Rescue

I really don't want today to pass without posting. Last evening I watched the rescue of the last 8-10 miners from the San Jose Mine. The evening before, I watched the rescue of the first two miners. Without exception, each time they were re-united with their family I found it to be touching and emotional for me. Imagine having 69 days to put your life and family into perspective!

It reminded me so much of another rescue which was very traumatic for me and which, coincidentally, occurred twenty-three years ago today. It was the rescue of "Baby Jessica", an 18-month-old toddler who fell into an abandoned well shaft. The shaft was only eight inches in diameter, and tiny Jessica fell into it with one leg going down, but one leg going straight up alongside her face. It took 58 hours to drill a parallel shaft and then go horizontally across and underneath her. They inserted and inflated a very strong balloon to prevent her from falling further into the shaft, which had been happening as she lost weight. They then went in and carefully chiseled the pipe above from around her and were able to bring her up.

Much like yesterday, the entire nation was watching and praying for little Jessica McClure. Today Jessica is a married woman with children of her own. She has sought a life out of the eye of the public, but in a twenty-year anniversary interview they said that she had had 15 surgeries and had chosen not to have the scars of her accident removed. When they asked her why she said that she kept them as a reminder of what had happened to her and the miracle that she had survived.

I was one of those who was glued to the TV for three days, bursting into tears when she was brought out of the well. As human beings, I believe that most people have an inherent desire for good things to happen and recognize the value of all human life. Life is fragile, and none of us goes through life without a certain amount of bumping and bruising, successes and failures, good choices and bad choices, and ultimately the need to be rescued. I'm grateful for the many individuals who have served as "rescuers" in my life, and for our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has performed the ultimate rescue for each one of us.