1 October 17, 1989
At 5:00 pm October 17, 1989 plans were being made by the
pastors gathered for a retreat in Oxnard, California to set up a room for
watching the World Series being played in San Francisco. I am reminded of this because the Giants are
playing in the World Series again. Eric,
my roommate and I, had just gotten back to our room to prepare for the evening
when at 5:04 the room shook.
An earthquake to our north had reached all the way south to
shake the ground. The cameras were
already rolling preparing for game three of the Series between the San
Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics.
It was the first Bay Area World Series, the first time a major
earthquake was broadcast life. The Loma
Prieta Earthquake as it was later called led to the collapse of the Nimitz
Bridge. Buildings and other structures around the Bay Area were damaged as
well. According to reports there were 63
deaths and 3,757 injuries. Some have
considered the timing of the game as lifesaving. Instead of being in rush hour traffic people
were at the game or somewhere watching the game when the earthquake
struck. At our gathering in Oxnard there
were prayers. We didn’t know all that
was going on, but we prayed.
2 The Pitcher
The Giants had a pitcher who had a memorable moment before
they reached the series that year. It
was in a game against Montreal. Giant’s pitcher Dave Dravecky, a left-hander
who had returned after a bout with cancer and surgery on his arm, was on the
mound. Dravecky pitched three no-hit
innings, but in the fifth inning, he felt a tingling sensation in his arm. In
the sixth inning, he started off shaky. Then, on his first pitch to Tim Raines,
his humerus bone snapped; the sound of it breaking could be heard throughout
the stadium. Dravecky collapsed on the mound. He'd suffered a clean break
midway between his shoulder and elbow.
He would later have his arm and shoulder amputated as the cancer had
returned and spread. He told his story
in the book Comeback. It was his book and the number of people
moved by it that led to my small part in this giant moment. (For Dave’s story http://www.cbn.com/tv/1429132315001)
Dave Dravecky was a Christian baseball player, but not a
pastor or counselor. The popularity of
his story and the number of people contacting him were overwhelming. So, Insight for Living, the radio ministry of
Charles Swindoll, has pastors on staff who are counselors as well and I was one
of them. We were asked to assist
Dravecky. He came by met us, shared
some, and we got a feel for how to proceed.
He went on to be a motivational speaker, launch his own ministry and
write other books. As a pastoral
counselor dealing with the concerns, questions, stories of people dealing with
serious situations and health issues it was a blessing to be part of the team.
I had the opportunity to wrestle with deep human needs, respond to theological
questions, pray for people I didn’t know.
3 The Problem Solver
The earthquake damage was extensive. How to deal with the collapse of the
double-decker Nimitz Freeway was a huge concern to California’s transportation
system. Cars were crushed in it, the
Freeway was needed, it was a mess. Initial
attempts to remove the piles of heavy twisted metal and broken concrete slabs
failed. Roger Stull was contacted.
He had a company that specialized in problem
solving. He came up with the solution
and removed the damaged sections of freeway quicker than expected. He was contacted first when the earthquake
hit LA a few years later. Roger served
at the church in Fullerton we were part of at that time. He had a heart for the things of the Lord and
found ways to use his gifts to benefit God’s kingdom. He was a good businessman, creative,
innovative, determined, and reliant on the Lord. At times around the table in conversations I
was amazed at his humility and quiet strength.
4 The Giant Moments
It seems only the stars shine. You know the MVPs, the CEOs, the head of this
or the top of that. And it is only right
to give credit to those who have worked hard and seen their efforts come to
fruition. But it may be that there are
other giant moments as well.
Remember Elijah? He
is one man doing something many people consider of little use. He is one man in a country filled with others
more powerful, more numerous, more influential.
He is one man who talked to God and God changed the weather. That is a giant thing.
Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed
earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then,
when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its
crops. James 5:17-18 (NLT)
Elijah is an example of someone who is involved in giant
moments but not seen in his world as anything much. He is to be a model for us however.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and
produces wonderful results. James 5:16 (NLT)
Your prayer could be that important element that releases
great power and produces wonderful results.
October 17, 1989 a group of pastors prayed. (I am sure others were praying as well, but I
can account for these things.) The
earthquake changed and challenged the lives of millions in a moment. God’s power was turned loose. Angels were on site. The unseen was producing wonderful
results. Dravecky wrote his story of
coming back from cancer and being part of the Giants team that went to the
Series and suffered in the earthquake it touched people who needed the message…who
needed to know God. Roger, a humble
servant of God with a way to deal with the earthquake damaged freeway, was
placed in the role to help.
Scripture doesn’t credit the king or his counselors or big
business or bankers or the entertainers of Elijah’s day with great power and
wonderful results. Have you been part of
the giant moments of people’s lives by your prayers? Have you joined with God in earnest prayer
and watched God, the Living God, act in power and produce wonderful results in
the giant arenas of our day? If not,
would you like to?
Pray. Learn to pray
better. Look to God more as you
pray. Take time to pray. Trust God as you pray.
If you haven’t seen His great power and wonderful results,
then ask Him to remove the scales from your eyes and allow you to see the work
He is doing all around
God is
our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will
not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Psalm
46:1-2 (NLT)
Randy Huddleston
Pastor, Grace Bible Church Pryor,
Oklahoma
