The discovery of Rita Chretien alive and well in the Nevada wilderness is an amazing story. She survived for seven weeks, stranded in her van as her husband had gone to look for help. As of this writing, he is still missing.
Apparently, Rita Chretien is a woman of faith in God and her faith played a significant role in her survival. She survived on water, snow and a small rationing of trail mix over that long period of time. She read her Bible, prayed, wrote in a journal, and the few books that she brought, she read several times.
The Nevadan hunters who rescued her made a wrong turn as they headed toward a canyon, but felt a compulsion to keep on going. Chad Herman said, “We feel it was meant to be and I think it was the heavenly Father leading us in the right direction.”
The family’s faith in God is clearly evident as in every interview with their son he has purposely and repeatedly attributed praise to God and Jesus Christ.
With God, all things are possible. And he is a God who takes pleasure in rescue missions. Jesus said, “I have come to seek and to save those who are lost.”
The word lost that Jesus is referring to has to do with man’s ability to somehow locate God and establish a relationship with him. The majority of people alive today are lost in this regard. They don’t know how to find God.
A supervisor and personal friend of mine had been to our church out in the country two or three times previously. On his last intended visit he was bringing our scheduled guest, but as he came across the bridge, he decided to punch in our address in his new GPS. It took him way out Dewdney Trunk east past Stave Lake and we got a sheepish call of apology later that afternoon.
Sometimes we get led astray; we get lost – despite the best technology available.
It’s one thing to get lost geographically, but it’s another thing completely to get lost eternally.
God doesn’t want that to happen to you.
He sent his son.
Find him.
Les Warriner is pastor of Living Way Foursquare Church in Maple Ridge.