The Mayflower Miracle

by melissa bradshaw

His father’s words were clear. “I think the time has come, Mary. We must leave our home here in Leiden and start again in a new land.” Bartholomew’s mother nodded in agreement.

Bartholomew’s mind was full of questions. Leiden was the only home he had ever known. The idea of sailing across the ocean sounded exciting, but it also made him a little scared.

Bartholomew had sailed on small fishing boats, but he was only 7 years old and had never sailed on anything as big as the Mayflower. And the ocean was far rougher than anything he had ever known.

The Allerton family had come to the Netherlands long before Bartholomew and his brother and sister were born. Bartholomew’s grandparents had died when his father, Isaac, was just a teenager. At the time, they lived just outside London, England.

As Isaac grew older, he noticed that his church was teaching in ways that did not agree with what the Bible taught. When he and others spoke out about it, they were thrown into jail! Isaac knew he could not stay in England. So, with a group of other young believers, he left for the Netherlands, where people could worship God and freely follow the Bible. In this new land Isaac met Mary, got married, and started a family.

But trouble was coming again. The peace treaty between Spain and the Netherlands was about to end, and their freedom to follow the Bible might be taken away. Many Christians began making plans to move to a faraway land where they could worship God without fear.

Finally the day came to leave. Not everyone could go. Some people were too sick or didn’t have enough money. Bartholomew hoped those friends could come later. With a heavy feeling in his stomach, he and his family boarded a ship called the Speedwell. This ship would take them to meet a bigger ship—the Mayflower—for the long trip across the ocean.

For two whole months they sailed. Sometimes giant waves crashed over the deck, but God kept them safe.

One day a man shouted, “Land! I see land!” Everyone rushed to the deck. It was true—land at last! Their long sea voyage was over, and a brand-new adventure was about to begin.

It was November 1620 when they arrived in America. Just as God had kept them safe across the ocean, He would be with them as they built their new home. But that first winter was not easy. Can you imagine arriving in a strange land at the coldest time of the year—and having to find food and build shelters before winter storms came?

Through every challenge, Bartholomew saw that God provided—sending new friends to help, giving food when they needed it, and keeping them safe. He learned to thank God not only for the good times but also for the hard times, when God’s care could be seen even more clearly.

Just as Bartholomew and his family were pilgrims traveling to a new land, we are pilgrims in this world. This earth is not our forever home. We are on a journey to the most wonderful place of all—heaven—where we will live with Jesus forever. One day, our journey will be over, and we will gather in joy to thank Him face-to-face for bringing us safely home.

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14, NIV).

This article is provided by My Place with Jesus, a ministry of It is Written, a Christian media ministry based in Chattanooga, Tennessee that has been proclaiming the message of God’s love since 1956. Check out more fun and games on the My Place with Jesus website!