(Brooklyn Park, Minnesota)—Wednesday, August 1st, seemed to be a day like any other in the St. Paul, Minneapolis area. But at 6:05 pm—in the midst of rush hour traffic—the busy Interstate Bridge that joined I-35 with the city of Minneapolis suddenly broke apart and fell into the Mississippi River.


There have been many accounts already, which have pointed to the grace and protection of God in the midst of such tragedy.... Due to the construction on the bridge, the traffic was not at the normally full flow, or speed. There was a train riding underneath the bridge at the time, which may have stopped some of the collapse. And then the school bus, filled with 50 children that rode the concrete on the way down during the collapse, and didn't tip over—all the children were saved. (Photo: AP)

And then there is Matthew's testimony of God's protection. What happened to Matthew (last name withheld) on the day of the bridge collapse is nothing short of miraculous and amazing!

After being contacted by one of Matthew's family members, to inform me of his story, I later spoke with Matthew directly. First I asked him go back to that moment, before the bridge collapsed, and explain everything that happened next.

"I was coming home to take a shower, and then pick up my friend across the I 35 W. bridge," Matthew recalled. "I was headed into the city [of Minneapolis], it was bumper-to-bumper."

"I was praying and talking to the Lord, and the next minute the Lord gave me this vision. In the vision [the bridge was] shaking—it started to snap and broke through. I saw two cars go off the edge into the Mississippi. Then, [after the vision] I said, 'What is that all about Lord? You need to talk to me.'"

"God told me to 'STOP!'" (I was 100 feet away from the bridge)

"He said, 'You need to stop right there.' I said, 'Lord, there are cars behind me,' (There were about 100 people in the line of traffic behind him, and many had begun honking their horns at him). But God said, 'That's okay, you need to stop.' So I stopped. And then the Lord said, 'Look.'"

"People were going around me—about 20 feet away from the bridge. That's when it snapped—[the bridge] broke down and crashed. I saw 2 cars go off the bridge, and I was like...'wow!'" (Photo: MyFOX9.com–KMSP)

"At first I was sitting in the car waiting, thanking the Lord, because it could've been me on that bridge. Then people came up to me and said, 'Thank you.'"

"I got out and looked from the side [at the collapse]...it was traumatic seeing what happened. And then the police told me to go back in my car and turn around."

I asked Matthew what he was thinking at the moment he saw the bridge begin to break...

"I was realizing that the Lord is awakening [His people] and saying, 'Listen to Me, you need to listen to Me.' I realized that if I [hadn't] listened to Him, I would've gotten on that bridge and took a ride."

"After that I called my friend and told him I couldn't pick him up because the bridge broke through. Then I went to the Holy Spirit conference [that was happening nearby] and worshipped the Lord!"

I then asked Matthew, "As you look back at what God spared you from that day, and at what happened with the bridge, what immediately comes to mind?"

"When I look back," said Matthew, "I realize the Lord has a calling [for me], and He's preparing me to be obedient and ready, and to know it is 'time to roll'...and to know who Jesus is."

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