Someone Helped Lift
The passenger express train bound for Karachi, Pakistan, was doing 60 miles an hour. Rounding a curve, the engineer saw the danger too late to avoid disaster.
The express plowed straight into a derailed oil freighter. Within four minutes the smashed cars were ablaze, with more than 100 people trapped inside.
Pastor A. F. Jesson was asleep in an upper berth of the third car behind the engine when the crash occurred. He awakened to find himself pinned under his bunk. He felt what he thought was water flowing over him up to his waist. Actually this was diesel oil from the wrecked tanker.
Pastor Jesson pushed against his bunk and was able to get free. Flames from the oil tanker were already 40 feet high, and the winter wind was blowing them in the direction of Pastor Jesson’s compartment. Just then he heard screams for help. One of his traveling companions was trapped under three feet of wreckage.
After trying to lift the planks, Pastor Jesson called for help. By now the fire was at their car, and the helper fled.
“Don’t leave me to die!” the trapped man pleaded. Pastor Jesson sent a cry to God for help. Then he bent down to make one more effort.
“Someone lifted with me,” Pastor Jesson said, “and we were able to set the man free.” Pastor Jesson looked around for the man who had helped, but no one was there.
Although Pastor Jesson and the man he had rescued were now surrounded by flames, their oil-soaked trousers did not catch fire. Hand in hand the two men ran from the blazing compartment.
“You saved my life!” said the grateful man.
“Thank the Lord,” said Pastor Jesson, looking back at the burning train. “Without Him we would not have come out alive.”
Excusing himself, Pastor Jesson then went behind a grove of cactus to praise the Lord for the miraculous assistance and deliverance. Not only was he alive, but he had not a cut or a bruise anywhere!
Dorothy Eaton Watts