Jimmy lived with his parents near a deep swift river. He had been warned against swimming in such a dangerous stream, but one hot day the temptation to go for a swim was so strong that he disregarded the warning and decided to just swim near the bank. However, he became bolder as the water seemed so calm, and he ventured out a little farther where the current was stronger than he realized, and it soon pulled him under. He struggled hard, but the river was stronger than he and almost claimed him as its victim. Just as he was going down the third time he was seized by strong, brown hands and hauled into a canoe. When he came to himself, he found that his rescuer was an Indian.
Now, we would suppose that the Indians, for there were two, would take the boy home to his anxious parents—but not so! They took him on and on down the river until they reached the Indian camp. Here Jimmy’s rescuer took him to his own home and, as he and his wife were childless, it was decided that the child should live with them as their own son. Jimmy cried for his beloved parents. How he wished he had not disobeyed them! How true it was in his case that “The way of the transgressor is hard"! Hover, the Indian woman was very kind to the little boy, and, in course of time, he became quite fond of her.
Now I must tell you that Jimmy’s parents were believers and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. They had taught their little boy how to be saved, and the many scriptures he had learned were now a comfort to his lonely heart. And not only this, but Jimmy taught his Indian parents of the God who had loved them and sent His Son to die for them. In course of time the Indian and his wife came to know the Lord as their Saviour.
Now since they were Christians, they began to realize how wrong it was of them to keep Jimmy away from his parents. Finally they could not rest until they had taken the stolen boy home. How great was the joy of both Jimmy and his loved parents to be reunited, and how glad they were to meet the Indians who had not only saved their boy from drowning, but who had been saved themselves to rejoice in the Lord’s salvation, through the words their own son had spoken to them.
Thus the Lord brought good out of evil, though Jimmy never forgot the terrible suffering his disobedience caused both himself and his parents.
ML-02/20/1977