Scientists and whale watchers were very happy last spring when a baby orca whale was born in the Haro Straits off the San Juan Islands. One of the reasons this little whale was so special is that it brought the total number of orcas in the area to ninety, for the first time in several years. For a name, they gave the baby orca the number K51 as soon as he was born. The K in the name is because he was born into the “K” pod. (A pod is like a big family that swims, hunts for food and plays together.) The number 51 was given to the baby orca because he is the fifty-first whale born into the pod since scientists started keeping record.
When K51 was born, he weighed close to four hundred pounds and was nearly eight feet long. Even though he was so big, he still needed his mother to feed and protect him. Like all newborn mammals, he depended on his mother’s milk. He was born knowing how to swim. You may know that orcas are mostly black with beautiful white markings, including their undersides. But did you know that when they are born their white patches are tan or yellow in color until they get older?
All seemed to be going well for K51 when suddenly the newborn whale disappeared. He wasn’t seen with his mother, whose name is “Sieku,” or his five-year-old brother named “Tika,” or his grandmother called “Sequim,” or any of the other members of his pod.
Scientists who had been watching the baby orca asked other groups of scientists and whale watchers, “Have you seen our missing newborn whale?”
“No, we haven’t seen him,” came back their replies. When no one had seen K51 for a number of days, researchers assumed he had died. They were sad at the loss of the whale and wondered how he had lost his life.
However, their sorrow was turned to joy when the baby whale was seen once again, swimming alongside his mother. Where did he go? Nobody knows, but when scientists at the Whale Watching Institute heard the news that the baby which had been lost was back, they cheered and celebrated. Everyone was very glad the baby orca had returned.
The cheering and celebrating when the lost baby orca was found is very much like the celebrating that goes on in heaven when a sinner repents and turns back to God. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that [repents]” (Luke 15:77I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:7)). Joy is the serious business of heaven. When a child lost in sin comes home to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ, there is rejoicing in heaven.
Have you turned to the Lord Jesus to have your sins forgiven? He suffered on the cross for the sins of every person who comes to Him for forgiveness. Not only will your sins be gone forever, but He will reserve a place for you in His home in heaven. Then when this life is over, the Father will bring every person whose sins are forgiven to His home in heaven where there will be joys which never end. No one knows exactly what heaven will be like, but we do know it will be a very joyful and happy place, because we will see our Saviour face to face and live with Him forever.
ML-12/31/2006