Sucat and Link-Up

In England around the year 400 there lived a very happy boy. His name was Patricius Sucatus, but for short he was called Sucat.

Sucat had parents who loved him and who were Christians. They had a lovely home. There were large fields and a wooded area where Sucat could play and do whatever he liked.

Often Sucat sat under a there and dreamed about what he would do when he was grown up. Would he be a farmer, a hunter, or should he perhaps become a businessman?

But one day when Sucat was sixteen years old, something happened to change his whole life. It started as a very ordinary day. Sucat told his mother and father after breakfast that he was going hunting in the woods behind their house. He took his bow and arrow and ran lightly down the trail into the forest.

All was quiet. He stopped and listened. He looked at the ground to see if he could find footprints of a deer.

Suddenly, someone from behind grabbed him. Sucat was a strong, healthy boy, but he could not free himself. Several men held him as in a vise. Sucat did not know them. No matter how hard he struggled, they would not let him go.

The men were pirates from the east coast of Ireland who had come to England to look for boys whom they could sell as slaves.

As a slave in Ireland "Patrick"(as he was now being called) realized how different the God he knew was from the gods of the people around him believed in. He thought of Jesus, God's Son, who had compassion with people and healed the sick and fed the hungry. He thought of Jesus who had loved everybody so much that He was willing to die for them. Patrick felt Jesus' love suddenly surrounding him in such a real way that from then on he talked to Jesus as his Friend. He learned to love Jesus more and more.

As he learned to know Jesus, Patrick was also more concerned about the people around him. He talked with the other servants. He became friends with them and with his other neighbors. Now when he saw how afraid they were of their gods he wished with all his heart that they could learn to know Jesus

Six years went by. Finally one night Patrick had a perfect chance to escape. He grabbed his jacket and ran out of the house. He walked and walked. When morning dawned he saw the harbor. A ship was in the harbor with its sails up ready to leave. Patrick ran as fast as he could. Gasping for breath, he finally reached the ship and found out it was leaving for England. Patrick came home at last and was reunited with his parents.

However, Patrick did not forget his friends in Ireland. He did not forget his dream of telling them about the God of love and compassion. Now he knew what he wanted to do with his life. He went to school to study the Bible and after several years he went back to Ireland as a missionary.

Patrick stayed in Ireland all the rest of his life and when he died many people believed in Christ. The Irish people loved Patrick so much that to this day throughout the whole world, they honor him when they celebrate Saint Patrick's Day on March 17th.

Condensed excerpt from I Heard Good News Today, PatrickGoes to Ireland 

I hope you were as surprised and inspired by Sucat / Patrick's story as I was. What a fantastic story of how God can use even a kidnapped 16 year old boy for His Glory! Praise the Lord!



Now, time to link up and share your own story.
The only rule is to link back (grab the code on the right sidebar) so we can get the word out!