RIPTIDE
Several years ago on a gorgeous, sunny, warm September day, I went to the beach for a swim. The ocean was calm, placid and inviting. I joined a man and a young brother and sister out on a sand bar. The child within each of us had been called there-who doesn’t enjoy bobbing in the waves on top of a sand bar! We were having great fun until we heard the strident calling of the lifeguards. They were blowing their whistles and waving their hands frantically to alert us to the riptide that we were now caught in. I gathered the children close to me, urged the girl to swim beside me while I tucked her brother in a lifesaving position so that I could swim him to safety. He relaxed without hesitation in my arm. That he was so calm was remarkable. We swam hard directly to shore, a maneuver that anyone schooled in riptide current escape would say was incorrect. Nonetheless, we made it safely back to the beach. The children’s parents grabbed and hugged them in deep relief. The lifeguards had to row out to rescue the man. I plopped down on the sand, trembling. Realizing the enormity of the moment, how quickly things had changed, I sat in shock. And, appreciation. Clearly the children and I had the benefit of unseen angels who kept us calm while providing the strength to help us make it ashore. Truly I have no other explanation for our rescue.
On reflection, it is so often the case that there are undercurrents within us and around us that impact our lives on a daily basis. These riptides move us in directions unanticipated. Sometimes suddenly and with great force; sometimes quite subtly. Riptide ettiquette is to not swim against the current but instead to swim parallel out of the rip and away until you find a safe place with breaking waves you can follow onto the beach. How often do we fight the currents that move us to and fro! And yet, the instinctual response often enough does not offer a viable solution. Staying calm, assessing and listening before taking action is a more reasoned approach.
I am glad I believe in and accept the help the Angels offer non-stop. This was not the first time they have intervened to save my life and on this day, the lives of two innocent children. Grateful I surely am!
© Written by Barbara J. Woolley, Spiritual Messenger, Saturday, August 12, 2023
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