Tomorrow Brings Hope

"TOMORROW" BRINGS HOPE

In late March of 1993, a sudden snowstorm covered the East coast of the U.S. Over in the Smoky Mountains, it was the snow of the century. Many hunters and hikers were trapped in the park.

Four doctors from Knoxville had chosen that weekend for a hunting trip to the Smokies. They only expected to be gone one night, and didn't know about the coming storm, so they didn't bother to tell their families exactly where they were going. They felt that their SUV could take them deep into the mountains and get them back out with no trouble. But then, the snow banked up so deep around their SUV that it refused to budge.

This was before cell phones were commonplace, and no one in the outside world knew where they were. Plus, they only had enough food for 2 days. They were scared and confused about what to do.

Evening fell on the 2nd day. Still, they had no contact with civilization, and their SUV was as trapped as ever. They divided a stale doughnut one of them found in the back of the vehicle. They were cold, hungry and greatly discouraged. Would anyone find them before they froze or starved?

Then they heard a sound overhead, the unmistakable sound of a helicopter! They jumped out of their SUV and started screaming and waving to be seen. And the pilot did see them. But the helicopter was already full. Then the doctors saw a basket coming down, and in the basket was a note with one word on it: "Tomorrow."

That one word changed everything. Those four doctors made a chorus line and kicked up their legs as high as they could. Then at the top of their lungs, they began to sing that well-known song from "Annie." "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow; you're only a day away!"

(Adapted from Dynamic Preaching sermon, "SEARCH FOR TOMORROW" by King Duncan. From a sermon by Rick Crandall, Your Easter Experience, 2/16/2011)