In 1967 while I was taking a class in photography at the University
of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles
Murray, who was also a student at the school and training for
the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high diver. Charles was very
patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus
Christ and how He had saved me.
Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church,
so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him. He even
began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally the
day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he had realized
his own need of a redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ
as his own Savior. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt
in his face. But his reply was a strong 'no'.
In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that
he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call from him. He wanted
to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses that
I had given him about salvation. I gave him the references to
several passages and asked if I could meet with him. He declined
my offer and thanked me for the scripture. I could tell that
he was greatly troubled, but I did not know where he was or
how to help him.
Because he was training for the Olympic Games, Charles had special
privileges at the University pool facilities. Sometime between
1030 and1100 that evening he decided to go swim and practice
a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was
big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling
of glass panes so the moon shone brightly across the top of
the wall in the pool area. Charles climbed to the highest platform
to take his first dive.
At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his
sins. All the scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing
to him about Christ flooded his mind. He stood on the platform
backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance,
looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light
of the moon. His shadow was in the shape of a cross.
He could bear the burden of sin no longer. His heart broke and
he sat down on the platform and asked God to forgive him and
save him. He trusted Jesus Christ twenty some feet in the air.
Suddenly, the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant
had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his
platform he saw an empty pool which had been drained for repairs.
He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross had stopped
him from disaster.
