It was going to be a
beautiful early June weekend, so in a spur-of-the-moment decision, I took 3
boys and one Grandma to an amusement/water park on Saturday. It was perfect! They boys were very excited and of course, it
being 80 degrees and all, their favorite part was the water park. Once we hit the Soak Zone, the boys headed
straight for the “Wave Pool.” This pool
has a restriction for kids who are 48 inches tall and under. They have to wear a life vest and be accompanied
by an adult the entire time they are in there.
The adult must be at arm’s length of the child at all times.
Dylan is just 46 inches tall,
so we got the vest and in we went. As
you may know, the way “Wave Pools” work is that there are periods of total calm
followed by a period of powerful, man-made waves. When Dylan and I walked into the pool, it was
calmed. We played and enjoyed some much
needed coolness. We sat in the shallow
end and let the refreshing caress of the water relax our tense muscles. Then, as soon as the whistled blew announcing
the beginning of the waves, I realized the reason for the strict enforcement of
the rule regarding young kids at the entrance.
Dylan got tossed and turned
and jerked around like the laundry in the spin cycle! The mighty waves were too strong for my
little one, whom I had to keep rescuing by grabbing him with both hands to lift
him out of the powerful waters. We moved
to the side where it seemed tamer, but still, he could not stand without been
tossed about. He got braver and his legs
steadier as he journeyed through the waves several rounds and as he realized
that I was there with him all the time.
He became more confident
because he knew my hand was permanently reached out to him. Every time he needed to pull himself out of
the water and couldn’t do it by himself, he sought my hand which he found
faithfully every time. He also realized
that even when he couldn’t or didn’t have the strength to reach out to grab my
hand, that I would not wait and with precise timing, both my hands would hold
him by his side and pull him out into safety so he could breathe again.
Hmm…yes, that’s exactly
right. Though dim, this was a pretty
good reflection of our lives with the Lord our God. As we toss and turn in the middle of violent
waves that threaten to tear us apart limb by limb, the Almighty God we serve
stands right next to us, unmovable, unshakable, and unchangeable.
Dylan’s experience at the
“Wave Pool” resembles our walk with the Lord.
Periods of calm, when we playfully wade in the water or just sit and
enjoy the peace, followed by seasons when we can barely seem to be able to
catch our breath. Periods when we have
time to relax and soak in the wonders of our Great God, followed by moments of
confusion when the only thing that saves us is reaching out our hand to His
which is always extended to us. Periods
of evident joy when everything seems just right, followed by times when we are
too weak, too lost, too beat up to even raise our hand to grab the hand that is
reaching out to save us.
As I drove a car full of
exhausted little boys (and one Grandma), I took time to praise Him for who He
is. I am so glad that our God is mighty
to save and loving enough to do it all the time. I praise Him for “He has delivered us from
such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us.
On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us,” as we
know He will. (2 Corinthians 1: 10) After all, we know that He is “my light and
my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD
is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
2 Corinthians 1:10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
Psalm 27:1 Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?
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