By Lori Tyler
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
One summer my family and I lived in Northern Ireland. We stayed at a retreat center on the cliffs of the Irish Sea. You could see the hills of Scotland from the bluff.
One day we were invited to go coast steering. Basically, coast steering is navigating the coastline from the water in a wetsuit. Ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you I do not like to be in deep waters. I do not care for the beach or like to even get my feet wet in the ocean. So as fun as this sounded to some, it seemed like a really bad idea to me. However, my 10 and 12-year-old boys were anxious to give it a try. And how can a mom stay behind while her husband and boys were making lasting memories? Of course I felt like I needed to be a part of it.
Once we arrived at the waters and were all suited up, it was time to begin our trek. Even though it was the month of July, the water was freezing. Right off the bat I regretted my decision and was extremely uncomfortable. Oh, the things a mom will do for her children! The rocks were rugged, the water was cold, and the dark clouds blanketed the sky. I can remember being very frightened.
Our guide led us to our first cliff from which we would jump. I have no idea how people find this fun, but I did at least complete one jump into the icy waters. Due to the wind, the waters were unusually rough. One wave came in and knocked my husband and me to the rock, pulling us out to sea. The guide had to reach out and help bring us back to shallow waters.
Other than being miserable the entire time, the main reason I will never do this again is because I feared my sons being pulled out to sea. I realized that if this were to happen to the boys, there was no way my husband and I could reach them in time. In our desperation we could not have helped.
This experience reminds me of the many times in my life I have needed help. Sometimes it’s because of my own sin; other times it is because of uncontrollable circumstances. In my desperation, I reached out to God because only He could offer a solution.
During our swim I just wanted to give up and get out of the water. Isn’t this true in the trials of our life? Instead of giving up, we can cry out for divine help and expect God to answer. He is our Redeemer and Savior.
Lent is all about the redemption of God. We all need to be redeemed and rescued from the icy waters. What do you need to be rescued from today?
God hears our cries and delights in answering. Listen and respond with thanksgiving and shouts of joy.