It had rained heavily all morning but had started to clear in the afternoon as Malcolm Pelley, his wife Grace, and several friends left their RV to go bakeapple picking in the Eddies Cove area of Newfoundland.
Photo credit: Jazzana
Berries were scarce and Malcolm began to wander across the barrens. He became so engrossed with looking for bakeapples that he didn’t realize how fast the evening passed.
He started back through the woods, in what he thought was the direction of the highway. However, he was walking in circles and kept ending up in the same place he started. After several attempts he decided it was best to overnight in the woods and find his way out in the morning. As the fog rolled in over the hills, the night became cold. Malcolm found shelter by settling down on a bed of tree boughs and covering up as best he could with his raincoat. Sleep was fitful at best, as he shivered throughout the night.
In the morning, Malcolm once again began his quest to make it back to the road. However, as the sun rose higher in the sky, his attempts proved futile. His legs were becoming weaker and starting to fail. Faced with the fact he was lost, he sat down and waited for others to find him. Surely a search party was out by now and rescue would not be long.
However, that day passed with no rescue. He ate blackberries and bakeapples for strength. The second night passed agonizingly slowly. Alone, in the dark, his thoughts turned heavenward.
For four long days and nights, he waited and wandered aimlessly. His strength was all but gone. Malcolm’s whole life flashed before him and he realized if help did not soon arrive, he would perish. Thoughts filled his mind of a promise he had made to his 18-year old brother many years before when his brother lay on his death bed. Malcolm promised he would get saved and meet his brother in Heaven. Malcolm knew he was not ready to die. Amos 4:12 says, “Prepare to meet your God.” He had made no preparation. It was then and there that Malcolm realized he was lost both physically and spiritually.
The good news is, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). That was him. Malcolm realized he needed a Saviour. In the Christmas story, Mary was told that her Son would be called Jesus because, “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). That is just what Malcolm wanted.
Moments with the Book
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