What walks have taken you further than your feet could have ever traveled?
I can think of many strolls that have been important. But one seemingly insignificant one happened alongside the Green Brook Swim Club when I was around seven or eight.
My sister Lucille and I were walking along the lap portion of the pool and it was just another lazy summer day. Suddenly, a shrill lifeguard whistle blew. From across the pool, I heard him say, “Deep water test in fifteen minutes.”
It didn’t stop my stride because I knew I was too young to even contemplate such a daring feat. But it also didn’t stop my sister from stirring a courage in me that I didn’t know I had. It was really the unthinkable. The unrealistic. The truly impossible dream.
“Why don’t you try it?” she asked.
“I don’t think I could do it,” I quickly objected.
What I really meant was that I was too scared.
“Look,” she pressed. “A ladybug just landed on you and that’s good luck.”
She all but pushed me to the deep end. I was shivering and it wasn’t from the cool water.
I remember that she pointed out that the lifeguard had a long safety pole and he could pull me out if my imaginings of the unthinkable did happen.
He didn’t need his pole. I emerged as the most shocked, successful deep-water kid ever tested.
“I passed!”
Somehow, Lucille wasn’t surprised. She was the real lady bug-ging me into deep waters of faith.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: God fights for us - even if He has to send big sisters and ladybugs to help us fight for ourselves. Who has fought for you when you couldn’t fight for yourself and how does that reinforce your understanding of God’s resolve to help us overcome?
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing…The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, Exodus 14:14 KJV