A Rescue of An Amazing Kind

I was recently remembering a conversation that my husband had with a Chinese student who accepted Christ while attending our campus Bible study. When we asked our friend if he had ever heard about Jesus in China, he said, "One time only." He told the story of a woman rushing onto a training holding a handful of flyers and (in Chinese, of course) quickly telling the story of a Rescuer. As the police closed in on the train, she flung the handful of tracts in the midst of passengers who stood transfixed in the presence of such bravery. The student said that he took a flyer and read for himself about a man named Jesus who alone could rescue him from all the bad he had ever done.

More than three years passed before he found himself sitting across from an American man (my husband) who had been teaching him more about this Rescuer through the Bible. After reading many chapters in Romans, he said it all become clear to him and he bowed to the only One who can truly save from sin.

Yesterday I read another true story that happened in China. While walking down a busy street, a woman saw a two-year old little girl dangling from a ten story window. As many looked on, the little girl plunged to her certain death. Unwilling to watch this happen, this young Chinese mother kicked off her high heels and ran to catch the little one. And she did catch her though the impact of the little girl falling into her arms knocked the woman unconscious for a couple of minutes and broke one of her arms. However, the little girl was saved.

The act of redemption is not benign. It takes effort. A risk. Timing. Willingness. As Christians, there are many around us in need of knowing that Jesus can save them from their sins. But often the task seems too hard. Too inconvenient. Too impossible. Too risky.

So we do nothing.

The family of this little girl will be forever grateful for the willing act of courage of this woman. When asked what she was thinking as she ran to catch the little girl, she replied, "I thought to myself 'I should stretch my arms to her. Because I am right here, I must get her.' Then I made it. I caught her in my arms."

Do you know someone who needs to know the Rescuer? Take the risk. Take the time. Stretch out your arms.


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