Salvation

This is a true story. One day, as a big, high-rise apartment building was nearing completion, only two workers remained, putting the finishing touches on the inside of the great incinerator chimney. As their work progressed, one of them went outside the chimney to retrieve some needed materials. The other remained inside, working a considerable height from ground level.

Suddenly, the worker’s safety-line broke and he began to fall through the huge opening. As he did, he grabbed hold of a large rope which extended through the chimney from top to bottom. His light gone, there he was, alone, clinging desperately to the rope. Soon he began to lose strength. As his grip weakened, he slipped downward in fits and starts. His aching muscles told him that at any moment he would lose his hold entirely and fall to certain death. At that point, his co-worker returned, looked down through the top of the chimney and discovered that his partner had disappeared. Horrified, he…