“Jude...to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Jude 1:1-2
It seemed surreal! I desperately struggled to stand upright in three or four feet of water. My heart was pounding as I wrestled the riptide and longed for the solid ground of the sandy beach only twenty or thirty feet away.
Then another series of waves happened, and I lost my footing, and I was being dragged out to sea. The white foam engulfed my entire body, the saltiness of the sea in my mouth as I gasped for breath. How could I make it to shore when I couldn't resist the strong rip of the ocean?
That summer afternoon was like so many others. I grew up in the ocean and spent most of my summer days swimming, floating on surf mats, bodysurfing, and laying on the soft, warm sandy beach. I was an average swimmer and felt safe in the water.
I was probably 14 or 15 at the time. I'd be at the beach all afternoon, my dad would come down after work to swim, and I'd get a ride home with him.
The surf was rough that summer day and a yellow flag warning was posted on the lifeguard tower. I'd been swimming under the guard's watchful eye all day. The beach was nearly empty, and the lifeguards had left at five. I could see surfers a half mile away on the beach. I felt anxious and scared, weakened from the struggle.
My soul was screaming for help. How was I going to get out of the waves?
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