Last weekend, the world rejoiced when the news that 33 miners trapped a half-mile underground in Chile for 17 days were found to be alive. I’m sure most of the people familiar with the accident, including some family members, had given up hope that any would survive.

I tried to imagine myself being in a dark grave with a group of men with little hope, if any, to be rescued.

The good news is that the miners are alive, but how did they manage without food or water?

The world news wire report, a couple of days after, told

the story of how the men managed on a two-day supply of food to be used for an

emergency. It is reported that the men disciplined themselves and lived on two

spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk, a bite of crackers and a morsel of peaches, not every day but every other day. When they were finally reached, the miners still had some food left. Their discipline and teamwork showed how the men were determined to stay alive.

What an amazing story that may take as much as four months to get the ending to a miracle in the making. Why four months? Because the miners will be trapped in the mine that long before the rescuers can dig a hole wide enough to get them out of their shelter.

At present, the miners are able to communicate with their rescuers through a fixed line.

This story should teach all of us a lesson about discipline, teamwork and the will to live.

During the next four months, as we pray for the men to be freed, let us be more disciplined in our daily lives, enjoying life to the fullest and working together to make our community a better place to live.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.