Coming This Week…

In a few short days, The “I” Witness will be available for sale right here on coalmanpublishing.com! This firsthand account places the reader in the jury seat to hear the author’s testimony of his near-death experiences and God’s deliverance. You will be asked to decide if God is “guilty” of providentially and supernaturally saving the life of the author, Larry Coleman. Please enjoy an early release of the chapter, “The Case of the Window.”

The things you are about to hear are true. No names or locations have been changed. God is on trial. You, the jury, must decide beyond any reasonable doubt if God intervened in this situation and saved a human life from physical death. The case involves a high school student at John Rogers High School in Spokane, Washington, who came close to falling from two third-story windows of the school.

Will the witness, Larry Coleman, take the stand? Place your hand on the Bible. Do you, Larry Coleman, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

State your age and occupation.

I am seventy-three years old. I am a retired minister.

How old were you when this incident took place?

I think sixteen, probably my sophomore year.

Did anyone else witness this event?

Yes, about half a dozen other students. My friend, Dennis Wosick was there.

Tell us in your own words how this came about. How can you, “almost fall” from two windows?

This happened in the morning before school started. We were talking and fooling around in the hall on the third floor. Someone dared me to crawl out one window and come in the next one.

And you accepted the dare?

Well, only for a dollar. Several chipped in to come up with the money.

Continue.

The windows at Rogers were large. We weren’t allowed to open them. No teachers were around, so we did. Knowing I could get in trouble made it more daring. I climbed out one window.

Did you look down?

Yes.

Were you afraid?

Yes. It was a long way down. The window ledge was not very wide, and there was no ledge between the two windows.

Why didn’t you come back in?

It was a dare. I didn’t want to chicken out.

Continue.

Holding onto the window casing with one hand, I stepped over to the other window ledge with my left foot. It was farther than I thought. I found myself straddled between the two windows and hugging the outside brick wall. About then, a teacher was coming down the hall. The kids told me they had to close the windows for a minute. They did. It left me with little to hang onto. The kids dispersed until the teacher went by.

What were you thinking about then?

I was panicked. I didn’t know how long I could hold on. I thought about screaming for help. I wondered if the kids would open the windows again. I could imagine the fire department being called. I could envision being on the news. I could also see my mother grieving over a second dead son.

How long did you hang there?

It seemed like a couple of minutes. It probably was less than that. The teacher passed by and the other students quickly opened the windows. I think they were as petrified as I was.

So then did you come into the other window?

Yes. That was the dangerous part.

Why?

Because my legs and arms were spread far enough apart that I didn’t have any momentum to swing to the other window.

What did you do?

In my mind I imagined I was rocking back and forth between the two ledges. One leg would tense up, then the other. There may have been some body movement from side to side. Finally, I committed to pull for the other window to my left. Moving that direction, and my right foot free from the ledge, I was able to get a new grab with my left hand and catch the window sill. I then finished pulling myself into the window. I was safe, but shook up.

Did your friends pay you the dollar?

I think they possibly did. I would have remembered if they hadn’t.

Did the school ever find out about this?

No.

Did your parents?

No.

Do you think God kept you from falling to your death?

Yes.

Did you ever try that again?

No.

No further questions. The witness may step down.