I thought to myself, in this unfortunate situation, I would at least like to tell the other driver of the gospel of Christ Jesus. Maybe that is why the Lord allowed this to happen. I was trying to think, what I would tell him when I again looked at the passenger door of the Chevy Love pick-up. When the driver "landed" the truck, the driver's side was away from me.

    Looking at the seriousness of the damage from the passenger side, (the truck was totalled), I knew from the way the frame of the vehicle was bend all the way into the middle of the seats that if I had struck the driver's side, he would have in all probability been killed.

    So, that is what I told the driver. I said, Hey, I don't know if you've ever heard about getting saved, before, but if you are not, I would seriously think about getting saved because... if you had landed with your driver's side toward's me, I would have killed you. He seemed to agree as he shook his head in agreement.

Part four: Humility
    I had a little trouble with the insurance company over the matter. They quickly "TOTALLED" my car - only giving me the blue book value of it. It was not enough to drop the car off for a total repair including a rental.

    The car was only physically injured in appearance. It looked hideous but ran very well. After I removed the front bumper, and stomped down the hood, and pulled the front-end out with a "come-a-long". I had a something that would at least take me back and forth to work which was my immediate need.

    I would drive to work very early before dawn to avoid being seen, then come straight home and stayed there throughout the evening only going to the grocery store. People who did see the car out on the street stared at me like I just landed from another galaxy. I don't blame them.

    I began looking for a front end for the car, but it was very, very hard to locate. I looked at buying a new car but (1) they all shrank since '87 and (2) they all cost about $10,000 more than back then. Some used cars I looked at did not run as well as my Crown Victoria. It was really in mint condition before the crash.

    So now about two months after the accident in February '93 I seemed trapped in a situation of driving around in a "Frankenstein-Mobile". This was a very humbling experience, but one that I learned to appreciate. Maybe it was that I liked the car a little too much before the crash. No such feelings any more.

    One day while entering the main entrance gate where I work, a particular gate guard really, "jumped on my case" about coming aboard the installation in a wreck. He was really trying to help me - that is "motivate me" into some sort of action. I tried harder to find the front-end, no longer waiting for the folks who were supposed to be looking for one for me to call.

    Finally, sometime in March, the big day came! Acting on a lead from an auto mechanic I found a complete 1987 FORD LTD CROWN VICTORIA front-end at Ripple's Auto Parts. Although it cost a lot, it was in excellent condition and complete with radiator wiring, lights, everything!

Part five: Brought Together By the LORD
    This is where my next door neighbor and his family came in. My next door neighbor is saved! I'm talking about the father and head of the household. His family was not saved. He has a couple of sons, "BOO" who is about six foot-three, maybe 250 pounds (big), and Darrell. Both in their twenties. Nice fellows but they did not know Christ.

    I have spent hours at the fence, talking about the things of God with Glenwood, the father. My talks with him are some of the best fellowship in the Spirit of the Lord that I have had in this life. All, and I say _all_, of our conversations were filled with great joy as we would begin to get loud sometimes at the fence. I had talked to BOO maybe once or twice about Christ but not much more than that. Darrell doesn't talk much to people at all.

    Well, Glenwood had a pickup truck! He agreed to help me get the front end home so we drove to Ripple's, in Upper Marlboro, and got it. No more interplanetary stares! No more hostile gate guards! No more "pre-dawn launches"! We came home with the front-end towering out of the back of the pickup as though we were returning from a great hunt. We sat it down in the driveway. I was half way there towards the repair of the vehicle!

Part six: The LORD's Will Revealed!
    I am used to working alone, and have done many jobs by myself. But you cannot install the front-end of a Crown Victoria alone, except maybe if you have an overhead crane installed over your driveway. The sheer weight of the front-end requires two men to lift into place and align. I needed some help badly.

    Boo (my next door neighbors son), very kindly offered to help me install the front end. This was great to hear! Also, I don't know if this was in good taste or not, but I offered to pay Boo for his help. It was going to be a big job and I figured that that was the American way.

    So one day later, I dove into the job of installing a new front end on the car. I had the ratchets turning. Boo saw me hard at it and came over to help. He jumped right in and progress was being made.

    Strangely, I decided NOT to talk with Boo about the things of the LORD while working on the car (as much as I wanted to). I had thought to myself that I didn't want Boo to think that he was under an obligation to listen to me tell of salvation in Christ while we had this business arrangement going on. I thought that I would wait until it was totally Boo's decision to talk about salvation. More people reject the gospel than receive it and I didn't want that to happen in the middle of the job.

    To my great surprise, Boo began a discussion with me. In other words, he began to say some very meaningful things that had to do with views of life and the like. It was all that I could do to contain myself, because if I started into the sharing of the gospel, it would be by the power of the Holy Ghost which would overcome me. It would be the end of the front-end repair job - that's for sure.

    I tried to give Boo short answers to his meaningful comments. He said once (knowing my relationship with his father) "Yeah, my father is really from the old school, he believes in the old-fashioned way of doing things." Well, that almost set me off right there! I stopped and told Boo, "That's the only school to be from." Still, I held back from preaching.

    Finally, Boo, laid the last straw on the camel's back. He knew I was saved and he said something in reference to God as an inquisitive statement. Well, that was it for me. I tossed the ratchet down, stood up and looked Boo, right in the eye and told him of the great salva- tion that was in Christ the Lord!

    I told him of the importance of preparing for eternity, insuring that he is saved, being forgiven of sins, by- passing Hell, and more. I told him about the soon coming of Christ, and that all of the signs of His coming were upon us.

    I reminded him of the Biblical account of the flood of Noah and the salvation that was in the Ark. I told Boo of how, though Noah preached for 100 years, and no one believed him, one day (as God said it would), the rain began.

    I told Boo the same situation existed today! Christ said that he _would_ return, and that one must believe and prepare himself for this ultimate event of all-time!

    The front-end job was halted, as I got my Bible out from the back seat pouch, and showed Boo the third chapter of the gospel of John;

John 3:3-5 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

    ...and I showed Boo, from the Bible, the promise of John 3:16;

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    ...and the important description of salvation in Romans 10;

Romans 10:9-13 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (KJV)

    While looking at the very awesome scripture above from Romans 10, somewhere in there I emphasized that _Boo_ needed to call on the name of the Lord to ask to be saved. This is where I got the surprize of my life. Boo, listening intently said, "You mean right now?"

    [Michael] "Yes", I responded.

    [Boo] "You mean right here?" (pointing to the ground)

    [Michael] "Sure!" I said, looking at the driveway asphalt, Boo's finger pointing to it, and his eyes.

    Well, what happened next was, that two grown men got down on their knees, (Boo first) in the middle of a front-end installation, and one lead the other in a prayer of salvation to the Lord GOD of the Bible, and the Saviour Jesus, the Son of GOD.

    This happened so fast that I was completely off balance and astounded! As I had said, I intended from the beginning to hold off on the gospel only because of the nature of our arrangement for him to help me.

    Boo's prayer included the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as _his_ LORD. It included a confession of sin, a request for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a declaration of repentance by faith (everything was by faith), and thanksgiving for the mercy and the grace of the Lord. Boo asked the Lord to write his name in the book of life.

    When we got up from praying before God and man, (who knows who was watching)... I was one born-again Christian who was filled to the brim with "joy unspeakable, and full of glory!" My mind was completely blown at the power, and the wisdom, and the will of GOD Almighty. My mind was blown at the humility of this man who would immediately at his own initiative elect to kneel down in the middle of a driveway to ask the Father to save his soul from Hell. God had blessed me beyond the point at which I could contain it.

Epilogue: ANATOMY of an AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
    I have slight noticable scar on my head from the accident, no big deal. The '87 Crown Victoria has a new paint job and runs like new. In the garage I have (2) brand new radiators (water and air conditioner) in storage alot of extra front end parts.

    Boo, inherited eternal life in Christ the Lord. He has become born-again of the Holy Spirit of GOD who lives in him. He is destined for the Kingdom where Jesus the King will reign forever.

    My faith was expanded by the event by a great measure. When trouble comes now, I don't fall apart. Walking in the light of the fellowship of GOD (1John 1:7), I realize that my steps are _ordered_ by Him. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.

    I realized that the whole auto accident was about Boo's salvation.