On Thursday, February 1, a school bus left La Grange Middle School in Texas to take the children home. Karson, a 13-year-old boy, just happened to be riding the bus that day. Usually his mother picked him up, but on this particular day she couldn’t, so she told her son to take the bus home.
A few minutes later, sitting in the bus, Karson and the children noticed that something was very wrong. The driver missed a turn and went off the road into a ditch! Then he had to back up. This is when Karson started to realize the seriousness of the situation. He later said that the driver then started driving in circles and going off into the ditch on almost every corner. Karson realized that he needed to do something quickly, or there was going to be a crash!
There were seven people on the bus – four younger children, Karson and a tenth-grader named Kyler, besides the bus driver. Karson quickly called 9-1-1 on his cell phone to let the police know what was happening. Since the children were crying and upset, he told them to go to the back of the bus and told Kyler to hold onto them.
Then Karson sat on the driver’s lap, who was getting weaker by the minute, and moved his feet out of the way so he could drive the bus. Turning on the flashers, he drove a good two miles before coasting to a stop near a bridge over the Columbia River. In the meantime, Kyler stayed on the phone with the police. When they caught up to the bus, the driver, who was clearly suffering from a medical emergency, was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Karson knew he needed help and did the right thing by calling 9-1-1. Boys and girls (and men and women), we too need help. We were all born into this world as sinners. As sinners, we could not possibly enter into God’s presence in heaven with our sins. We all need a Savior! God knew this and loves us so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die for our sins on the cross. Now all we have to do is put our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus. When we believe that Jesus died for us, we can then ask Him to forgive all our sins. He is faithful and willing to do so and promises eternal life in heaven for all who come to Him. “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). It’s as simple as “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
Karson’s mother, along with many others, were all so grateful that an accident had been avoided. Karson had remained calm and acted quickly, thinking of each next step that had to be taken. What if they had gone into the river? Karson said, “We would’ve all died, because the driver would have swerved off pretty much into the river and off that hill, too.”
Thankfully, they did not have an accident and die. We too are saved from the “horrible pit” of our sins when we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior. None of us have to remain lost and in our sins without Christ. When we call on the Lord Jesus for salvation, the Bible says, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:22He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2)). When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, He fills us with joy and happiness. “He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psalm 40:33And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:3)).
Karson’s mother said, “There was a reason he was on the bus that day!” Yes, God was merciful in saving their lives. And He is waiting to save you from a “horrible pit”! Won’t you come to Him today? Then He will put a “new song” in your mouth, “even praise unto our God”!
ML-07/15/2018