this evening as I was responding to the road hazard, I drove up the mountain highway into a canyon area. I drove to the location dispatch had given me and was unable to locate the road hazard. I continued farther up the road and, still, I couldn’t find it.

I made a U-turn and headed back down the mountain out of the canyon and advised my dispatch that I was unable to locate the road hazard. I began to talk with my partner, Scott, as we headed down back into the city.

All of a sudden, I saw a group of four vehicles traveling toward my location. One of the four vehicles was traveling in my lane as it came around a blind curve. As you can imagine, seeing headlights racing towards you makes your heart sink in your chest. Since there was a car traveling in the opposite lane and one traveling at me in my lane, the only option was to try and squeeze into the very narrow right-hand shoulder between a concrete wall and the wrong-way vehicle.

It all came at me so suddenly that I had very little time to react. I swerved to the right just as the vehicle came at me, and our vehicles managed to sideswipe instead of hit head on.

I closed my eyes and braced for the impact. As our vehicles sideswiped, both my partner’s airbags and mine deployed, and we came grinding to a halt. Smoke quickly filled the vehicle from the airbags, and our ears were ringing. I looked over to my partner and asked if he was OK, and he advised me that he was fine. He exited the vehicle and made contact with the errant driver.

I stayed in the car for a minute to catch my breath, and it was all kind of foggy at the time, but I believe I said a prayer thanking God. I then exited the vehicle and advised my dispatch that we were involved in a traffic collision with a wrong-way driver on the rural highway and requested an ambulance for precaution.

We learned that the driver who hit us was attempting to pass the vehicle immediately in front of him, all while driving on a blind curve — and his driver’s license was suspended at the time.

My partner and I walked away from the collision without a single scratch. I know the hand of God was placed over us, and we walked away from a potentially fatal collision. I asked Scott if he thought God had a hand in the matter. Scott said, “Yes.” He also said, “We walked away without a scratch … Can’t say that for most of the crashes on that highway.”

So, I want to thank God for his continual hand of protection over me. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!

Miracle Monday Theme for August

Next month, our theme is “help in difficult times.” Sometimes we go through a tough season of life, whether it’s a bout of illness, a battle with depression, or a financial crisis. We want to hear about how God helped you as you were walking through the valley. Click here to share your story, or email it to us. 

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.