Shacleton, the Antarctic explorer, had tried to reach the South Pole but had been driven back by adverse weather conditions. He had left a party of his men on Elephant Island promising to come back and pick them up.
Working his way back as best he could to South Georgia, he tried to reach his men as he had promised, but failed. The ice was between him and the island. He tried again, and again he failed. Unable to keep his promise, he could not rest.
Though the season was adverse, and though his friends told him it was impossible to get back to the island because of the thick ice barrier which lay between, still in his little boat “Yalcho” he tried it again.
It was the wrong time of the year, but he tried it, and strange to say, he got nearer the island. There was a narrow open avenue between the sea and the spot where he had left his men, but this could be filled in at any moment by the great masses of moving ice.
However, with exemplary courage he took the risk, ran his boat into the narrow channel, picked up his men—all of them—and came out again before the ice crashed in. It was all done in half an hour.
When the excitement had died down somewhat, he turned to one of the men and said, “Well, you were all packed and ready!”
The men replied: “You see, boss, Wild (the second in command) never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice he rolled up his sleeping bag and said to all hands, ‘Roll up your sleeping bags, boys. The boss may come today!”
“And so it came to pass,” said Shackleton, “that we suddenly came out of the fog, and from a black outlook. In an hour we were all in safety, homeward bound.”
Christian, let us be awake. Our message this morning is “Roll up your sleeping bags! The Lord may come today! He will not fail His promise: “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3). Again “Surely I come quickly.”
ML-04/15/1979