Wear Your Life Jacket

I grew up living high on a bluff above the Intercoastal Waterway in Morehead City, North Carolina, with my Mom and Dad and three brothers. Fishing trips with my Dad and brothers are some of my fondest memories.

One summer day when I was eight years old, dad put the whole
family in our fourteen foot red motorboat, and took us offshore to do some serious deep sea fishing. There were huge swells that day, but Dad, being the seaman he was, kept the bow heading into them.

We threw out our baited hooks and, in no time, I saw Dad’s rod bend. Something had taken the bait. I looked over the side of the boat and saw the most beautiful fish ever. This wasn’t the Spanish Mackerel that we usually caught. No, this was a monsterous silver bullet shining through the blue water. . .King Mackerel!

Dad’s attention was drawn to the fight of reeling in the catch. He didn’t see the boat had gradually turned sideways to a swell. I looked up and shouted, “Dad, we’re going over!”

Tackle, parents, food, and kids spilled out into the sea. Since we had on our life jackets we quickly surfaced beside the overturned boat. Pop! There was Dad. Then Pop! there was Mom. Next David, Susan and Stephen all popped up. But where was baby brother, Mark? Dad didn’t hesitate as he dove under the boat, took hold of Mark’s legs, and released him from the air pocket where he was trapped. We were relieved when Mark popped up. He was safe.

For years I’ve read a Psalm almost every morning to get specific attributes of God that I can use for praise and adoration. Last week I was reading Psalm 35 where King David was asking the Lord to fight against those enemies who hated him, and were threatening to kill him. He says, “Let me hear you say, “I am your Salvation, your Savior from those too strong for you.” Dad cared for us kids by insisting we wear our life jackets when we went out in the boat . . . no ifs, ands, or buts. It was what saved us, and Dad was my hero.

God is our sweet heavenly Father who says, “I am your salvation; there is none like me, saving you from those too strong for you.”  Life is full of people and circumstances that are simply too strong for us: bills you can’t pay, a wandering child, chronic illness of a loved one, life without a spouse, the constant pull of the desires of the world, and lies from the evil one who’s out to destroy us. Each of us knows the strong enemies we face. Psalm 35 reminds us that these powerful waves will not overcome us. Jesus says, “I am your salvation, Savior from those too strong for you.” I’m your life jacket. Trust me. Put me on, and I will save you.

Susan Hamlin

Originally presented to the CBS-Rutherfordton Class Leadership Team