A thrill seeker I am not. There are two super scary things I’ve done: white water rafting at the Breaks (I nearly drowned) and riding the sky lift at Natural Bridge State Park where I made a vow to the Lord that still stands to this day.
My idea of adventure is to be married and have kids — plenty of excitement that lasts for years.
Climbing Mount Everest? Not for me. Skydiving or bungee jumping? Not a chance. So, when I read that Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old American caver had become seriously ill and was trapped 3,000 feet below the surface in Turkey, I was horrified.
Dickey, who had been on an expedition mapping the Morca cave system, began vomiting large amounts of blood on September 2. It took a full day to get word to others above ground. He was losing fluid and blood; hadn’t eaten for days. He was too weak to make it out on his own. On top of all that, the temperature of the cave was 39-42 F.
Rescuers from several European countries rushed to help him, including a Hungarian doctor who gave Dickey IV fluids and a gallon of blood. A plan was made to carry him out on a stretcher. It would be a monumental task that could take at least a week. Narrow cave passages would need to be widened, rope ladders put in place in steep areas, camps set up for resting along the way, and workers would have to navigate mud and water. It was a lot.
But they did it. Ten days after becoming sick, Mark Dickey was brought out of the cave. Picture it: friends carrying a man on a stretcher. It reminds me of another story ...
In the New Testament, Mark 2:1-12 tells us four guys were concerned about their friend. He was paralyzed-in great need. They knew Jesus could help him. It wasn’t easy but together they carried the man to the house where Jesus was teaching. Unthwarted by the massive crowd, they maneuvered him up on the roof. The four friends made an opening in the ceiling and lowered their friend to Jesus, where he was forgiven of his sins and healed. The man walked home on his own feet.
Mark Dickey’s need moved hundreds of cavers and medical professionals to act. He was rescued from certain death. He told reporters he thought he wouldn’t make it.
The paralyzed man’s need moved his friends to action. Many around us are paralyzed by sin and darkness. Do we see them? Do we care? Do we act?
The words of an old hymn keep swirling through my mind: “Rescue the perishing/care for the dying/Jesus is merciful/Jesus will save.”
Father, help us see those in need and be ready to move. And like the four guys in Mark 2, help us bring our friends to Jesus.
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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife and newspaper columnist. Reach her at preacherswife7@yahoo.com.
