It was winter time in Nome, Alaska, and little Richard Stanley, age 6, stricken with diphtheria, lay twisting and turning in his bed, his little body hot with fever. The doctor had only a little serum left, and he knew that unless all the children were given anti-diphtheria serum, they too would be infected with this terrible disease and die. Within 24 hours little Richard was dead, and several new cases had been reported.
A shipment of the serum was already on its way from the United States by train, but how to transport it from the nearest railway station at Nenana to Nome was the great problem. A thousand miles of wilderness, of snow, ice and forest lay between Nenana and Nome, and the only means of transportation was dog team. Ordinarily the trip would take two weeks, but the stricken people of Nome could not wait that long.
Then “Wild Bill” Shannon came up with a plan. Between the two towns were 15 trading stations, and Bill said that the distance could be traversed in one week instead of two if it were done in relays, the trappers and their dog teams driving themselves day and night. He volunteered to take the serum to the first post and hand it over to the next relay team.
Through icy winds and snowstorm, the brave trapper carried the 30,000 units of serum sealed in a metal case. Their faces were cut and frozen, their dogs were exhausted, but on and on each went until at last after six days, the life-giving serum arrived at Nome. The driver on the last part of the journey had to be chipped from his sleigh. He was almost blinded and unconscious, but he reached Nome.
This wonderful relay race to save the lives of the children of Nome had taken six days over 1,000 miles of frozen mountains, forests and valleys, through storms and winds in temperatures of 50 degrees below zero.
Apart from little Richard Stanley, only one other child died. The town had been saved by the serum which had been brought by the brave trappers and their dog teams. But that journey was nothing compared to that which the blessed Saviour of sinners took ALONE from heaven to earth when He came to save boys and girls, and men and women, from the awful effects of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
Some of the trappers nearly died on the journey, but the Saviour died that we might have eternal life.
The people of Nome and those brave trappers realized what a terrible disease afflicted them and that death was before them. But do you realize the consequences of sin and what is before the sinner? “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).
No one in Nome refused the serum which had been brought to them through so many great dangers. Then why do you refuse God’s remedy for sin and the blessed Saviour who came the greatest journey of all in order to bring salvation and life eternal?
ML-07/03/1977