Less than 4 minutes later over 30,000 were dead from an 8.2 earthquake that rocked and nearly flattened Armenia in 1989.

In the muddled chaos a distressed father bolted through the winding streets leading to the school where his son had gone earlier that morning.

The man could not stop thinking about the promise he had given his son many times.

"No matter what happens Armand, I'll always be there."

Well he reached the site where his sons school had been but saw only a pile of rubble. He just stood there at first fighting back tears....and then took off stumbling over debris running toward the east corner where he knew his sons classroom had been.

With nothing but his bare hands he started digging, desperately pulling bricks and pieces of wall plaster. While others just stood by watching in forlorn disbelief, he even heard someone growl, "Forget it mister they're all dead"

He looked up flustered and replied, " You can grumble or you can help me lift these bricks" but only a few pitched in, and most of them gave up once their muscles began to ache.

But the man couldn't stop thinking about his son, so he kept digging and digging....... for hours and hours.

12 hours went by..... 18 hours..... 24 hours..... 36 hours......... and finally into the 38th hour he heard a muffled groan from under a piece of wallboard.

The man grabbed the board, pulled it back and cried, "Armand!" and from the darkness came a slight, shaking voice, "Papa?"

Other weak voices began calling out as the young survivors stirred beneath the still uncleared rubble. Gasps and shouts of bewildered relief came from a few onlookers and parents who remained.

They found 14 of the 33 students still alive. When Armand finally emerged he tried to help dig until all his surviving classmates were out. Everybody standing there heard him as he turned to his friends and said, "See I told you my father wouldn't forget us."

We have a Father like that....-

Dr. Scott Hahn ….from his book "A Father who keeps His promises."