1993 (4BC)
Mark, Dax and I were full of banter and laughs as we wandered down the bitumen road on the lookout. The task of finding a discrete place to share a joint in the Brisbane suburb of Highgate Hill was turning out to be harder than expected. Usually we would smoke at home or up Mount Cootha bushland; smoking in this unfamiliar, densely populated public location was not a comfortable choice. Inner-city Brisbane homes are set close together, generally separated by only the width of a single driveway, and with street lighting designed for high visibility, there was nowhere the sight, sound and smell for our planned antics to go undetected. The year was 1993 and I was 21 years old, four years before I would know Jesus.
Despite recently graduating with a degree, I worked full time behind a bar pouring drinks; underachievement was a well-established version of me. Dax worked with me as a glassy, and Mark was Dax’s mate and frequent patron of the bar Dax and I worked at. It was a Tuesday night, the weekend for those who work in hospitality. The night was young with only one drink under each of our belts, and no drugs yet. The three of us had just left a coworker’s house party that we decided didn’t offer anything worth staying for, so we were on our way to find a better scene. Unable to reach a consensus for our next venue, we were walking the streets nearby the party to find a quiet, dark space to share a joint. Perhaps being stoned would invigorate some new ideas for the evening.
Whilst on our smoking adventure, a car approached in the distance, its headlights threatening to light us up. Mucking around, I announced, “It’s the cops!” and ran towards the nearest fence. Dax and Mark called my bluff and didn't follow my lead, figuring I was just stirring up action and dispensing energy, they knew me well. My plan was to jump the side fence of the corner block house, clear the 80cm height with ease, duck down for a moment in the backyard whilst the car passed, then jump back out onto the footpath to continue our walk. But instead, what happened could not be explained with words in my vocabulary, nor belief system.
I ran at the fence parallel, with joy in my heart, pure playfulness. With my hand on the top rail, I thrust my hips forward kicking my legs out in front of me and over the fence, like a supported scissor kick, ready for a solid landing on the other side. But instead of my feet dropping to the earth, they remained in the air against my intention, my momentum suspended, with me horizontal to the ground. I was caught.
I felt the presence of a number of beings all around me, cradling my whole body from top to toe. They were gathered around me on every side, facing me, positioned as though I was floating on their collective forearms. I remained horizontal as their safe and secure embrace floated me slowly downward until we met the earth. They brought me to a safe and gentle landing on my back, continuing to keep their arms beneath me. I lay there in their embrace, laughing, engulfed in their love, soaking in their glorious presence and the inexplicable atmosphere. I was among others, but I could not identify who or what they were. I could not see them with my physical eyes, but I could see them with blurred vision, using another sense I had not experienced before. I could feel their character, their love, joy, strength, and trustworthiness. They seemed as delighted with my company as I was with theirs.
Then all at once my usual senses reactivated and I felt the cold, hard surface of the earth beneath my back, as the sight, sense and tangibility of my rescuers concurrently evaporated. My sensibilities and adrenaline kicked in, I am in a stranger’s backyard. What if there is a dog? What if it finds me and starts barking to alert the homeowners? What if I am caught trespassing! I put a lid on the sudden panic arising in me and sought to exit the backyard.
I did not know how long I had been in the company of these others, maybe 20 seconds. I did not know how far I had fallen, maybe a metre. I stood up to find the fence but it was pitch-dark and I could not see my hand in front of me. Why was it suddenly so black when the street was so lit up? I took a step forward to where I expected the fence to be, reaching forward to allow my hands to feel what my eyes could not see. Instead of diamond wire fencing my fingertips found a concrete wall covered in thick vines and leaves. I took another step forward to reach higher up the wall to seek out the bottom rail of the fence, only to find more foliage. It was then that I realised I was deep below street level, and I had fallen from a significant height. Trespassing did not fall into my usual antics, and with my adrenaline set upon an imminent dog or angry homeowner encounter, I was very keen to get up and out before being discovered.
Feeling my way, focused on a speedy escape, up the vine wall I blindly scrambled, desperately hoping the branches were strong enough to hold me. Thankfully, I had enough athletic strength for the vertical rapid climb. With each additional grasp and foothold, light began to caste into my circumstance. Once I neared the top rail of the fence, Dax and Mark reached down and grabbed me, pulling me up and over the fence whilst they laughed hard in disbelief. They had just watched me drop into a dark hole and were astounded I reappeared without any physical damage. I joined them in the laughter and although they asked how I escaped injury, I didn’t bother explaining. What could I say? I had no frame of reference or words in my vocabulary to describe what had happened.
I allowed myself only a split second to process the event and potential catastrophic injury. I determined my gentle, floating fall to have been around four metres, 80cm of fencing atop of three metres of wall. I then gave no further regard to my rescuers, and leapt back into the momentum I had departed from, joining my friends to look for somewhere to light up our joint.
Fast forward to today, Dax commented to me this week, "I remember that night! I remember thinking you were dead after I watched you drop like a rock and disappear into a hole. I looked down over the wall and saw you lying on your back giggling like a maniac. Hahahaha good times."
I feel I should say at this point that all three of us, Dax, Mark and I, are now functioning members of society, married, raising families and holding positions of responsibility in our respective industries. We made our way by God's grace.
I have often wondered why God saved me that night, and why He allowed me to see behind the veil to the supernatural. One thing is for sure, I did not deserve either. At that time in my life, I was living with no regard for the consequences my words and actions were causing myself or others. My dislike for myself and subconscious repulsion for people and opportunities that were good for me, led many of my decisions during those years. This experience demonstrated to me that God watches over all people, not only those who behave well, talk to Him, or faithfully attend church each Sunday, for I was none of these. God loves each of us much more than He judges, and He wants good for us all, contrary to what the rumour mill tells us.
I did find out many years later that Mark, Dax and I all had praying parents (but I was not raised in the church). As most of our antics, all in fact, oriented around drugs and alcohol, our parents’ spirituality was never a topic of conversation. God does promise to hear our prayers for generations so I like to think my mum's and grandmother's love, faith and prayers contributed to me having Gods favour that night. I suggest that if you have praying parents, grandparents, or relatives further back, be grateful for their prayers as they are likely sustaining your blessed life. Personally, I now regularly pray to God for my family's future for many generations.
Unfortunately, I continued deeper down the same lifestyle trajectory until hitting rock bottom four years later. Spoiler alert, once there was nowhere else for me to go but out the back door or up, I began to give attention, intelligence and appreciation to spiritual encounters and made significant spiritual, mental and lifestyle changes.
Gods Word
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that Yahweh your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness to a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commandments.
James 5:16b The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
Psalm 91:9-12 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.
Hebrews 1:14 Aren't they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Comments