Mike, and his friend, Phil, were experienced mountain climbers. They chose to ascend a range in their home country one beautiful day. The goal was the view from the peak. Mike and Phil were following all their training and personal knowledge as they ascended.
As experienced climbers, they had checked the weather reports and had given their planned route to the rangers, just in case there was a problem, and if they failed to return as expected.
Suddenly they saw that dark clouds began to cover the onceclear skies. The darkness was ominous. They needed immediate shelter as they realized a sudden snowstorm had unexpectedly moved into their terrain.They urgently needed shelter in order to survive.They crawled into a snow cave which was large enough for both of them. At least Mike and Phil were out of the blowing snow conditions, but not from the sub-freezing temperatures.
Without much food and water, their survival hung in the balance. After several days of almost nonstop blizzard conditions, being rescued was their only hope for survival.
Both Mike and Phil began to experience frostbite on their feet.
Then the storm weakened, giving renewed hope for rescue.The whirring noise of nearby helicopter engines was heard, and Phil’s bright climbing suit gave their location.
The copter crews dropped a bag of food and water, but strong winds took it off target. A second dropping of food and water was successful. Included in the bag was a radio. Finally, communication with the outside world! The young men had come close to giving up all hope.
Then the storm system regained strength, causing the rescue crews to postpone attempting another helicopter rescue. It was nine days later when the young men were taken aboard the rescue copters. By this time their blood had stopped flowing in their legs. Both had limbs surgically removed due to the onset of Gangrene.
This traumatic event causes us to wonder about why these men suffered.They even had their legs amputated below the knees.
The Bible says, “My brothers and sisters, you should be very happy when you experience many kinds of troubles because you know that the testing of your faith will develop more endurance” (James 1:2-4). Please also read these passages in your own Bible: Hebrews 12:4-11, Philippians 4:6-8, and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
Your painful circumstances may be Satan’s doing (read the Old Testament book of Job chapters 1 and 2).
God disciplines His children so they’ll grow. The joy in suffering comes when you realize that God is present in all circumstances in which you find yourself. Keep seeking Him!