There were 17 school children and several adults on the school bus that day last May. I was their bus driver. We were returning from St. John’s where the children had spent a day or two. They had had a good time sight-seeing and learning about their province of Newfoundland and St. John’s its capital. We had left early that morning and had been traveling quite a while, so we all were looking forward to stopping at the McDonald’s Restaurant in Grand Falls for lunch.
We had been hearing about the forest fire. What we didn’t know was how fast it was moving in the direction of Grand Falls. As we traveled closer we could see smoky haze in the sky and then thick smoke billowing upward. As we came into Grand Falls, there was no doubt in our minds that the fire was very close.
We pulled into McDonald’s parking lot. I got off the bus after asking everyone to stay seated until I could learn more about the fire’s path.
What I immediately learned was rather frightening — the road over which we had just traveled was closed behind us!
I quickly got back on the bus and everyone shushed to hear what I had to say. They were surprised to hear about the road behind us already being closed, and everyone agreed with my decision not to stay here another minute, but to get out.
There went our lunch, but that fire was traveling fast... from several directions.
Thinking back on that day, I can only thank the Lord Jesus for the warning we were given at McDonald’s, and that we didn’t take just a little time to quickly order our hamburgers and milkshakes and eat them on the bus as we hurried out of there. Chances are, even waiting that 10 or 15 minutes to order would have spelled disaster. A Bible verse comes to my mind: “Flee from the wrath to come!” Matthew 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7). The fire of God’s punishment for sin will soon be here. Those who ignore God’s warning now may find out — too late — that they missed the only escape route — the Lord Jesus Christ and His loving offer of salvation. I accepted Him as my Saviour many years ago. I know I am safe from that eternal fire of punishment.
On the other side of Grand Falls it looked a little better, as though maybe we had left the fire behind. We were still hungry and found a small restaurant in a shopping mall where we could get those hamburgers we had been looking forward to all morning. We were glad to get off the bus and stretch our legs a little before going in.
Boy, did that food taste good; we were starved! But while we were taking a lunch break, the forest fire wasn’t. We came out to get on the bus and were startled to see heavy smoke rolling in from three directions.
We scrambled aboard that bus in a hurry! Everyone got seated quickly, and I put that bus in gear!
We turned west, the direction we wanted to go and also the only way that now looked safe. But we didn’t get very far. The police had the highway blocked —the road west was also now closed! We were trapped. They ordered us to turn around and go back to the mall parking lot we had just left — it might be the safest spot around.
We waited there for three long hours. You can imagine the fear that gripped us as we watched the billowing smoke and sparks coming closer. Then we could see flames, sometimes leaping nearly 100 feet high as they consumed everything in their path.
How helpless we felt during those hours as we watched the flames closing in around us. I prayed for our safety. Being a child of God, I knew He would hear my prayer, and I could trust Him for our safe keeping. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” Psalms 56:33What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56:3).
Suddenly, a police car zoomed into the parking lot and the officer announced over his loud speaker, “The highway is open to the west escape at once!”
We hollered to all the kids to get on the bus immediately. They didn’t need to be told a second time — they followed orders. I followed the last one on, slid into my seat, and we took off as fast as that school bus could move.
We made it through! We all heaved a sigh of relief.
But our joy and relief was short-lived.
Suddenly, several of the girls began shouting frantically to me to turn around and go back. They were crying and talking at the same time — something had been left behind. We suddenly understood, with a terrible sinking feeling... two of our girls had been left behind at the mall! In our frantic hurry to leave, we had not counted heads.
Of course we turned right around, but now the fire was raging across the highway. We could not go back.
Oh, what could we do? We all wished we had been more careful, but wishing couldn’t change anything. We were all so upset, each one blaming himself.
I turned the bus back west and drove a little way. Someone spotted a brook, and we decided to pull over. We all went down for a drink as our throats were burning from the smoke and heat. While we were all gathered there, I asked the students and adults to bow their heads while I prayed, crying to the Lord Jesus for the safety of our two young friends who we left behind.
In just three minutes’ time the Lord Jesus answered that prayer. A police car suddenly pulled up beside our bus, and the two girls tumbled out of the back seat, tears streaming down their faces, but they were tears of relief and joy now. And let me tell you, the rest of us were just as relieved and overjoyed as they were. The girls were safe. We hugged them.
What a fast answer to prayer! The Lord is so good. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:1313And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13).
As I was driving, I was thanking the Lord Jesus for keeping us all safe through that whole scary ordeal. But I also had some sad thoughts. I could not help thinking that when the Lord Jesus comes to take all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour to heaven with Him, there will be some (maybe some on my bus) who have ignored God’s warning. They will be left behind to suffer the punishment for their sins. And there is no escape from the fire of hell. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).
Today there is still time to listen to God’s warning and be saved. Won’t you accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now and be safe?
ML-06/21/1987