A friend in Chicago once shared a fascinating story – the day of his greatest crisis, when he almost ended his life. It was a dark time in his life, going through a grievous divorce process. His spouse left him with two toddlers, two little girls. He also was the primary caregiver for his ninety-year-old mother. Stress and struggle surrounded him. Brokenness everywhere he turned. One day, the darkness closed in like a shroud. He walked out of the attorney’s office, shaken and heartsick by the threats his former spouse was making against his family. There seemed no hope. Depression filled his mind.

He walked to the subway, feeling helpless and alone. As he waited at the station, he saw a train approaching from the other end, and immediately felt an enormous urge to jump in front of it. It was an overwhelming and irrational feeling, just to jump and leave the problems. The thought half-formed in his mind, and in that instant, he started forward – ready to jump.

But suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman rushing down the station stairs. He turned to see her more clearly, because something indefinable about her drew his eyes to her. Stranger still, the mysterious woman rushed straight towards him and hurriedly shoved a paper in his hand. She never slowed her pace, but just pushed the paper into his hand and then “seemingly vanished.” He looked further down the platform and could not see her.

He said that this strange encounter shook him out of his death wish; his mind shifted from thoughts of possible suicide to processing what just happened. So, he boarded the train and sat down to read what she had given him. It was a simple article entitled, “God on a tandem bike.”

The essay likened life’s journey to riding on a tandem bike with God, starting out with self in the driver’s seat, and God in the back, helping pedal. At this stage in his life, he was glad to let God help with powering the bicycle without being too talkative. But as he piloted the bike through great trials and tough passages, at some point God suggested that they change places. And, as God took the driver’s seat, suddenly his life changed: At first, he couldn’t trust God to take the corners at high speeds, or trust the random “shortcuts,” or fly across deep chasms, but God would smile and say, “Just pedal!” So he pedaled, and learned to trust God with the driving – and, for the first time, began to really live.

My friend said, “As I read this tract, I realized, however dimly, that I had been approached and rescued by an angel or an angelic presence.” The divorce is long since resolved; he’s buried his mother, faithful to her; and now raised his daughters to beautiful women.

You may be reading this article, wondering how you can go on, praying for strength to survive, praying for a sign of heavenly love, or holy purpose. If so, I tell you in the love of God that this article is your sign of hope – a divine valentine. If your heart can hear, God is calling you even now, asking that you simply let Him drive. Give the driver’s seat to Him, and just pedal. You will never want for purpose, and you will surely pass through the darkness. This too will pass. Light is ahead, darkness is passing, dawn is on the mountains. You are loved, and your life has meaning. Look up, and live, friend. LIVE! Alleluia.