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| Iditarod dog sled team |
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.
Day Six of our Alaska Adventure we went to the Iditarod
museum and had the opportunity to ride on a sled pulled by dogs. It was such a
great experience watching how the dogs worked together and enjoyed pulling the
sled.
Every year in Alaska, a 1000-mile dogsled race, run for
prize money and prestige, commemorates an original "race" run to save
lives. Back in January of 1926, six-year-old Richard Stanley showed symptoms of
diphtheria, signaling the possibility of an outbreak in the small town of Nome.
When the boy passed away a day later, Dr. Curtis Welch began immunizing
children and adults with an experimental but effective anti-diphtheria serum.
But it wasn't long before Dr. Welch's supply ran out, and the nearest serum was
in Nenana, Alaska--1000 miles of frozen wilderness away. Amazingly, a group of
trappers and prospectors volunteered to cover the distance with their dog
teams!
Operating in relays from trading post to trapping station
and beyond, one sled started out from Nome while another, carrying the serum,
started from Nenana. Oblivious to frostbite, fatigue, and exhaustion, the
teamsters mushed relentlessly until, after 144 hours in minus 50-degree winds,
the serum was delivered to Nome. As a result, only one other life was lost to
the potential epidemic. Their sacrifice had given an entire town the gift of
life. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus all of humanity can be saved.
Dear Lord, help us to continue to press on to the goal
that is before us. We pray for strength to continue along even when things get
tough. In the Name, of Jesus, Amen.
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