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A Remarkable Experience
While rounding up some cattle late on Wednesday evening, J. C. Sterrett, a young man, was thrown from his horse and into the creek. The fall injured his spine, paralyzing his body below the waist. He fell on his knees in such a way that he could keep his head above the water only by supporting himself with his elbows on the side of the bank as long as he had strength to do so.
Hour after hour he lay in the icy water, suffering agony from his injury, calling for help and vainly trying to extricate himself with his hands, which closed again and again in the soft mud that defied his grip. His only companion was his faithful shepherd dog, Ring, who remained near, barking and whining, but could not help his master.
Lying in this painful position, the brave young fellow managed to take from his pocket a memorandum book and by the aid of his flashlight, write a farewell message to each of his brothers and sisters, his sweetheart, and his mother. He speaks of fainting away two or three times while writing, and finally, as the dawn began to break in the East, he became exhausted and sank beneath the surface of the stream.
The body was found by a search party. His dog was standing watch over him. The bundle of notes, tied with a string, was found on the ground. The letter to his mother, Mrs. Boyd Sterrett of Des Moines, IA, follows:
The Letter
Dear Mother: If you were only here tonight! I am lying in the creek in Bracewell's pasture and can't get out. The water isn't very deep and I will try to fight it out until somebody hears me.
Oh, if I had only listened to you and not ridden the grey until I got a saddle blanket! God bless you, Mother, I would be better off if I had always listened to your advice.
Don't worry about me, for I sure feel that God is with me tonight. Oh, Mother, I am so thankful that I was brought up in a Christian home. Dear brothers and sisters, live so you can always be prepared to die when you get in a place like this and think maybe you can't get out.
All of your sins come up before you, but if you pray for God to blot them out, they will leave, and peace and happiness comes in their place.
I'm feeling better now; the water doesn't seem as cold as it did, only my head gets so dizzy sometimes I forget everything and seem to fall asleep awhile. Oh, if I could only get out of here I would do more towards bringing others to Christ.
My legs are paralyzed and I can't reach anything with my hands.
Maybe somebody will see my flashlight and come. I'm going to keep up as long as I have strength. I do want to see you all so much. There is a verse that keeps running through my head and it is so beautiful. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
I suppose this writing will all be useless if I get out, but somehow I don't feel like I will. The roads are so bad and it looks so stormy and I have yelled until I can't make a sound above a whisper.
I'm cramping awfully bad again. I'm getting so tired holding myself up to write. I must rest again. My back is hurt someway. I can't write much more.
I want to bid you all good-bye. God bless you all. Good-bye. It is getting light in the East and old Ring has come to me. He is barking on the bank and tries to reach me and lick my hands. He knows I am in trouble.
Well, Mother dear, it will soon be over. I'm in a hurry to go now. My suffering will be over forever. ‹Joy.
Sterrett often expressed a desire to lead others to the Lord Jesus. When he returned from the Army at the close of the war, he told his mother he felt like he should go out in the world and work to bring souls to Christ. Whether he ever had the joy of seeing a friend won for the Lord, we cannot say, but we believe his desire has been fulfilled in a manner he never conceived of. Like Samson, he has accomplished more for God in his death than in his life. His testimony, given in the hour of weakness and dissolution, has reached more persons and with greater effectiveness than most Christians influence in a lifetime.
"God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." He gave Joy Sterrett the strength and the very means he required to leave a message. Who can fail to see in all circumstances, that God has spoken? He is "longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9).
My reader, God is speaking to you. He has controlled all the chain of events that worked together to bring this message to you at this moment. Then hear, and your soul shall live. (Isa. 55:3).
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