“God frees us from the misery of darkness." ~ Colossians
1:13
Without warning, their apartment
floor opened up and the building collapsed.
Everything went dark … until she woke to the frantic cry of her 2-year-old
daughter.
Marta lay motionless; flat on
her back. They’d fallen into the
basement, trapped by crumbling walls and tons of rubble. A concrete panel inches above her kept the
mother of six from standing.
Fearing her own death, Marta promised Gayany, "No
matter what, I'll be here for you!" She reassured the girl with sweet Armenian
lullabies and children’s prayers.
Barely within reach, Marta found a jar of blackberry jam
that’d fallen to the basement. She
rationed that to her baby over the next few days until it was all gone.
The body can call on fat stores and eventually muscle
protein. But it can’t draw water from
anything but external sources.
As the days passed, and Gayany's
pleas for something thirst quenching became more intense. Her mother remembered a program on TV about
survival. In toddlers, up to 90% of
their bodies were made up of water, acting as a "natural storage" in
cases of dehydration. So she kept up her
prayers and lullabies until she could no longer speak.
Losing track of time because of the unchanging darkness, Marta
couldn’t recall how many days they’d been trapped under all the rubble. But on the fifth day of their captivity,
rescue workers opened a small hole that let in a shaft of light.
Moments later, frightened, hungry, and thirsty Mom crawled out
from under the debris. "My baby’s
in there,” she cautioned, “please be careful not to hurt her!"
Mother and daughter were flown to Yerevan, Armenia's
capital. Gayany was placed in the ICU for
five days, hooked up to IV fluids, but her blood was rich in protein and
minerals. She made a full recovery
thanks to her mother’s promise to protect her. Marta, also dangerously dehydrated, was given IV
fluids and placed in a hyperbaric chamber of 100 percent, highly pressurized
oxygen for treatment against exposure.
Later they’d learn that two earthquakes ravaged Armenia’s northwestern
section killing 60,000 people, injuring another 130,00, and leaving hundreds of
thousands homeless or without basic supplies.
The two tremors, only minutes apart, measured 6.9 and 5.8 in magnitude
and destroyed nearly half a million buildings.
Moms seem to have a natural instinct to protect their young.
But rescuing people is part of God’s
nature. From the moment Adam sinned, He
rescued humanity from eternal separation from God’s blessings.
Some assume salvation is something God gives automatically
in His sovereignty. But ultimately, the
Bible says He won’t impose His will unless we ask for His intervention. It’s our job to take it.
Father, please rescue me. Don't let the floods come over me; don't let
me drown in the depths or sink into the grave.
Answer me, Lord, in the goodness of your constant love; in your great
compassion turn to me! (Psalm 69:
15-16)
