Floating on the Dead Sea - Boy's life saved.

Boy,8, rescued after spending night floating alone in Dead Sea
Last updated at 11:14am on 6th August 2007

To read the actual story, follow the link.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=473453&in_page_id=1811

Earlier today, I was Googling for some pictures of the Dead Sea to put on my new "Bible Study Facebook Group" to go with the Bible Study we are doing and came across this heartwarming story.

The Story really says it all, but I just wanted to remark on one or two things.

The boy was dehydrated and frightened but otherwise healthy, he said. Shneur told his rescuers he remained calm throughout the ordeal, saying prayers and thinking about his school friends as he floated in the darkness.

This is completely amazing. dehydrated and frightened but otherwise healthy.

He was not shivering to death. Okay, I think that it is pretty hot in that part of the world, but the boy was in water the whole night!

Secondly, how he said he kept calm: this is a miracle! I note he said prayers. I have a sense that he knew he was not alone out there, because could lie back and float in the water, not panic, and not, despite being thirsty, trying to drink the water.

Yes, the report did say he was alone, but the journalist obviously didn't take into account the presence of God with that child. It was not the salt in the water that held him afloat - it was God himself.

This reminds me of two occasions when I was in potentially dangerous situations and the Lord, not only rescued me, but comforted me, through the ordeal.

When I was about 5, Our family were camping in the Rhodes Inyanga National Park (now known as Nyanga National Park). As I was very little, my parents took along with them a domestic worker, known as Babaford (Sorry, i'd like to be PC, but that's the only name I ever knew). Anyway, I was in a dwaal* most of the time, and I was quite content with my own company. I think Babaford was busy tidying up the campsite, and I wondered off into the woods, and i didn't even drop breadcrumbs behind me! I was playing. I don't know how long or how far I wondered into the forest (surrounding the campsite and most of the Nyanga district were Pine trees. ) It is important to note that at that time (1975), Rhodesia was at war with the freedom fighters. Nyanga was a "hot area" and although they did not close the National Park, wandering away from the campsite was not a good plan. However, little Johnny sallied forth with gay abandon (apparently)**

My parents returned to the camp, some time later, and they looked around for their little one, but he was nowhere to be seen, There was some desperate searching going on, not least, by poor Babaford had not noticed that I had wondered off.

Meanwhile, while in the depths of the forest, I heard someone talking to me, He must have been up in the trees, because I looked up, and I talked to Him. Anyone who might have noticed me would have seen a little boy chatting away, but they would have not seen the One he was talking to, since, that person was invisible to everyone, except this one little true believer down on the ground. Anyway, this character, whose, apparently was "Abba" said that he would send his "son" to take me back to the camp, and so, I found myself after a little while, but not a moment too soon, back amongst the tents, and where my parents, and Babaford saw me, to their great relief and I recounted in my childish way, how I met "Abba." By the way, my relating of this story is based on what my mother told me many years later. I do clearly remember having imaginary friends called "Abba" and "Amma" but the details thereof I had long forgotten.

My point in sharing this story is that despite being in severe danger, because of the war situation, I was protected and I was also shielded from fear. I have no doubt that thereafter, Babaford kept a closer watch on his ward and didn't let him wander off again. Later, "Abba" and "Amma" just became imaginary friends, like many children have at that sort of age, but I'm sure, just as my mum is, that in that instance, in the pine forests of Nyanga, "Abba" was no figment of my imagination.

The other time was when i was a lot older, and our family were on holiday on our boat, The Silver Beard, travelling across Lake Kariba. In the middle of the lake, the Audi engine stopped operating and there was a storm brewing. We had a small tender, with an outboard engine, called "Bandit." Dad, got into "Bandit" and towed the big boat back into harbour through what were becoming very choppy waters. This was a very dangerous predicament we were in, and that night the heavens opened over Kariba, and a number (I cannot remember exactly how many) of boats in the marina were submerged, but Silver Beard was still afloat and we slept abourd her that night. I know we had a radio, but I am not sure why we did not radio for help. But although it took Dad a very long time, we found safe harbour. Mum and I were on the big boat and we prayed. I cannot, hand-on-heart, say we were not anxious, but if we were , we should have trusted more, and notwithstanding that anxiety, He saw to it that we survived.

So there you have it, three stories for the price of 1 - bargain!



*dwaal an Afrikaans word that means a dreamy state
** DO NOT MISCONSTRUE THIS SENTENCE! "gay abandon" according to my dictionary means - "without thinking about the results or possible consequences"