|
|
 |
Meeting God in the Deep
Ron's Story of the Week
by Ron Rose
Not all stories for faith work out like we would like. Giants of the faith don’t have life experiences that always get wrapped up neatly, tied with a bow, and presented for everyone to celebrate. Faith, strong faith, is born out of tragedies that at first glance seem hopeless. Faith shines the strongest in chaos. I like the circulating story about rain in the Walmart parking lot. If you recall a crowd has gathered at the exit doors waiting for the downpour to end and a little red-haired girl is trying to convince her mother that they need to run in the rain. Finally the mom says, "No, we'll get soaked if we do." "No, we won't, Mom, remember what you said this morning?" the young girl said as she tugged at her mom's arm. "This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?""Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, "If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything!" Some will hurry on past moments like this and miss the faith-point. But this mom didn’t. "Honey, you are absolutely right, let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing."Maybe we all need a little washing! Inspiration On June 20, 1985, Jack Carter, his son Dave, and his grandsons, Dustin and Caleb, set out for a much anticipated wilderness camping trip in Yellowstone National Park. On there journey across the lake to their favorite staging site a freak storm came up and within seconds they were capsized and tossed into the ragging frigid 35 degree water. They were only 75 yards from the shore, but regardless of how hard they tried the wind and water seem to push them further and further from the shore. Jack and little Dustin ended up together, clinging on a floating seat cushion; but, Dave and Caleb were lost. After a while the waves calmed a bit and Jack and Dustin began to feel a surge of hope. “We’re going to make it, Grandpa, We’re going to make it,” Dustin kept saying. The water was just too cold. Soon Dustin’s words were slurred and less frequent. Jack kept urging to keep talking, but in the end, it was too much for Dustin. “I tried, jack said, “to keep Dustin’s face out of the water. I thought I might be able to revive him once we reached the shore, but I couldn’t grip him tight enough. It was only a few yards from the shore when he slipped out of my frozen hands and into eternity.” After more than three hours of fighting to stay alive, a wave finally drove Jack against an old tree and he was able to gradually make his way out of the water. He found a make due shelter between to fallen trees and rested till morning. Early the next morning he found a ranger cabin and with hours he was transported to Yellowstone Hospital. “I watched, almost indifferently, as the doctors worked to restore my circulation and body temperature.” Jack remembered. “They seemed to care a whole lot more than I did. Occasionally one of them remarked about my strength and how it had saved me. I was too weak to tell them how wrong they were. I could only remember that moment when I fingers could no longer grip and I lost my hold on Dustin. I could still see Dustin’s face sinking into the water as my strength failed.” They had been so eager to begin their wilderness adventure, now only Jack remained. Looking back Jack responds, “God gave my son and my grandsons the ultimate adventure; they got to go home to heaven. And, that same God gave me a tragedy to share that will give people hope. If God can help me through this, he can help you through anything.” Game Plan The task this week is to look back. Search our past for forgotten moments, tragedies, those difficult times when God changed your heart, opened your eyes, gave you comfort, and put his fingerprints on your life. Find someone who will listen and tell your story…Hope is needs your story to be told.
|
Ron Rose
Columnist
Ron Rose is a faith coach in North Richland Hills, Texas. He has been shaping the faith of believers for decades. Now God has called him to focus his life on faith coaching for the next generation. To learn more, visit his web site at www.faithfitness.net.
ronrose@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
Did you enjoy this article?
Would you like to read more like this
one?
With a FREE subscription we send you notifications
on articles or news breaks that are of interest to you.
Find a San Antonio church.
saWorship.com is a Christian Online
Magazine serving the local San Antonio area. Find a church online.
San Antonio churches
have free
listings
on our directory and can be updated at their convenience. Search
by denomination or area of the city.
|
|
| |
|
|
Find a Church in San Antonio
find a san antonio church, san antonio churches, christian magazine, find a church in san antonio, san antonio catholic church, free christian magazine, san antonio nondenominational church, christian woman magazine, san antonio community bible church, christian online, church in san antonio, san antonio baptist church, christian community online, san antonio presbyterian church, christian business online, san antonio lutheran church, san antonio protestant church
|
