ArcaMax

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m fearful of traveling by train and worse by air. How can I overcome this terror? – G.P.

A: The British express train raced through the night, its powerful headlight piercing the darkness. Queen Victoria was a passenger on the train. Suddenly the engineer saw a startling sight. Revealed in the beam of the engine’s light was a strange figure in a black cloak standing in the middle of the tracks and waving its arms. The engineer grabbed for the brake and brought the train to a grinding halt. He and his fellow trainmen clambered down to see what had stopped them. But they couldn’t find a trace of the strange figure. On a hunch, the engineer walked a few yards farther up the tracks.

Suddenly he stopped and stared into the fog in horror. A bridge had been washed out. If the engineer had not heeded the ghostly figure, his train would have plummeted down into the stream. Not until they got to London did they solve the mystery. At the base of the engine’s headlamp, the engineer discovered a huge dead moth. On impulse, he wet its wings and pasted it to the glass of the lamp. Climbing back into his cab, he switched on the light and saw the “flagman” in the beam that had caused him to stop seconds before the train was due to reach the washed-out bridge. In the fog, it appeared to be a phantom figure, waving its arms.

When Queen Victoria was told of the strange happening she said, “I’m sure it was no accident. It was God’s way of protecting us.” God, quite possibly through the ministry of His unseen angel, prevented a tragedy. Most important, we can trust God because our lives are in His hands.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2024 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.