Endurance
Alfred Lansing authored a book in 1959 called Endurance, named after a ship that took 27 men on an unbelievable adventure. The intent was to deliver a team led by Sir Ernest Shackleton to the shores of Antarctica below South America. Once there, the plan was for his team to go by dog sled across the continent. It is December 1914 when their ship enters an ice field. It traps them on all sides. The hope is to break free from the ice pack and reach Vahsel Bay, the starting point of the overland journey. They never make it.
The ship comes close. At one point they can see land on January 19, 1915, but the ice is too dangerous, and it moves them away. Governed by these huge masses of ice they float for another 10 months until the pressure on the ship starts to break it up. On October 27, 1915, they must take their equipment, the sleds, their three teams of dogs, food, three emergency boats, and abandon ship.
Now, on top of these massive flows of frozen water, they must live in tents. They can supplement their food supply with seal and penguin meat, since they are not hard to capture. As they are continually pushed northwest the 27 men hope to get near enough to land so they can launch the three small boats. But, moving with so much equipment is hard on the rough ice, with mounds of snow. They are at the mercy of the field of ice they find themselves on. The temperatures reach -20 at times. They are dressed warmly, prepared for the overland trip in the Antarctic, but they are not dressed well for wet conditions. They will be wet a lot.
On April 9, 1916, the ice packs have moved far enough north that slightly warmer temperatures cause them to melt and start breaking up. The men must now use the emergency boats. First, they must kill their dogs, the third team being used for food. For about two weeks they are adrift. The boats have small sails and oars for rowing, but the wind and rain and snow and sometime huge waves make these two weeks miserable. That they are not capsized seems a miracle. They sleep in shifts through the nights, needing to miss large ice flows that could destroy the boats, and try to hold to a path that will reach one of several islands. Even that depends on nautical readings their guide can only make when skies are clear to see the sun. On April 24, 1916, they manage to reach a small beach on Elephant Island, where there are no people, and the beach is surrounded by glaciers. They cannot survive for long here.
No one knows their location; most presume them all dead. It’s decided that Shackleton and five others will take the largest of the three boats and try to reach the island of South Georgia, where a whaling station exists. It is 650 nautical miles away! After many difficult days they make it to South Georgia, but they land on the western coast and the whaling town is on the opposite side. The rough sea and swift current could easily push their boats past the island if they try to go around, with strong winds that would not allow them to return once past. So, again, Shackleton decides to take two of the men and hike across the snow and ice-covered island. The problem? They must cross mountains 7-10,000 feet high with steep ice-covered crevices. It’s never been done.
These three men do it! People who later cross the island will say it is hard to believe that three men so worn out and ill-equipped could accomplish this journey. They are able to get the three men left on the west coast, and the 21 left on Elephant Island, although it takes several months to get there with more ice issues for the rescue ship. The title of the book, also the name of their ship, says it well: Endurance. An amazing story.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, rejoicing in hope… We rejoice in suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance…” (Romans 5:1-3).
Questions: What tough circumstances have you endured? What is the ultimate cause of bad circumstances? Has enduring in such tough times provided benefit for you, as a Christian? Read Romans 5:4-11; 8:28.
The ship comes close. At one point they can see land on January 19, 1915, but the ice is too dangerous, and it moves them away. Governed by these huge masses of ice they float for another 10 months until the pressure on the ship starts to break it up. On October 27, 1915, they must take their equipment, the sleds, their three teams of dogs, food, three emergency boats, and abandon ship.
Now, on top of these massive flows of frozen water, they must live in tents. They can supplement their food supply with seal and penguin meat, since they are not hard to capture. As they are continually pushed northwest the 27 men hope to get near enough to land so they can launch the three small boats. But, moving with so much equipment is hard on the rough ice, with mounds of snow. They are at the mercy of the field of ice they find themselves on. The temperatures reach -20 at times. They are dressed warmly, prepared for the overland trip in the Antarctic, but they are not dressed well for wet conditions. They will be wet a lot.
On April 9, 1916, the ice packs have moved far enough north that slightly warmer temperatures cause them to melt and start breaking up. The men must now use the emergency boats. First, they must kill their dogs, the third team being used for food. For about two weeks they are adrift. The boats have small sails and oars for rowing, but the wind and rain and snow and sometime huge waves make these two weeks miserable. That they are not capsized seems a miracle. They sleep in shifts through the nights, needing to miss large ice flows that could destroy the boats, and try to hold to a path that will reach one of several islands. Even that depends on nautical readings their guide can only make when skies are clear to see the sun. On April 24, 1916, they manage to reach a small beach on Elephant Island, where there are no people, and the beach is surrounded by glaciers. They cannot survive for long here.
No one knows their location; most presume them all dead. It’s decided that Shackleton and five others will take the largest of the three boats and try to reach the island of South Georgia, where a whaling station exists. It is 650 nautical miles away! After many difficult days they make it to South Georgia, but they land on the western coast and the whaling town is on the opposite side. The rough sea and swift current could easily push their boats past the island if they try to go around, with strong winds that would not allow them to return once past. So, again, Shackleton decides to take two of the men and hike across the snow and ice-covered island. The problem? They must cross mountains 7-10,000 feet high with steep ice-covered crevices. It’s never been done.
These three men do it! People who later cross the island will say it is hard to believe that three men so worn out and ill-equipped could accomplish this journey. They are able to get the three men left on the west coast, and the 21 left on Elephant Island, although it takes several months to get there with more ice issues for the rescue ship. The title of the book, also the name of their ship, says it well: Endurance. An amazing story.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, rejoicing in hope… We rejoice in suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance…” (Romans 5:1-3).
Questions: What tough circumstances have you endured? What is the ultimate cause of bad circumstances? Has enduring in such tough times provided benefit for you, as a Christian? Read Romans 5:4-11; 8:28.
Posted in Waking Up Eutychus