“Faith isn’t a lottery ticket . . . it’s a work
order!” ~ Pastor Sylvia Staten
Carter loved the ocean. He couldn’t wait to enjoy some “bangin”
waves. Making an urgent run for it, he
dove in headfirst. It felt AMAZING! At 18, he felt like a little kid again –
smiling and laughing. It never crossed his
mind that he was already in serious danger.
It took only minutes before Carter noticed that objects on
the beach were quickly getting smaller. When there was no bottom left to the
sea floor, a sickening panic washed over him – recalling what he'd read about ‘rip’
currents.
Many beachgoers fear sharks.
But ‘rips’ are the real killers.
On average, only one person dies annually from a shark attack. But over 100 drown and tens of thousands
struggle in deadly rip currents each year.
For Carter, the waves were truly daunting, choking and
pounding him with each crest. He tried
yelling for help, but no one heard hear him over the wind and crashing
surf. Fatigue was robbing him of hope as
he faced a chilling realization - he wasn’t going to survive this. This was how he was going to die - right here
. . . on this beautiful day . . . in a place where he’d had some of the best
moments of his life. He asked God for help;
heaven could surely wait.
He thought of my mom who lost her husband a few years ago
and was now going to lose her son. He
thought of other family and friends and wondered whether they’d miss him. He hoped someone kind would care for his dog
Schooner.
Then everything went dark.
And everything went silent.
Eventually he heard muffled voices and sensed someone with
huge shoulders carrying him. Then he
felt the warmth of the sand and coughed up a chest-full of salt water.
“Am I dead?” Carter asked to a beach full of relieved
bystanders. “I was a good person, no
drugs, good grades, believed in God, lived by faith . . .”
“Relax,” said a 50-something man desperately out of breath. “You’re gonna be just fine!”
Fully conscious now, Carter looked up at the man who had
risked his life by swimming through the treacherous riptide to save him. “Thank you for saving my life!”
With an intensity that made Carter a little nervous, the man
said, “That's okay, kid. Just make sure
your life was worth saving!” And so
he did – never forgetting the second chance he’d been given.
The ocean is boundless; a force greater than the sum of all its
drops and all the creatures within it. So,
too, is the deep, the titanic, the infinite power of Christ's love! But we can only experience its fullness and
depth by venturing in.
Jesus, the depth of Your love is unfathomable! Let it fill the entire scope of my soul's
vision; occupy every niche of my heart, and lead me by its all-consuming
influence, down the path of loving obedience and surrender. Amen
