David Klamecki loved the Kankakee River in Illinois. All his life he had fished in it, swam in it, boated on it and enjoyed its beauty and the animals and birds that called it home. He was a grandpa now and loved the river as much as when he was a boy.
Late one summer afternoon he took his five-year-old granddaughter Hannah for an outing in his rowboat. She wore a yellow swimsuit and also wore inflatable “water wings” around her upper arms. Grandpa rowed the boat to the center of the river and then just let it drift with the current. Grandpa and granddaughter enjoyed passing the time in small talk as they drifted along. It was a lazy, happy afternoon for both of them.
When they drifted close to a small wooded island with a patch of sandy beach, the two saw a perfect spot to go for a dip in the river and cool off in the hot afternoon. They pulled the boat onto the beach and waded in the welcome coolness of the water. Downstream from the island was a stretch of water called “Whirlpool Bend” because of its dangerous currents, but they were far enough away not to worry about it.
They were floating in the shallow water near the island when Hannah suddenly saw her grandpa stand up and clutch his chest. A look of pain crossed his face, which she didn’t understand. Then Grandpa fell over face down into the water.
Hannah watched, not understanding that her grandpa had suffered a heart attack. It didn’t make much sense to her the way he was swimming with his head down. A current caught him and carried him downstream, away from the island.
“Grandpa, I want to come too, but the water is too deep,” she called to him.
When Grandpa didn’t answer, she took his silence to mean “yes,” and she headed out into the deeper water to join him. She didn’t really know how to swim, but her inflatable wings kept her head bobbing like a cork above the water. She looked around for Grandpa and saw him floating away.
“Grandpa, wait for me,” she called out. She tried to paddle with her arms and keep up with him, but they drifted apart and soon she lost sight of both Grandpa and the island. The current caught the little girl and swept her towards Whirlpool Bend.
Hannah didn’t know that her grandpa had died and was no longer able to respond to her calls. The inability of the very young to recognize and understand death is perhaps God’s way of protecting children from pain, but how much do any of us really know about death? If left to ourselves, we wouldn’t know much about it at all. However, God loves us too much to leave us fumbling in the dark for answers to important questions. He gave us the Bible, and in this wonderful book He explains how He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world so that all who believe in Him might receive the gift of eternal life.
In the Bible we learn that sin entered the world and left a terrible stain of sin on each of our hearts. In order to cleanse our hearts of that stain, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). His blood shed on Calvary’s cross has the power to wash away every stain of sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). When boys and girls believe in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, they can know for sure that they will receive a happy welcome in heaven when their time on earth is finished. However, for any who reject God’s Son, there will be no happy home in heaven. Sadly, they will pay for their own sins in the darkness of hell forever.
Hannah’s grandpa was a believer in Jesus Christ. When he died, his soul left his body and was welcomed into heaven, because his sins were washed away in the blood of Jesus.
The river carried Hannah into Whirlpool Bend. Somehow she got through this dangerous part of the river and then floated for almost another mile downriver where she was able to grab an overhanging branch and pull herself towards shore. She fell several times getting out of the river and was soon covered with mud. She wanted to find Grandma’s cottage and set out looking for it. When darkness came, she was still in the woods and curled up on the ground and fell asleep.
The next day a fisherman found the empty boat, and searchers found the body of the grandfather on the shore downriver, but they still hadn’t found Hannah. Searchers in boats went up and down the river looking for her. Other searchers looked through the woods near the river. Hannah’s family were Christians and, after the very sad loss of the grandfather, they prayed that she might be safely returned to them.
The next morning Hannah woke up and began walking. She was hungry and cold, but she continued to walk, even though walking without shoes hurt her feet.
It is not a good thing to be lost in the woods and away from the people who love and care for you. Neither is it a good thing to be lost in sin and wandering away from the Saviour who loves you and wants to care for you. He is waiting for you to call out to Him in faith so that He can forgive your sins and make you part of his family forever. Won’t you call out to Him today? “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
For two days and a night, Hannah struggled to find her grandmother’s cottage. Those searching for her did not hold out much hope that she would be found alive. On the second day she walked into a clearing right where searchers were looking for her. When they saw her, they could hardly believe their eyes. She was covered in mud and had some raspberries in her little hands. One of the searchers got on his radio and shouted, “Boys, she’s alive! She is alive!”
They rushed the little girl to the hospital where her parents met her. They were overjoyed at finding Hannah alive and knew that God had indeed answered their prayers.
ML-12/04/2011