The Greatest Rescue of All Time
Perhaps you have heard of the “Blizzard of ‘79"? It plowed through (pardon the pun) much of the Midwest. By the way, if you are a “minutia-lover” like I am, or if you are fascinated by short stories, try sitting down at your computer and typing “blizzard of (any year)" into your search bar. For most any year in the last 100 years, you will find a major blizzard pop up in response to that search. We live in a large country and blizzards happen every year. That said, the “Blizzard of ‘79” was a major blizzard that blanketed the Midwest and Chicago. It dumped over 20 inches of snow from January 12-14. The winter of 1979 was one of the snowiest on record. It saw 52.9 inches of snow deposited in Chicago. The blizzard brought the city of Chicago to a standstill. The extreme cold and the heavy snow resulted in transportation chaos. It caused a widespread loss of power, and some buildings collapsed.
Obviously, many stories resulted from this blizzard; let me share one of them with you. Robert McGrath was a Chicago resident whose roof was overloaded with snow. It seems that his wife trudged through the snow to go to their garage for an item she needed. Shortly after Robert heard his wife go to the garage, he heard a crash. Looking out the window, he saw that the roof of the garage had caved in. McGrath did not even stop to grab a coat; he ran out of the house toward the garage. Grabbing a snow shovel, he called out to his neighbors for help. Minutes went by as he yelled and dug into the snow. Sweat froze to Robert’s face. He shoveled away the snow and pulled broken boards from the mess. After a short while, McGrath heard his wife’s voice, and then he saw her hand reaching out through the snow. He kept digging, throwing snow, and grabbing boards. After a few more minutes, Robert had his wife in his arms. Sobbing from fear, he asked his wife if she was okay. She was fine, safe, and secure.
All of this makes for a “feel-good” story, but there is another part of the story. It seems that Mrs. McGrath had indeed gone to the garage to bring some items into the house. However, after going in one door of the garage, she exited another door in an attempt to find an easier way back to the house because of the blizzard conditions. She had already returned to the house when she too heard the crash of the garage roof. She was safe in the house when she looked out the window and saw her husband digging through the snow, shouting for help, and throwing the fallen boards. As she later related the story, she said that she could not let her would-be rescuer down. She put her coat back on and re-entered the garage through the back door in order to allow her husband to "rescue" her.
This humorous story of good intentions and a big misunderstanding made me chuckle when I first read it. I then remembered that we have been rescued by God. Our rescue is not based on a misunderstanding like the McGrath story. The truth of the matter is that all mankind is lost in sin. Because of our sinful ways, we are doomed. We face a judgment day that guarantees eternal damnation. Humanity does not like to admit that we are in trouble. We live in a society that feverishly attempts to sugar-coat mankind’s evil ways. The truth about salvation and redemption gets lost in this culture of “denying” our condemnation. God has done more than run out into a blizzard. His sacrifice is more than frostbite from shoveling snow. Jesus gave His life and absorbed the hell and condemnation that we deserve.
Jesus left Heaven, put on human flesh, and gave His life that we might be forgiven. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have the promise of redemption, mercy, and life. We are invited to join God’s family. What will you do? Are you ready to let go of the temporary, worthless trinkets that so many people are fascinated with? These things will not last or bring eternal life. In the greatest story that mankind has ever heard, Jesus is the hero. He is more than that, however. He is the Lord and Savior of all those who will accept His gift of salvation and new life. Keep looking up!