Article July 25, 2011 Issue

Roadside assistance with God

An experience of Bev and Kurt Smith

It was a rainy, muddy day on the Dempster Highway, the little traveled dirt road from Dawson City to Inuvik, the northernmost city in Canada accessible by road. My husband, Kurt, and I were about 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, 50 miles from the nearest tow truck in Eagle Plains, 200 miles from the nearest city, and out of cellphone range. 

Our car was on its roof in a ditch, as I had lost control of it on the slippery highway, and we were inside hanging from our seat belts. After taking a moment to get our bearings, we released the belts, crawled across the ceiling, and got out of the car. We were very grateful to feel God’s protecting care, as we were both unhurt. However, it appeared unlikely we would get out of this without significant expense, time lost, disrupted schedules, and mechanical problems. Yet, the thought that we could not be beyond God’s love was very comforting. We both saw this as an opportunity to demonstrate what the Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). We didn’t know how the day would unfold, but we were confident God would guide us, if we listened. 

Our confidence was based on other experiences we have had, where problems were solved through prayer. For example, in 2004, in a remote canyon on Lake Powell in Utah, we had taken a rented powerboat into Smith Fork, where we planned to hike in the slot canyon. We found, however, that we needed to climb an eight-foot sandstone wall to access the canyon. As Kurt started to climb, the red sandstone ledge he was using for a handhold broke when he put his weight on it. He fell backward into the boat, hitting his shoulder on the top of the window frame, and again on the bottom of the boat. He yelled out in pain. I could see his shoulder was misshapen.