Since I worked for a water well company and had had some experience with “hand dug” wells, my wife and I decided to hand-dig a well in our backyard. Knowing something about soil formations and the possibility of “finding” water at a reasonably shallow depth was part of my job, so we began the well project.
Some time after we started digging the well, our dog had six beautiful puppies. As they grew, they became very active and inquisitive, like most puppies. Though the well in the backyard had a temporary fence around it, it was mostly to keep the children away from the big hole. It was not puppy-proof, however, and one of the puppies fell into the hole after it was about fifteen feet deep. Thankfully, the little fellow did not appear to be hurt, because he was sniffing around in the bottom of the hole.
Like many mothers when problems come up while their husbands are at work, the problem was my wife’s to solve. She had to think of some way to get the puppy out of the well.
Having helped with the work, she knew how to operate the hoist we used to bring up the dirt from our digging. Thankfully, though the hole was fairly deep, no water had yet been reached, so the bottom of the hole was dry. My wife decided to lower our two-year-old son into the hole and have him bring up the puppy in his arms. But since most two-year-olds have not had any experience in rescuing puppies from wells, my wife ended up with both a puppy and a boy in the hole. She was not able to make our son understand that he should hold the puppy while she hoisted them both to the surface.
Now the little boy and the puppy were both in trouble, and Mother was unable to help because our son could not understand what he was to do. Help had to come from someone else.
It is not unusual to call the fire department or some other emergency rescue workers in times of trouble like this, but this time Dad was the rescue worker who was called. A frantic call from my upset wife came to my office. We did not live very far from my work, so I was able to be home within minutes. Soon both our son and the puppy were saved out of the hole.
Moments of danger and helplessness like this remind us of the lost condition of everyone who has not yet received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Like the puppy and our son, and like David in Psalm 40:2, each of us needs someone to bring us “out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set [our] feet upon a rock.” The only One who can do this for us is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the rock each one must rest on for the forgiveness of sins and to be made ready for heaven.
How thankful we were that our son and the puppy in the well had someone to call for help to bring them up. It is very possible that some of you children have fathers and mothers who are praying to the Lord that you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from your sins. But you must call on the Lord Jesus for yourself. They cannot do it for you. We read in Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This story of our son and puppy has a happy ending, and everything will turn out for your joy and peace for eternity if you will call on the Lord Jesus to save you. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Won’t you call on Him now?
ML-08/19/2007