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The Blanket that Breathed
Sangho had heard about Jesus because a missionary had told him the gospel message. Now he had a burden to tell others about Jesus. Sangho had a desire to go into the Taebaek Mountains of South Korea and to preach the gospel in the villages that dotted the area. Most of the people who lived there were Buddhists. Buddhists worship a man named Buddha as their god. They do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or that He can take away our sins.
After a month, Sangho was ready to leave the area. Many people had heard the gospel message and accepted Jesus. But Sangho did not know how to get out of the mountains and back to his home village of Limok. He asked some men for help. These Buddhist men didn't like Sangho because he told people about Jesus. To trick him, they told Sangho the wrong way to go.
Sangho followed their directions and took a trail into the mountains. He thought he was taking a shortcut to Limok. For hours he walked, climbing higher and higher. But he never saw any houses or people.
Sangho didn't want to be alone in the mountains when night came. Wild boars and man-eating tigers still roamed freely among the rocks and trees, and he didn't have any weapons to protect himself.
Soon it began to rain. As night fell, the forest grew dark. But Sangho walked on. Now he knew he was lost. How would he ever find his way back home? All he could think about were the man-eating tigers that roam the mountains. Could he be safe until morning?
By midnight, he was deep in the forest. He couldn't see anything in the pitch-black darkness, and he didn't have any source of light-no lantern, no flashlight, and no way to light a torch.
Sangho couldn't walk any farther. He was hopelessly lost in the Taebaek Mountains of South Korea. The October winds were cold, and his wet body was shivering.
Finally he dropped to his knees. "Lord, I'm lost," he prayed. "I'm soaked and freezing. I'm weary and sleepy, and I can't walk another step. Please help me and protect me from the wild beasts. Don't let me die here." With that he lay down. Just before he fell asleep, he murmured, "I love You, Jesus."
During the night Sangho was awakened by a strange feeling. Something was tickling his neck. Was it a wiggly rat? A slithering snake?
Quickly Sangho grabbed the mystery creature. It wasn't a rat or a snake-but the furry tail of a huge beast. In the darkness he felt the animal and decided that a full-grown Asian tiger was lying right beside him, keeping him warm!
This kind of tiger is known as a man-eating beast. But Sangho wasn't afraid. He was convinced the tiger was God's answer to his prayer.
"Thank You, Lord," he said, "for sending this friendly tiger to protect me and keep me warm during the night." Then, still tired and now toasty warm, he quickly went back to sleep.
The next morning, Sangho awoke to continue his journey home. He remembered the tiger and quickly looked around. Sure enough, the tiger was still lying next to him. The tiger seemed to know that his job was finished. It got up, licked Sangho's face, and took off into the forest. Sangho stood up quickly to admire his new friend, but the animal had vanished!
Sangho found his way home safely. In the years that followed, he pastored several churches in South Korea. He often wondered about the creature that helped him in the forest that night. He never knew where it came from or where it went. But one thing is certain-he would never forget how God saved his life by sending him a blanket that breathed!
Information for this story was provided by a retired missionary. Reprinted from Mountain Movers, June 1995. Used by permission from Assemblies of God World Mission.
©2002 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission. |
