Mysterious Light

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, December 7.

By Andrew McChesney

O

n a summer night, six people made an emergency trip to the hospital in Dillingham, Alaska. To reach the hospital from Camp Polaris, the sick child and five grown-ups had to travel by boat for 15 minutes and then by car for 30 minutes.

Once the child was safely at the hospital, the five grown-ups returned to the boat on the lake. It was about 2 o’clock in the morning. The sky was pitch black, and the water was calm. It was difficult to see anything.

The boat had special navigation equipment that allowed it to sail in the dark. But on this night, one important piece of equipment didn’t work. The sonar, which measures the depth of the water, was broken. This was a serious problem because the lake was shallow in some places. If the boat hit a sandbar or a rock, it might get stuck or, worse, even sink.

But none of the grown-ups wanted to stay on the lake shore all night. Everyone wanted to return to camp and sleep in warm sleeping bags.

“OK, let’s go,” said the grown-up who was acting as the boat’s captain.

He gunned the motor, and it roared to life.

Chuff-chuff-chuff-rrrOOOAAARRR!

With a prayer for safety, the five grown-ups set off for the camp.

Roooooooooaaaaaarrrrrr!

The boat sped smoothly over the open water. At first, it was easy sailing. No islands or other obstacles blocked the way. But it was dark.

The boat riders kept praying as they headed in the direction of the camp.

Finally, two islands appeared on the navigation screen. The islands were located right in front of the shoreline with the camp. The captain steered the boat between the islands and slowed down the engine.

RRRAAAOOOrrr-chug-chug-chug.

The engine ceased its angry roar and settled into a steady chugging sound.

The captain was worried.

“I can’t see anything,” he said. “I don’t want to hit the dock. What am I supposed to do?”

Then everyone was worried. All the camp lights were out because everyone at the camp was asleep. No one on the boat could see the camp in the dark.

Someone had an idea, saying, “Move the boat forward slowly.”

Keeping the motor on low speed, the captain slowly moved the boat forward. Chug-chug-chug.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the middle of the camp. The brilliant, white light cast dazzling rays over the camp. The grown-ups on the boat could see the boys’ cabins. They could see the girls’ cabins. They could see the main lodge. They could see the bathrooms. Most important, they could see the dock and the shoreline.

The captain guided the boat past the dock and onto the shore.

Everyone jumped off the boat. It felt good to have solid ground under their feet.

The grown-ups looked to see where the light was coming from. They wanted to thank the person who had switched it on.

But the light went off, and darkness returned to the camp.

The grown-ups decided to go to bed and thank the kind person in the morning.

When the morning sun had risen, they tried to find the person who had turned on the light.

The captain felt certain that it must have been the camp director.

“Thank you for turning that light on,” he said. “We never would have made it without it.”

But the camp director said it wasn’t him.

“What light?” he said. “I didn’t turn any light on. I was sleeping. I didn’t even know you were coming.”

No one at the camp had turned on the light.

The boat riders believe that there is only one answer; an angel showed up with a bright light on that dark night. The light showed them where to go.

Camp Polaris, located outside Dillingham, Alaska, is the only Seventh-day Adventist summer camp that caters especially to Alaska Native children. Part of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in 2015 helped to improve the camp with new cabins and real toilets and showers. This quarter, part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help Alaska Native children in Bethel, Alaska, know about the Light of the World, Jesus, who shows the way to true happiness. Thank you for planning a generous offering on December 28.