Debra Gauthier

A few weeks ago I was driving to meet some friends visiting from out of town when the unexpected happened. I had prayed that morning and reminded God that I was available if He needed to use me that day. So there I was sitting at the stoplight at Charleston getting ready to turn north on Rampart when I noticed a homeless woman going from car to car asking for money. I considered stopping to pray with her when I sensed a prompting not to stop. My thought was, That’s odd, because God wants me to pray for a person in need, right?

In the next moment I would come to understand why God did not want me delayed. Suddenly, I heard the deafening sound of metal crashing against metal and saw from the corner of my eye a white convertible go airborne as it struck several cars. At that moment I was turning through the intersection, and a split second later I would have been in the fatal path of that oncoming vehicle. I continued on through the intersection and immediately pulled over to the side of the road, somewhat shaken but also feeling a sense of calm. While processing what just happened I heard in my spirit, “Go pray for the man in that car!” I looked toward the wreckage and saw a small compact vehicle completely smashed under the impact of the convertible. I thought, There’s no way anyone could have survived that crash, but I knew God’s voice so I went.

I rushed toward the accident scene, stopping at the first vehicle, which had been struck by the out-of-control convertible. I leaned inside and asked an elderly woman if she was okay. She was visibly shaking and going into shock so I said, “Can I pray for you?” She nodded her head yes and I put my hand on her shoulder and spoke, breaking off the spirit of fear, and the peace of GOD was ushered into that place. She sighed with relief and began to relax as my eyes were opened in the spirit to see a big angel sitting in the passenger seat next to her. I said, “Ma’am, there’s an angel sitting next to you. You’re going to be all right.”

I left and rushed over to the car that was crushed underneath the airborne vehicle and observed a smoldering mass of entangled metal with all the air bags deployed. I couldn’t see anyone in the vehicle so I turned to walk away when I heard, “Go lay your hand on that man and pray for him.” What man? I thought as I turned and suddenly could see an elderly white haired man slumped down in the driver’s seat. He was wearing a red shirt and I could see the blood coming out of his ears. I gently placed my hand on his back and prayed, “If you don’t know Jesus, just call out His name and you will be saved!” It wasn’t a fancy prayer but it got the job done, and somehow I knew the man had heard me.

A few moments later the paramedics arrived and pronounced the man dead at the scene. They spread a tarp over his vehicle as they awaited the coroner and the police who would do the fatal traffic investigation. The young woman driving the vehicle that went airborne was seriously injured and was seizing in her vehicle so it was initially thought she may have had a medical emergency.

As I drove away I reflected on God’s amazing mercy and thought, What are the odds I would be at that intersection barely escaping being in the accident and available to pray for a man who was within seconds of leaving this earth realm and entering eternity without Jesus? I am convinced the man not only heard me but called out to Jesus in the last seconds of his life so that he would be saved. I am not sure what that man’s journey here on earth was like, but I know from my own life that God is long suffering and patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish. The hard reality is that there are people who ignore these promptings—or, even more frightening, reject God. I would have been one of those people had God not showed up in my life in a very powerful way.

Angels are real and they are here with us on planet earth protecting and ministering to those who will receive salvation. There are also demons whispering lies that there really isn’t a God and he doesn’t care about people anyway. Maybe you have been listening to those lies. I just want to encourage you today and let you know that Jesus is very much alive and has the angels on assignment protecting us. If you haven’t asked Jesus to reveal himself to you and come into your life, please do so because He lives for that day when we will believe and acknowledge Him as Lord.

(To read more about angels, check out my book, Bright Lights, Dark Places)

Another year is behind us and we ask ourselves, Where did it go? Did you do some reflection at the start of the new year to glean the nuggets of wisdom you gained along the way? Or did you just sigh a relief that you made it through. I know if we are not careful, the years can just roll into one another like the waves in the sea and we can get frustrated that nothing seems to change—just the same old stuff with a new date. It’s been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Do I have any insane people reading this right now?

There is another interesting phenomenon that happens when reflecting on the previous year. Do you have a tendency to look at the negative and then beat yourself up over the perceived failures? It is something that I struggle with, and out of sheer frustration I want to just throw in the towel as I tell myself “What’s the use?”

Well, all that can become a thing of the past with one simple change. It requires a shift in focus from the external things that are ever changing to the eternal things that are everlasting.

So what is the one thing that will change your life in 2016? I am so glad you asked. It is something that I learned 18 years ago when I started following the One that created it all and reading this amazing book called the Bible. Regardless of what you have heard, it is a guidebook for living life on planet earth. If you are wondering why your life is lacking and you just don’t seemed to be satisfied, well this is it—the missing ingredient. It is the one thing that changes everything.

God says when we seek his Kingdom first, meaning getting into the Word and really pressing into the wisdom that is contained within the pages of this book, he will add to our lives the things we need. That isn’t always the things that we think we need but the things that he knows we really need. It’s moving from the temporal things that are passing to the eternal things that are everlasting.

One of the first things to seek after is wisdom. And how do we get wisdom? It starts with the reverential fear of the Lord. That is the beginning of knowledge and the principle thing in our lives. I wasn’t someone who was raised up in the ways of God and I didn’t read the Bible until I was 40 years old. So like many others I forged my way through life on my own and did what I thought was right in my own eyes. I was what the Bible describes as a fool and you can read in my book where that got me.

Here’s the key: When we turn our ears to wisdom and apply our heart to understanding, something transforming happens—we find the hidden treasure in the word of God. It is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. We gain knowledge and true understanding, and with that come success and protection. So I challenge you this year to read through the Bible and search for the rich treasure that is within the pages of that book. You won’t be disappointed!

The holidays can be a difficult time for many people; I know they were for me until something changed all that. It happened before Christmas several years ago when a friend, Candy, invited me to go to a Bible study. I told her that I didn’t have time but she was persistent and I finally gave in. The night of the meeting Candy introduced me to a sweet couple who were the hosts. When the man heard my last name he looked surprised and asked, “Do you have a father named George?” Now I was shocked, and although my first instinct was to say no, I nodded my head yes.

The man’s name was Tom and he explained he was the chaplain of the prison where my dad was serving time. My mind flashed back to the day when I received a telephone call while working as a lieutenant on the police department. I recognized the voice on the other end of the line. It was Wayne, a friend of mine who worked as the homicide commander. He said, “Deb, we have your father in custody for murder and he is asking for you.” I was in shock as I felt the surge of anger rising. “Wayne,” I replied, “my father abandoned our family when I was ten years old. I don’t know that man.” Wayne told me he understood and went the extra mile by protecting me from the press.

My father was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend, and unbeknownst to me, Tom had led my dad to the Lord. Since that time my dad and a group of inmates had been praying for me and my family. They had no idea that God had answered their prayers as I, too, had given my life to Jesus and was now reborn in the spirit. Wouldn’t it be just like God to use a tragic situation to save a soul?

So there I was standing in front of the chaplain who had led my dad to the Lord. What are the odds of that? You see, the devil had in mind death and destruction but God’s plan was redemption and restoration. There may be someone reading this post that has also experienced a traumatic loss and still be wondering where God was in all of it. All I can tell you is that He has a way of turning tragedies in our lives for good. Had my dad not gone to prison there is a good chance he would still be in the darkness and certainly would not have been praying for me. He later told me that he had to go to prison to get out of his own prison and become a free man.

That night at the Bible study Tom asked me if I would mind if my dad wrote me. I reluctantly gave him my address, and a few weeks before Christmas I received a card in the mail. It had an inmate number from the prison where he was serving time so I knew who it was from. I slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the card, which had a picture of the Lion and Lamb lying together. There were no words—the picture spoke a thousand—and inside, my dad neatly printed the following message:

Dear Debra,
I’ve asked God a thousand times for a chance to see you before I die. Now I have the chance, I don’t know what to say or even begin to say, except that I do want to see you. I thank God for people like Brother Tom. It’s strange how the Lord works. God bless you and I always have loved you.
Love,
Your Father

The tears began to flow as my heart was healed from a deep wound of abandonment. I later visited my dad in prison, and God, who is a Father, completed that work of healing and reconciled our relationship. My dad has since gone on to Heaven and I now realize how personal this God is whom I serve. Had He not made a supernatural arrangement for me to reconnect with my dad I would probably still be carrying around the baggage of that unresolved hurt. As we gather together for the holidays, remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate and His gift of salvation, freedom and healing is absolutely free.

Merry Christmas!

(To read the rest of the story, pick up a copy of “Bright Lights, Dark Places”)