A tiny bit of hope

In a recent interview following the saving of the Wild Boar boys, Rear Adm Arpakorn Yuukongkaew team leader of the Thai Navy Seals stated: ...from the first day we saw them trapped we didn't think that we could do this. We had a little bit of hope that they might still be alive but we had to do it, we just had to move forward. There was only a tiny bit of hope, but that's all we had to work with. And in the end that tiny bit of hope became reality.



What an admission!

Such strong emotions have been stirred up in so many that have followed this story and it's not all done yet.

Another hero is Australian doctor Richard Harris whose rare combination of talents led him deep into the Tham Luang cave, abandoning his holiday in Thailand to volunteer to help.  He stayed with the boys for three days and was one of the last rescuers out of the cave, barely making it out after the main pump that had been siphoning water out of the cave failed.

In 2010, 33 miners in Chile were rescued after being 69 days underground. One of them sent this message of hope to Thailand: I have no doubt that if the government of the country puts in everything and makes all possible efforts, this rescue will be successful. May God bless you, we are praying for each of you, for each of the families and for these children.

And concerning our own salvation we are told that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

I do not know how I might have fared in that cave for several weeks, or in that Chilean mine. I am not at all sure how I am faring with regard to that "strong consolation". It's easy after the event but during the waiting time while what seems a tiny bit of hope has not yet turned to reality - that's the test.