God turned my worst day into my best day. On Dec. 23, 1966, the car I was driving was struck by a drunk
driver. I lay unconscious on the front seat of my car. A great samaritan, who was driving the car behind
me put his overcoat on me to keep the cold air off my lifeless body till the ambulance arrived. The
ambulance took me to Wood County Hospital where my family doctor stitched the cut on the back of my
head, made by the windshield of the ’56 Ford I drove, which had no safety glass. My vital signs were
very good, so my doctor said I was just asleep and sent me to St. Vincent’s Hospital where I remained
unconscious for six days, then semi-conscious for five more days.
On my 11th day, my spirit witnessed from above as my dad pushed my semi-conscious body, in a wheelchair
to St. Vincent’s sanctuary, up to a statue of the Virgin Mary. Then, instantaneously, my spirit
re-entered my body and I was viewing the statue in a very peaceful roomful of sunlight from the skylight
window in the ceiling above the statue. I felt great, after 11 days rest, then regaining my spirit in a
beautiful sunlit chapel. What a comeback, thank God! It was nice to see things from above, as God does
24/7.
Thanks to those people who helped me, the total outcome of this auto accident was over 110 percent
positive, plus the drunk driver gave up drinking and became a good friend of mine.
The great samaritan kept in touch and came to court on my behalf. Thanks to his testimony, I won a
sufficient insurance settlement so I could attend college at the right time to study calculus with a
professor who had worked with Dr. A. Einstein on the Manhattan project. Like Einstein, this prof had a
good explanation for God’s part in the creation of our universe. Einstein correctly stated, "the
uniformity and conformity in the universe prove existence of God."
I appreciate all of God’s gifts. My wife and I very much enjoyed the "Renew" Bible study
program for 10 years in our home town of Gibsonburg. My wife and I mostly enjoy God’s greatest gifts to
us, our 12 grandchildren. Each one of them is an entire universe of life and infinite possibilities!
Steven J. Haslinger
Gibsonburg