Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

The dynamo light went out, and it was pitch black. Grace beganto scream. There were no cars; not a soul was about. The woodlandwas on either side of the road, we were alone… my childscreaming. I couldn’t see anything in the blackness and I couldn’tmove the bike. I put my hand at the back, feeling under myscreaming daughter, and it came away dripping wet and warm. Iknew what it was. It was blood.My legs were out straddling the bike, trying to steady it whilesomehow I got my right leg over the handlebars. I took the wholeweight off the buckled back end, lifted the bike onto its frontwheel, carried it to the side of the road, and leaned it against awall. There, while Grace was sobbing and shrieking, I sought topull the spokes out from her leg. They seemed to have gone inright to the bone. It was an impossible situation, in the pitchdark, my child screaming, at the bottom of the hill, at the bottomof my life.The presence of God completely left me as I struggled and cried,“Oh God, I don’t know what to do.” Every movement of thespokes only gave Grace more pain, and she screamed and bledprofusely. I finally gave up. I took the weight of my trapped childand the crumpled wheel and I pushed that bike 10,000 milesuphill in the black night for what felt like an eternity.Finally, we reached home, and Marj came running out with alight. We took off the seat belt and somehow managed to get thespokes out of Grace’s leg. We carried her into the house, bathedher and put her to bed. We had never gone to a doctor but hadalways looked to the Lord to meet any of our needs, and thistime was no exception. We committed her to the Lord that night,the worst night of my life. Little fingers pushed through the cotrails, holding onto Daddy’s hand while she sobbed and I joinedher. It was six or seven weeks before we knew whether our childwould walk again.Everybody was most sympathetic, most considerate, doing anythingand everything to help us. I didn’t need their sympathy. Iknew God had spoken to me that night. I had to divide betweentwo issues, whether God was dealing with me because I had fooledabout with a schoolgirl’s affections or because I had judged mybrother.94