journeys-page

Many of you know that I am a teacher in Central City. But what you may not know is that Central City is also my hometown. My sister and I grew up across the street from North Park and were frequently allowed to go over and play in the evenings, as our parents could easily see us from the living room window. One evening during my first-grade year, my sister and I went to the park with our parents’ permission. Shortly after arriving, our neighborhood friends met up with us. They had brought their German shepherd and tied the leash to the swing set. My sister hopped off the swing and went over to pet the dog. The dog wagged its tail excitedly. After that, she and one of the girls went over to the jungle gym. I remained on the swings by myself and then decided to hop off and go pet the dog as well. As soon as I approached the German shepherd, it jumped up to my height, placing its front paws on my chest. The dog knocked me on my back and, in one swift motion, bit a gaping hole into my left cheek. I thrust my feet into the dog’s chest, knocking him off of me. I rolled out of the dog’s reach, beyond the length of his leash. Across the park, a young woman was pushing her baby in the baby swing. My sister, who was only in preschool at the time, had seen the dog attack me and began running frantically around the park, waving her arms in the air and screaming, “Help! Call 911!” The woman took notice and immediately left her child to run over and help me. She scooped me into her arms and ran as fast as she could, carrying me home to my front door. I still remember the horrified look on my mom’s face when she opened the door. My parents rushed me to the hospital, and I was immediately transferred to Lincoln for emergency surgery. Last Sunday, when Pastor Kelly challenged us to think of the angels in our lives, my mind immediately went to the woman in the park. To this day, we have never seen that woman again. Although we tried to locate and thank her many times, no one seemed to know who it could be, despite our family being from Central City and knowing almost everyone in town. Just as the angels in the wilderness protected Jesus, the woman protected me in the park that day. I will never forget her selfless act of leaving her own child to bring me to safety. Although we never got the opportunity to thank her, I hope that I can pay it forward for someone else in a time of need. – Dane Christensen, Choir & Hand Bell Director