On the morning of August 5, 2010, Chilean miners working almost 2,500 feet below the Atacama Desert started feeling vibrations. Suddenly, there was a massive explosion, and the passageways of the mine filled up with a gritty dust cloud. After the chaos and rumbling stopped, thirty-three miners found themselves sealed inside the mountain.

It turns out the miners were sealed inside the mountain by a 770,000 ton “mega block” of stone which was “twice the weight of the Empire State building.” Luis Urzua, the crew’s supervisor, said, “It was like the stone they put over Jesus’s tomb.” After reality set in, that a speedy rescue was unlikely, they talked, joked and told stories. One miner, Víctor Segovia, starts a diary. “There is a great sense of powerlessness,” he notes. “We don’t know if they’re trying to rescue us, because we don’t hear any machines working.”

Miraculously, sixty-nine days later, all thirty-three buried miners are brought to the surface, and none of the men sustains serious bodily injury. After the rescue, one of the miners, José Henríquez, a devout Evangelical, recounts how he took the initiative to lead the men in prayer. “We aren’t the best men, but Lord, have pity on us,” he says. The men then follow his lead and kneel to ask God to guide their rescuers to their aid.

This story reminds us we need to be a “light” in the dark for others. Many are lost and looking for your leadership and hope.

Daily Directive:

Answer and Journal the Following

Read:

Read and meditate on Matthew 5:14-16 for yourself.

Pray:

What does being a “light” for others mean to you? Be real, be honest, and be vulnerable.

Meditate / Make It Real:

Create a plan of action on how you will be a light and give hope to others. Be specific.

Share / Show:

Share this with another man and have them hold you accountable.