Carlinville | On the day of his baptism, Trevor Clardy heard Pastor Cliff Woodman preach about a fishing story from the Bible. The 20-year-old college student also shared one of his own.
Clardy, whose family and friends celebrated his baptism at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Carlinville April 23, had a whirlwind week leading up it. On Easter Sunday night, he was fishing with friends at Lake Springfield when Dave Booker’s truck came around a sharp curve and crashed through a guardrail into the lake. Clardy drove to the site of the crash and jumped in after Booker, punching through the front windshield to pull the motorist out of the truck.
“Another minute and the cab would have been filled with water,” Booker told the State Journal-Register. “I owe him everything.”
Booker and several of his family members were among those present for Clardy’s baptism at Emmanuel. After Pastor Woodman preached from John 21—where Jesus shows some of his disciples who he really is by leading them to a massive catch of fish—Clardy told the story of the Easter evening rescue. Booker’s fiancée also spoke, sharing the family’s thankfulness.
Clardy had been attending Emmanuel this spring, Woodman said, and sitting with his great aunt and uncle. During one service, he wrote on a contact card, “Ready to give my heart to God.” At a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Woodman, he accepted Christ as his savior. His baptism was scheduled for April 23.
What Clardy didn’t know then was that the events of April 16 would bond him with Booker, and give him an opportunity share about the changes in his life. In a local radio interview after the rescue, he told the hosts about his upcoming baptism and that Booker planned to attend.
“God put you in that place at that time,” one of the radio hosts responded, “and there’s no doubt it was divine intervention.”