Miracles and Miracle Testimonies

It was December 30, 1986 about 4:30 PM, Little did I know, the events that would unfold over the next 2 hours, would change my life Forever.

I was working as a fuel, oil and gasoline truck driver in 1986, I had taken care of the days deliveries and went home, Showered and just settled in to eat when my boss called and said we had one last order. A Gas Station who owned their own tankers had ran out of gas. They called us to get 2500 Gallons, just enough to get through the New Year Holiday. I finished eating, Put my dirty uniform back on and headed out the door.

I loaded the truck, 1000 Gallons of Regular, 1000 Gallons of Unleaded and 500 gallons of Premium, and went in the office to get my invoice, as I was leaving the office, another employee Noticed I didn’t have coveralls on and Offered me his. Of course I politely said no thank you. But to my surprise, He insisted on me putting them on, We went back and forth for the next few moments, My self trying to change the subject and Him Insisting I wear the coveralls, Thank God he did!!! I finally gave in and put them on.

Everything was going ok, Nothing strange or out of the way at all as I approached the red light at the intersection of Garden Creek and Route 460 near Vansant VA. The other driver came out onto 460 going east my direction. My light went green so I let off the brakes, geared up and began following him through the snake like curves for the next 2 or so miles. He was driving perfectly, there was nothing to alert me of his Drunken Condition, He never swerved, or left his lane in any way. As we approached the State Highways Department he signaled to the right, and started turning into the wide graveled area beside the State Highway Department. I went into the left hand east bound lane to pass well away from the stopping truck I had followed. When Suddenly without warning he came straight back into Both the east bound lanes, Spotted me coming and Slammed his brakes on. Needless to say, That was a Big Mistake !!!

I locked up my Brakes, Tires squealing, Truck Shaking, Engine Screaming as I jerked it out of gear. I looked down the hood of my truck, I was heading Straight for the drivers door. The look on his face was Pure Terror, That must be the look of a man who knows he is about to die. I slid the 66 feet to impact. I will never forget the feeling, that I was fixing to be involved with the taking of a Human Life. He was lined up perfectly with the center of my grill on the Gasoline Truck. My heart sank, I turned the wheel left, and moved as close to the concrete median as possible, To my GREAT relief, I was now lined up on the front fender of his pickup instead of his door.

I remember the impact was LOUD as I Slammed into his pickup!!! My world went upside down as my tanker went into a roll to my left, Thank God there were no cars coming west on 460 at that moment!! The windshield Shattered into a spider web, Bright White, Red, Orange and Blue Sparks flew at me as the cab began to crushed around me. The only way to describe the sound is, Metal Screaming at the top of its voice as it twisted and tore. Glass Crunching, Things flying around bouncing back at me, and the Roar of the truck as I slid East down both West bound lanes.

Then there was a HUGE Rush like a Hurricane Wind, The tank had ruptured and exploded just as it came to a halt. Everything went silent, and then rushed back in as the flames engulfed me. I immediately started trying to find a way out, Feeling with my hands, urgently wanting away from the fire that was burning the life out of me, But finding No way out, My body by reaction, took a breath of flames. It then hit me, “OH MY GOD, IM DEAD”. A strange peace came over me, I thought of my wife and 2 young sons. “WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITHOUT ME”, with a sorrowful heart I Thought, “God, Please don’t let me die” INSTANTLY the flames parted, fresh air was inside the cab, I saw the only suite covered window left in my truck, My drivers Door. I kicked it with every ounce of strength I had. As the glass shattered, I saw the river of gasoline flowing on the ground straight out that window in front of me, But it Was Not Burning, There in front of me was a clear path, through the flames on the right and left sides of me. It was like being in a tunnel, with fire all around. There was a man standing maybe 200 - 300 feet away as I stood up and ran from the tanker, Straight through that River of Gasoline. He grabbed me as I started to pass him, “ARE YOU OK” he said. Yes, Yes I am, I turned and looked back at the largest ball of fire I had ever seen, There was no Tanker, No Pickup, No nothing but an ENOURMOUS ball of fire. I thought “OH GOD NO !!! , I HAVE KILLED HIM” I just knew the other man was in that Ball of Fire, Crushed some where beneath my Tanker Truck, and I had just helped bring his life to an end. The feeling was heart wrenching as I spoke to God again, and ask for the mans life to be spared. We looked but couldn’t see anything, The Ball of fire covered all 4 lanes of Route 460.

I would find out a few minuets later, an ambulance from Vansant had picked him up on the other side of my Burning Gas Truck. I was Extacdict, Thank God I said in Relief. I don’t think I was ever so glad of something in all my life, Whew, he wasn’t dead.

I knew the EMT Medics were torn up, That was easy to see by their rush to attend to my wounds and ask if I was breathing ok. I Quickly assured them, telling them, “its ok, I am going to be ok, God Saved My Life”. I continued reassuring them as we drove on to the hospital, saying “Its all going to be OK” I could hear the urgency in their voice as they talked over the 2 way radio with Humana Hospital Clinch Valley in Richlands VA. Explaining what they were bringing in, Me a Burn Victim, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his Face, Both hands, No lacerations visible, The patient is alert, But possibly going into shock, ETA, 12 minutes.

They ran redlights, Drove up onto the raised grassy median passing cars at the red-lights, Let me tell you, These guys were in a HURRY !!! Bless their hearts, They didn’t know what I knew, GLORY TO GOD I had been Redeemed AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somebody better Praise The Lord, He is Still God and Still in Complete Control, and WILL Deliver his people who call him by Name and Ask for his Grace and help.

The doors swung open, Man the whole ER Team must have been out there. They jerked me and that stretcher out the back doors with a vengeance, and whoosh off to a Trauma Room we went. All the while I was saying” ITS OK ITS OK, EVERYONE TAKE A DEEP BREATH, I AM GOING TO BE OK”. The next few minuets were a blur, Drs and Nurses whizzing in and out of the room. I could tell I ,must have looked Horrific, from the looks on their faces, Pure Urgency not a minuet to loose.

A Virginia State Trooper appeared, He said, Mr Matherly I am so and so and introduced himself, Then said “Do you think you can answer a few questions about what happened, I really need to get a statement from you” he said, “Of Course, what would you like to know” I asked. “Just start from the beginning or from where ever you remember from, and tell me what happened Mr Matherly. And I recited the story I just as I have told it here in my testimony, In less detail, Until I got to the part about How God Parted the flames and delivered me from Certain Death. They all thought I was hallucinating and going into shock, But GLORY TO GOD, I wasn’t, I knew that I knew, and I knew who saved my roasted hide, And I didn’t hesitate to tell everyone that, Because its TRUE !!! GLORY GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, HE LIVES !!!!!!!

I remember talk of a burn unit in Houston TX, I heard someone say “UVA is closer, They can transfer him from there”. So they patched me up at Humana hospital , and called for air flight to take me to UVA Burn Center in Charlottesville VA. That was the closest burn unit, But a Thick Heavy Fog had set in and the Med Flight People said they couldn’t fly, It was to thick, So back into the Ambulance and off to UVA we went. I don’t remember much after that, I do recall getting to UVA, But no details clearly come to mind for the next several hours. I remember Pulling my eyes open the next night at Midnight as my wife and I watched the last seconds of 1986 tick away from NY City.

I had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my Hands and my face, But because my coworker pretty much forced me to ware his fireproof coveralls, It hadn’t burned any of the rest of my body, It would have been Much Worse without the coveralls.

The Team of Doctors at UVA Burn Center said I would be in the Burn Unit for 6 - 12 months... NOT HARDLY. I was at home in my own bed in just 23 days, and released from the Doctors care within 6 Months. PRAISE GOD !!!!

That’s the Miracle of 1986 in my life, I have had other Miracles since, But that was a personal one, He saved my life, Literally. Our God is a wonderful Father, Friend, and Comforter. He has never failed me, and never will. If you don’t know him, For Goodness Sake, Give him a chance. I don’t care who or what you are, God loves you!! He will accept your offer of friendship right now, Just like you are. You don’t have to change one thing. He will help you to become the person you so badly want to be, The person he knows you are and can be. Only God has the Grace and understanding to know just what we desire within our selves, and Only he is able to help us achieve our goals. His strength is beyond understanding, His Wisdom is unimaginable, and his Grace is a Gift he will give to anyone who will accept it. Jesus said it like this in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”.

God in the flesh as Jesus Christ Himself, Called us His Friends, What a Great privilege it is to know the Creator of EVERYTHING, called You and I, His Friends. What a great honor it is to come into the presence of one whose Love passes all human understanding. I urge anyone who reads this, To forget what Anyone says or thinks about you, and even what you think about yourself. Friend You Are Good Enough, God wants to be your very best friend, Your protector, Your Comforter, God the Father. Jesus the Savior, and his Holy Spirit that lives inside all who will invite him in, and ask for his help and forgiveness, Do you need a friend right now, There is one waiting only a few words away from you at this Very Moment, If you will accept his Gift of Love, Forgiveness, compassion and Friendship. I hope to meet you someday here on earth, and If not, I will see you in heaven.

Don’t forget, God Himself, Jesus His Son and The Holy Spirit Love you. Even if no one else loves you, including yourself, They do.

Your Friend Always,
Pastor Will






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