Thirty below, thirteen thousand feet down
Drill shattered, blew a hole in the shaft
Of the well-diggers rig, barely missing the nest
Where the robo-boss plies his craft.
The crew looked around for the cause of the blow
Bent pipe grinding its earthy demise
Men groaned at the thought of the work time lost
Not to mention the "finished first" prize.
Resignation set in as they cursed their bad luck
Twelve hours they worked in the cold
To purge from the jumble of metal and dirt
Natural gas more precious than gold.
One man standing alone in the dark
Sent a prayer to his Father above
In humble faith, trusting, he listened
For a word from his "Abba" of love.
"Daddy," he said, "I'm so tired and sore
And I know the other guys too
Could use some relief from this bitter cold
All in all they're not a bad crew.
They laugh at my faith, blaspheme your Name
Don't try to hide their derision
When I bow my head saying "Thanks" for my food
Or ask help with some small decision.
But Father, I know you love them too
You want them to have eyes to see
The great gifts you have waiting for them
The same way that you've gifted me.
Father, send rain, bless us with Your grace
Please find the problem tonight.
I know that you hear me, I know you care
Oh Lord, won't You be my delight?"
Ten thousand feet up, they pulled that pipe
And still hadn't found the trouble
Bitter cold winds mocked his faith
Screeching, "Believe it, if you are able."
Bone tired, solemn, once more he prayed,
"Father, please help us with this,
I'm tilling the ground, the harvest is ripe
My friend's souls are at the abyss."
His God smiled when they found, way deep down
The shattered remains of a tool
Showing He cared for the smallest of things
That His faithful son wasn't a fool.
Ten men saw God work to redeem their time
Ten men were blessed by the care
Of one faithful child of the Living God
Unashamed to approach Him in prayer
Read more articles by Roberta Franklin or search for articles on the same topic or others.
Many of us have prayed as miners have been in trouble deep underground. This paints a powerful picture of the experience...and of the light of prayer. Excellent pacing, structure and word choice throughout.
