The Cracked Acorn: Life or Death

Soap operas live on strife, medical problems, deaths, and accidents. Real living mimics many of these human difficulties.

Beck Weathers, 49, joined an expedition to climb Mt. Everest. A freak storm hit Everest, catching dozens on the south face, eight died. Weathers almost made it back, collapsing in the snow. A Canadian climber found him half-buried in the snow and broke the ice off his face. He Lives!

Kris Thompson was celebrating a wedding anniversary on Grand Bahama Island. Kris was swimming 200 feet out in the ocean when something grabbed his left leg. He yelled and beat on the shark that just had attacked him. Released, he swam to shore and woke up in a Miami hospital, minus his entire left leg. He lives!

Joan Murray, a skydiver, leaped from the plane at 4,500 feet. The parachute never opened. At 80 miles per hour, she hit a fire ant hill. By the time paramedics arrived, she had been stung more than 200 times. Doctors think that the stings kept her heart beating. She is now limping back to work. She lives!

In past farm days, my father used horses and mules to work the fields. He advised me to always be cautious of animals, that for some reason or other, they might try and kill you. Peter Beard, an animal photographer, should have known about these words of wisdom. He saw it as his mission to document the ongoing starvation of thousands of African elephants. His work went well. Elephants usually trumpet a warning to stay back. A matriarch elephant chose to charge while Beard was clicking away. Crushed pelvis and ribs are now a part of his medical history. He lives.

People Magazine has compiled AMAZING STORIES OF SURVIVAL (Tales of Hope, Heroism & Astounding Luck). These individuals survived imaginable unprogrammed accidents, tragedies ever to happen on planet earth. Their lives were interrupted. Many think it was for a larger purpose or, maybe, just the time to stop and “smell the roses”. Others decided it was time for a change in the game of life. A small number picked up where their lives had stopped; they went back to skydiving, boat trips, and mountain climbing. All felt that life was sweeter. They live!

About Noon, darkness fell across the entire land. Lasting until three o’clock that afternoon. Then Jesus called out with a loud voice. “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” Some thought that He was calling for the prophet Elijah. So one man ran and got a sponge and filled it with sour wine and held it up to Him on a stick. “Let’s see if Elijah will come and take Him down!” he said. Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and dismissed His spirit. (Mark 15:33-37)

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living, whatever man may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him He’s always near. HE LIVES, HE LIVES, CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY(from Sacred Hymn Selections)

Yes, HE LIVES!