Fresno, California

He Came to Our Rescue

It was the night of July 2, 1971 in Fresno, California. 24-year-old Rick Freund, his wife, and some
friends were driving home from the car races when Rick's wife spotted a house that was on fire.
They stopped to see if they could help. They found three little girls in their nightgowns standing
with their mother watching their home as it was being engulfed with flames. The mother was crying
out in desperation, "My baby! My baby! Where is my baby?"

"I just asked her where her baby was and she pointed out the room," Freund recalls.

Firefighters had not yet arrived, so Freund and some deputies from the Fresno County Sheriff's
Office went into action. As Carmen George reports, Freund and the deputies "approached the baby's
bedroom window. One of the deputies shattered it with a baton, then hoisted Freund - who was the
thinnest - through the window. Inside, he found a room filled with smoke, flames fast approaching
on the other side of the door, and a smiling baby in a crib. He scooped up the infant and passed
the child through the window, then pushed himself out, bloodying his back and hands in the process."

"After I climbed out the window, the only thing I was interested in was seeing if the baby was
alright. He was crying a little but seemed okay, so we left," said Freund to a reporter back in
1971. He left without the family even knowing his name.

The family tried in vain to find the rescuer but their efforts weren't fruitful until they saw an
article in the Fresno Bee that identified him. On behalf of her family, Mrs. Robert Herzman wrote a
letter to Freund and The Bee printed it in the paper. Mrs. Herzman wrote the letter in her son's
name - "Bobby" - who was just four-months-old at the time. It concluded with these words:

"You brought me to safety and disappeared before my parents could express their gratitude. But
heroes don't want to be thanked. Thank you is too inadequate for saving my life. But I know that
mommy and daddy will do their best to teach me right from wrong and to do just like you did. You saw
it had to be done and you did it. We will never forget you." - Bobby

46 years after the terrible fire and wonderful rescue, Bobby and his three sisters - with the help
of The Bee - were able to meet with Freund to thank him personally. The visit, Carmen George
reports, was filled with gratitude, gifts, and Freund happily answering their questions about what
he remembered from the night of the blaze. *

When you and I were in the clutches of sin and destined for destruction, Jesus Christ came to rescue
us. In order to rescue us, Jesus had to give His life for us by dying on the cross for our sins.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins
to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen." - Galatians 1:3-5 NIV

Won't YOU allow Jesus to rescue you by accepting His offer of salvation and eternal life?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "He heard 'My baby!' and came to the rescue, then disappeared. The family
finally found him" by Carmen George of The Fresno Bee, 2/5/18, www.fresnobee.com.