It was a hot afternoon in January. Does that sound strange? I think most of the readers of this paper think of January as a wintry month, but this story is about the Island of St. Vincent, and it is hot there all the year round.
We were walking along the road to visit a very old and very sick man, and I was thirsty. By my side was a young boy named Enos, and he knew just the right thing for a thirsty traveler. Quicker than I can write this, he ran to the nearest coconut palm, and up he went. Now you may have some pictures of coconut palms, and you will remember that they have no branches except at the very top. But somehow Enos was able to get up the tree, and without any shoes on his feet either! He hadn’t been up there very long before something fell to the ground with a loud thump. No, it wasn’t Enos; it was a big coconut! Even more quickly than he had gone up, the lithe, young boy was down again. Then with a stroke or two of his big cutlass, the end of the coconut was open, and he offered me a drink of coconut water. How good it tasted! Enos smiled with pleasure as he watched me drink it. I have often thought of the refreshing drinks of coconut water I had down there, and I hope I may have some more one day.
But why am I writing this story? Because the Bible tells of something far more wonderful that God is offering you to drink. Enos climbed up that tree to get my drink, or I should have gone thirsty, for I am sure I never could have climbed it myself. But God tells us that there is an awful place called hell, where there is not one drop of water to be found to quench the thirst of the sufferers there. And God doesn’t want you to go there. He loves you, and He sent His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ down into the world to die on the cross to meet your need. He became our sin bearer, and now that the work is all done, He says,
ML 07/05/1953