It was in July, 1915 when the passenger cruise ship called SS Eastland rolled over while tied to a dock in the Chicago River and brought 844 deaths.
In midst of horrible tragedy, there were many heroic things that took place. One in particular was by the man, Charles Williams, who happened to cross Clark Street Bridge when he saw what was happening. He immediately jumped into the water and pulled people out one by one. At times, he almost got drown because some people were grabbing unto him too tight. At the end, he rescued 23 people and recognized as hero.
Years gone by while R. A. Torrey, an evangelist, was speaking at a church in Los Angeles, and he mentioned of this heroic Charles Williams and his risk in saving lives. At the end of the service, a man approached Pastor Torrey and introduced himself as he is that man, Charles Williams.
Torrey asked him, “What do you remember the most of that event?”
Showing a bitter smile and Williams said, “Out of 23 people I have rescued, not a single person came and thanked me. This is what I remember the most.”
This reminded me of the ten lepers who came to Jesus and got cleansed (Luke 17). Out of 10, the Bible says, only one returned to thank Jesus. Maybe the other 9 were planning to come back to thank Jesus, too, but out of sheer excitement, they forgot.
I wonder if we forget what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, in midst of our hectic schedule. We should definitely slow down, pause, and thank God for His sacrificial love shown in His Son, especially the Passion Week and Easter approaching.
Don’t wait… let’s thank people around us who have been blessing to us.