God performed a bone fide miracle Saturday in front of a dozen witnesses.

PANTHER CREEK PARK–CLARKSVILLE, GA – I almost died here Saturday.  My six-year-old granddaughter and I were hiking with a group of 30 kids and parents from our church in this beautiful North Georgia recreational area. The trail was not our friend. The eight-mile trek was blanketed by menacing rocks, unforgiving inch-thick roots weaving through the trail, daunting stone outcroppings and paper-thin paths skirting streams beneath sudden and dangerous drop offs.

An expert hiker with us deemed the trail a little shy of expert level (for shilled hiking enthusiasts, not granddaddies or couch potatoes).

Along the way I was negotiating one of those paper thin mazes of rocks and roots next to a cliff.

I miss-stepped on a rock and lost my balance. I fell backwards OFF THE CLIFF!

Here’s the miracle —

I landed on my back on a tree growing out of the rocks just feet below the edge of the cliff. The trunk of the tree rested parallel on my spine–top to bottom. I was perfectly balanced on the tree trunk.  Some branches from the tree cradled me. I felt as if I were in a nest. Several hikers were able to reach down and pull me back up on the path.

Think about this:

• If my back had landed an inch or two on either side of that tree trunk . . .
• If the tree trunk had been thinner . . .
• If the tree had been a foot lower . . .
• If the tree hadn’t been there. . .
• If I had been alone, or with just my granddaughter . . .
• If the tree had not grown soft branches . . .

I wouldn’t be writing this post.

This miracle is NOT ABOUT ME. It is ALL about God and His desire to show us His amazing grace and protection in action. I am grateful beyond words that God allowed me to be a part of it. I will do my best to share this miracle with as many people and readers as I can so He gets ALL the glory.

I’m still trying to wrap my arms around this story and grasp the gravity of the miracle. When I got home that night I pondered two thoughts:

1. It is ONLY by God’s unfailing, amazing grace, and our guardian angels, that we’re not all falling off our own cliffs every day.
2. I’m convinced that God’s not through with me yet; He must have more for me to do for His glory.

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

P.S. This was my second brush with death. My son saved my life on our trip to Alaska in 2006.  If you’d like to read that story, click here