Some of my fondest memories of my childhood can be traced back to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It's where my family would often vacation when I was young, before we ultimately moved there years later, when I was eleven. I remember building sandcastles with my mom and dad, eating at seafood restaurants, walking the beach, swimming in the pool, staying up later than normal (as kids get to do on vacation), playing miniature golf, flying kites on the beach, and sitting out on the balcony of the condo to enjoy the views and the ocean breezes. These are such great family memories to hold on to, but the memory I treasure more than any of these happens to be a particular time I was in the ocean with my dad.On this particular occasion, my dad and I were in the ocean jumping waves and enjoying the feeling of the water splashing against us. My dad made sure to keep a tight grip on me, and I held him fairly firm as well, because my skinny little self was certainly no match for some of those big waves! (At least, they were big to me then). Next thing you know, something quite unusual happened. Amidst all the fun we were having, my dad and I happened to notice the lifeguards begin to blow their whistles and motion for everyone to get out of the water. Danger had crept into the situation in the form of a stingray that had made its way right there into the shallow waters where we, and many others, were having so much fun. Of course, without hesitation, everyone (including my dad and I) immediately began to move quickly to the shore. As we did, my dad did something that took me off guard! - He jerked me up all of a sudden and placed me on his shoulders, without any explanation! He then proceeded to walk us both to safety. I couldn't understand why he had allowed us to walk a little distance while just holding on to one another, only for him to yank me out of the water without any warning before reaching the safe shore a dozen or so yards away.
It wasn't until we were both safely on the shore watching some guys catch the stingray with their fishing equipment that I asked him, "Why did you pull me out of the water like that? Was I not moving fast enough?" And my dad's answer is what has made this particular memory something I will never forget! As we watched the fishermen pull in the stingray and cut off his stinger (only to release him back into the water thereafter), my dad said to me, "Son, I believe I saw the stingray for a moment, and it appeared to be very near you, and I wanted to get you out of the water."
The reason I cherish this memory and will always be eager to share it is probably obvious: it was a beautiful display of a father's unselfish love and protection for his child. My dad could have chosen to head-off in the opposite direction after spotting the stingray, while leaving me to fend for myself, but that wouldn't have been much of a real dad. Instead, my dad made my protection his top priority. He got me out of the water as quickly as he could (as he placed me on his shoulders), and then he calmly walked us out of the water, all the while making sure not to point out the stingray and frighten me all the more.
While this story speaks volumes about my dad's love towards his son, it should serve to remind us all about God's love towards his children. The Bible says that if natural fathers (like mine) know how to treat children with love, how much more so does God love us and want to give us good things? You see, God desires to protect us and shield us from life's stingrays just as my dad did for me in the literal sense. When we look to God as "Abba Father," and when we're holding fast to him and him to us, we can always count on him to be there for us in the midst of danger and turmoil. Psalm 46: 1+2 says "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear ..."
If you're currently surrounded by some of life's stingrays, if doom seems to be on the horizon, if you're in a mess and you don't know how you're going to handle it, here's some simple advice worth following: Stay connected to God and allow him to carry you through it! Draw close to God (James 4:8), and make God your shepherd (Psalm 23) so you can say like David, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or the waters of life's stingrays), I will fear no evil, for God is with me."
It wasn't until we were both safely on the shore watching some guys catch the stingray with their fishing equipment that I asked him, "Why did you pull me out of the water like that? Was I not moving fast enough?" And my dad's answer is what has made this particular memory something I will never forget! As we watched the fishermen pull in the stingray and cut off his stinger (only to release him back into the water thereafter), my dad said to me, "Son, I believe I saw the stingray for a moment, and it appeared to be very near you, and I wanted to get you out of the water."
The reason I cherish this memory and will always be eager to share it is probably obvious: it was a beautiful display of a father's unselfish love and protection for his child. My dad could have chosen to head-off in the opposite direction after spotting the stingray, while leaving me to fend for myself, but that wouldn't have been much of a real dad. Instead, my dad made my protection his top priority. He got me out of the water as quickly as he could (as he placed me on his shoulders), and then he calmly walked us out of the water, all the while making sure not to point out the stingray and frighten me all the more.
While this story speaks volumes about my dad's love towards his son, it should serve to remind us all about God's love towards his children. The Bible says that if natural fathers (like mine) know how to treat children with love, how much more so does God love us and want to give us good things? You see, God desires to protect us and shield us from life's stingrays just as my dad did for me in the literal sense. When we look to God as "Abba Father," and when we're holding fast to him and him to us, we can always count on him to be there for us in the midst of danger and turmoil. Psalm 46: 1+2 says "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear ..."
If you're currently surrounded by some of life's stingrays, if doom seems to be on the horizon, if you're in a mess and you don't know how you're going to handle it, here's some simple advice worth following: Stay connected to God and allow him to carry you through it! Draw close to God (James 4:8), and make God your shepherd (Psalm 23) so you can say like David, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or the waters of life's stingrays), I will fear no evil, for God is with me."
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