Diane, a young university student, was home for the summer. She
had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly
as each shared their various experiences of the past year. She
ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone.
She wasn't afraid because it was a small town and she lived only
a few blocks away. As she walked along under the tall elm trees,
Diane asked "God" to keep her safe from harm and danger.
When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house,
she decided to take it, however, halfway down the alley she noticed
a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her. She
became uneasy and began to pray, asking for "God's"
protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security
wrapped around her, she felt as though someone was walking with
her. When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past
the man and arrived home safely.
The
following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had
been raped in the same alley, just twenty minutes after she had
been there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that
it could have been her, she began to weep. Thanking the Lord for
her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to
the police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she
told them her story.
The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup
to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed
out the man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the
man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down
and confessed. The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked
if there was anything they could do for her. She asked if they
would ask the man one question.
Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her. When the
policeman
asked him, he answered, "Because she wasn't alone. She had
two tall men
walking on either side of her."
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