The Wheel That Missed
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
--Psalm 91:9-11
For many years, Bob McKnight served as the bus driver for all kinds of church trips—mission trips, youth trips, and Senior Adult trips. In this role, Bob experienced multiple times when God’s providence and protection kept him (and the passengers he ferried) from harm. Here’s one example of how he saw God’s protection at work:
In May 2004, the SAM leaders planned a wonderful trip to stage shows in Branson, Missouri. I believe God intervened to keep the group safe and in good spirits. While we were traveling about 70 mph on I-70 just east of Vandalia, Illinois, the studs holding the coach bus’s left rear dual wheels sheared off! One 250lb tire and wheel flew across the eastbound lanes of I-70, while the other crashed off the right side of the highway into a thicket of trees. The tag axle wheel – the only remaining wheel at the rear of the coach - was not designed to carry that much weight, but it held the load, kept the coach level, and allowed us to coast safely onto a wide shoulder away from traffic.
A 250lb wheel traveling 70mph toward oncoming traffic would have been like a 140lb cannonball, powerful enough to destroy any car or SUV. The other wheel missed the underpass, several businesses, and nearby houses by about 300 yards before tearing through a wooded area, bouncing off large trees and knocking down smaller ones with trunks as thick as my arm.
Well, were we lucky? I think God guided a lot of things to avoid any serious injury. The tag axle, which was not designed for that kind of load, held up. The road, which 400 yards back was on a bridge with no berm, provided a wide shoulder to coast off onto to be out of traffic. And the miracles did not stop there. From the bus we could see a Taco Bell at the Vandalia exit about a quarter mile away. Police arranged for another bus to pick up the senior adults and take them there. The restaurant welcomed our group for the eight hours it took to repair the coach. They even brought out a bingo game and small prizes to help pass the time!
The repair shop began work on the wheel studs right away and got the needed parts sent by taxi from St. Louis in a few hours. Not one passenger complained, and in the end, the trip was saved! Only one show had to be changed in our itinerary, and we were able to stay on schedule after our late arrival. Too many details came together for me not to see God’s protection over this group!
--Bob McKnight