Years ago, in a small fishing village in Holland, a young
boy taught the world about the rewards of unselfish service. Because the entire village
revolved around the fishing industry, a volunteer rescue team was needed in cases
of emergency. One night the winds raged, the clouds burst and a gale force storm
capsized a fishing boat at sea. Stranded and in trouble, the crew sent out the S.O.S.
The captain of the rescue rowboat team sounded the alarm and the villagers assembled
in the town square overlooking the bay. While the team launched their rowboat and
fought their way through the wild waves, the villagers waited restlessly on the
beach, holding lanterns to light the way back. An
hour later, the rescue boat reappeared through the fog and the cheering villagers
ran to greet them. Falling exhausted on the sand, the volunteers reported that the
rescue boat could not hold any more passengers and they had to leave one man behind.
Even one more passenger would have surely capsized the rescue boat and all would
have been lost. Frantically,
the captain called for another volunteer team to go after the lone survivor. Sixteen-year-old
Hans stepped forward. His mother grabbed his arm, pleading, "Please don't go.
Your father died in a shipwreck 10 years ago and your older brother, Paul, has been
lost at sea for three weeks. Hans, you are all I have left." Hans
replied, "Mother, I have to go. What if everyone said, `I can't go, let someone
else do it?' Mother, this time I have to do my duty. When the call for service comes,
we all need to take our turn and do our part." Hans kissed his mother, joined
the team and disappeared into the night. Another
hour passed, which seemed to Hans' mother like an eternity. Finally, the rescue boat
darted through the fog with Hans standing up in the bow. Cupping his hands, the captain
called, "Did you find the lost man?" Barely able to contain himself, Hans
excitedly yelled back, "Yes, we found him. Tell my mother it's my older
brother, Paul!"
By Dan Clark We
all have a mission in life such as Hans. Each and everyone of us are ambassadors. May
God richly Bless your mission in life. Sincerely, Linda
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