Memory Verse: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalm 50:15
Very seldom have wolves been known to attack man in our country, but this true experience in the Old World was told by a man years ago.
It was in December and my wife and I went to visit my wife’s parents. We left our little six-month-old twins at home in the care of Peggy, our old trusted nurse.
After a happy day together, we started home in the sleigh with our old servant Franz. It was a splendid journey as the horses just flew over the frozen ground.
About nine o’clock we reached the outskirts of the woods. Then the horses began to get restless. They would rear up and then suddenly fly off at a terrific speed. We could not account for their strange behavior except that in the distance we heard the sharp howls of dogs.
With astonishing speed the horses raced on. Franz did all he could to quiet them but in vain. The howls grew louder, and looking around I could see in the darkness two great hungry dogs running behind our sleigh.
“If they come too close, Franz,” I cried, “give them a dose of the whip.”
“Sir,” cried the old man, “they are wolves!”
I had never seen a wolf before, but it seemed the intense cold of winter had driven them into our neighborhood nearer to the villages in search of food.
As we were unarmed, our safety lay in the speed of our horses. We urged them on with the whip, but our pursuers followed close on our heels.
Franz threw his fur coat to them, but this delayed them only for a little. Soon they were on us again pressing closer to the flying horses.
How we cried to God in our anguish asking Him to help us. And God did help us.
We succeeded in reaching home. A gate was opened, and in a flash we were in the yard. In a moment Franz had closed the gate, and we were safe.
But that is not all the story. Thankful to God for His mercy, we immediately went to the room where our children slept. But how shall I describe our new terror, when thick heavy smoke met us. I sprang to the door and opened it. My wife screamed.
There lay our faithful nurse in her bed unconscious, the children ghostly pale in their cribs. We carried all three into our room, and to our unspeakable joy succeeded after some time in bringing them back to consciousness.
We then discovered how the fire had started. A burning ember must have fallen out of the fire after they had gone to bed. The floor had caught fire and filled the room with thick smoke. Thankful to say we soon had the fire put out. Had we arrived 15 minutes later, our two darlings and our old nurse would have perished.
That night I learned what true thanksgiving to God is. Such anguish those wolves had given us! But in the wonderful counsel of God, those hungry creatures had served to spur on our horses to greater speed so that we might not arrive too late to save our children and old Peggy.
Yes, God reigns. Even the wild creatures of the woods must obey Him when He protects His own.
“O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psa. 107:8.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psa. 50:15.
ML-05/15/1977