A few days ago, I was sitting in my truck at a red light. I looked over to the left of the truck and saw a man. This man looked toward the sky and his actions caught my eye. I continued to watch him and his eyes looked toward the sky as if to wonder if there was anyone or anything out there who really cared for him.
If there is anyone who may feel the same way this man could have been feeling, let me assure you that there is someone who really cares about each one of us.
When I was twenty one, I spent the day enjoying the sights and sounds and experiences of Stinson Beach in the San Francisco Bay area. I love the beach and everything about the experience that you can have there. The beach was very crowded on this day. I remember the temperature of the water was nice. As I got out into the water I could see that there was a lot of surfing activity going on. The waves looked good for those interested in surfing. When I got out into the water and the level came up to my waist, I looked back to where my friend was sitting and saw the clearly posted sign with the words, "No lifeguard on duty." I am a horrible swimmer! I did, however, want to go into the water and I felt confident that I wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize my safety. I waded out a little deeper and then began to swim a little way out. I could feel a gentle pull that comes from the undertows at this particular beach. I wasn't paying very good attention to how far I was being pulled out until I turned around to look toward the beach area. To my surprise I was a long way out. Panic set in immediately and I began to swim toward the shore. With every stroke forward I felt like I was being pulled twice as much backward. I tried to stop and think rationally about what I needed to do to get back to shore. I felt cold and tired. I even tried to holler but nothing would come out. My thoughts raced through my mind of my parents and siblings. I thought about my friend not knowing where I had disappeared until the bad news would be realized when my lifeless body would be found. The thoughts were horrifying to me. I tried to inhale and see if I could somehow touch sand. I realized that it was very deep where I was at the time. Just as I knew that I could do nothing else but simply gulp some water and hope that the end would be quick, I offered a silent prayer of desperation and wondered, "is anyone there?" No sooner had I offered this simple prayer I was launched forward by a crashing wave. The wave was so hard that my body hit the sandy bottom and it felt like I had hit concrete. When I came up to the water's surface, I realized that I was standing. I turned around and realized that the shore was now very close. I fell into the water and offered a prayer of comfort, this time. There had been many times in my life when I had felt the loving arms of someone who cared wrapped tightly around me. This time was extra special for me.
There is someone who cares. I have no doubt. He cares for us every day of our lives and He wants us to feel of the love He has for us.
